Can you rip a spoiler off?

[dandan]

Hi All,

Got back from JAE brandishing a spanking carbon rear spoiler, can\'t wait to get my car back from Reworx so i can fit it, only i\'m a little worried about the practical side of things.
A spoiler is designed, as i understand it, to \'spoil\' airflow across the back of the car, creating a desired effect, i.e more or less downforce etc, so i assume they can be put under quite a bit of force from the air. This wouldn\'t be a problem in Kev\'s 1.1 Nova which will only encounter windspeeds approximating a good healthy curry fart, but if i decide to boot it (on a private road obviously) and hit say, 150mph or so, is there a chance of ripping a large spoiler right off my boot? I would set it up as flat as possible but it is designed to be held with four bolts into the bootlid, do you think this will be enough? What sort of framework is under the boot skin?
I can fit it with 8 bolts as it has various mounting holes, and i was going to fabricate huge shaped washers to go on the underside, otherwise i could envisage the spoiler warping my bootlid or even tearing loose.
Has this ever happened to anyone? am i worrying over nothing?

edit: it\'s the same style as on Initial-D\'s stonking black FD, so it\'s mighty large.

[Bobfish]

novas never came in 1.1\'s, and my nova used to do 150mph so its just as much as problem as with the FD!!!

engine swap


Sorry though, cant answer your question! Shouldnt think it would be a problem though, or else they wouldnt be fitted to cars!

[Initial-D]

Mines been up to 140 on a few tracks and is pretty study, its when you go over pot holes you hear the bootlid rattle a bit. Its held on with twelve bolts (six on each strut) going into the bootlid with large bolts and washers underneath. Obviously the bootlid is only thin so the wing needs to be light before the added force of airflow is applied, especially when you have it at max rake on a windy day!

I went for the C-West wing as it\'s the same one used on the Feast track car in Japan, and also the fact that C-West wind tunnel test all their aero parts before mass producing them which gives me piece of mind at least.

You have any pics or info on the wing?

[g11ary]

Plus the downforce is pushing it in to the boot not ripping it up.

[dandan]

here is the spoiler,
as you can see it leans back from the mounting point so when downforce is applied it would pivot about the rear mounts and try to rip the front mounts off.
It is a nameless universal job, each mount has three holes in the bottom, presumably so you can choose the best placing for the bolt, but i could use the two furthest apart holes to double the fixing points to 8.
Also thinking about modifying the struts so they aren\'t as high, this would reduce any turning force about the pivot.
I can\'t see it having been aero tunnel tested to be honest, i\'m gonna have to keep my eye on it i think

[iaint]

Just to be a pedantic fecker...

Spoilers break up the airflow as it leaves the back end of the car to reduce drag a little, they do not produce significant downforce.  Most of the reason for a spoiler is cosmetics.

Wings are airfoil cross-sections (inverted when compared to an aeroplanes wing) and, if the real-deal can produce significant downforce.  I\'ve read elsewhere about the necessity of providing bracing for the wing to push onto for racing applications as the boot lid will flex but I doubt any of us would be running enough to be a problem.  IIRC wings have to be quite high up to get into the \'clean\' air above the car before they work properly - i.e. a good bit higher than even the most in-your-face gt-style wings on our toys.  

I

[dandan]

Pedantic or not, you have filled me with confidence!
if no-one can come up with any horror stories of spoilers flying off on the M1 etc, then i will pimp my car with confidence! might stick a few extra bolts just to be sure though!
Cheers Iain!

[Initial-D]

I\'d deffo stick as many bolts in as possible for peace of mind!

If I have mine on maximum rake I can feel a difference in the handleing, although only above 70mph or so.

[iaint]

I\'d deffo stick as many bolts in as possible for peace of mind!

If I have mine on maximum rake I can feel a difference in the handleing, although only above 70mph or so.

Your car goes that fast???

[paultakata]

Look at this pic borrowed from Rotary Import\'s site:

There are wires holding the spoiler (sorry, wing   ) to the middle of the bootlid. That would definitely stop it flying off! Maybe worth considering if you generally drive on "private test facilities"? :burnout

[Gerry M]

thats the same as my wing  & i\'ve tightened them twice in a yr they seem to be biting into the alloy block that holds them, but not sure if thats from people pulling at them or wind pressure

[Initial-D]

Your car goes that fast???

Thanks Ian! Yes even around corners too!! :p

[interloper393]

here is the spoiler,


Are you sure its big enough??  :god  :rollin

[dandan]

Interloper, that picture doesn\'t do it justice, it is a BIG wing!
But if i\'m ever going to own a car that I can justifiably fit a big spoiler onto, the RX has to be it. This could be my only chance for big wingness!!

[davegttph1]

http://www.rtoc.org/library/file.asp?id=21833

thats my spoiler.... looks the same as the 1 your bought to be honest.... believe me it doesnt fly off at 150mph....