[buntydey]

Here are some of the pics...

[revtech]

Originally Posted by Fiddler

At high speeds the shape of a Car is like an Aerofoil. aerofoil - Google Search
An upward force or Lift as it is called in Aviation is generated. This acts through the CG and is countered by the weight of the Car.

At sufficiently high speed this lift will be greater than weight. ( I dont know but I have always assumed that the car loses its road grip when this happens)

A Spoiler spoils the airflow bringing the Seperation point of the Airflow forward thereby Spoiling the Lift and hence stay on the ground.

Some pro Mechanics can help clarify if this assumption is right.

spot on.another thing is spoilers only come into play at high speeds. and is designed keeping a lot of factors in mind.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Spoilers spoil the look of the car, period.

Esp the rear spoilers, actually havent seen any front spoilers. On highways agreed that some aerodynamics are involved but in city drive, no chance.

I have seen some hideous looking spoilers on Mumbai roads, fail to understand the logic on installing one.

The logic is being a kid who wants to pretend they own a real performance car.

Absolutely agree... they look ridiculous. They make me think, "silly place to put a bookshelf!"

As far as I know, the purpose is two-fold: one, to act like an upside-down plane wing, increasing the downward pressure on the real wheels and improving grip; two, to clean the airflow off the back of the car, reducing the turbulence.

Does this work for an "ordinary" car? one: isn't this rear-grip thing for rear-wheel drive? This I don't know. two: cleaning the airflow, might be good for any car.

The Swift spoiler photographed above, with the peculiar side pieces, looks like it would be a fail at improving the air flow!

[bblost]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Good question. It disturbs the airflow hence is called a spoiler. Specifically it is supposed to spoil the turbulence. Can be used to increase the downforce or to giide more air into the hood/brakes.

Rear spoilers in a sedan are not very useful since the region behind the rear screen is a highly disturbed airflow. Thus they are almost totally cosmetic. The 'lip' on the top rear edge of a hatchback can be very effective, since it breaks up the turbulence behind the car, and thus reduces the drag and hence improves the fuel consumption.

If it creates more downward force its like increasing the weight of the vehicle. Hence it reduces the power to weight ratio.

So will this not be a case of better handling but lesser speed and milage. As the effective weight has increased.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Does this work for an "ordinary" car?

Nope.

On most cars, spoilers only really create a difference above 150 - 200 kph. 99% of the cars in India can't do a 200. Plus, the spoilers that make a difference are usually the factory-fitted type fitted on performance cars (starting from Lancer Evos & Subaru STIs). They are designed / fine-tuned in a wind tunnel.

If you go to the local pappu accessory shop and fit a spoiler, chances are, it could actually disrupt the airflow around the vehicle at high speed. All of us everyday car owners who get rear wings do so only for aesthetics.

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by GTO

Nope.

On most cars, spoilers only really create a difference above 150 - 200 kph. 99% of the cars in India can't do a 200. Plus, the spoilers that make a difference are usually the factory-fitted type fitted on performance cars (starting from Lancer Evos & Subaru STIs). They are designed / fine-tuned in a wind tunnel.

If you go to the local pappu accessory shop and fit a spoiler, chances are, it could actually disrupt the airflow around the vehicle at high speed. All of us everyday car owners who get rear wings do so only for aesthetics.

Hey, could you please suggest if a roof spoiler would be a good idea aesthetically and technically for my Indica Vista.

Please suggest.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Hey, could you please suggest if a roof spoiler would be a good idea aesthetically and technically for my Indica Vista.

Please suggest.

Your answer is already there in the post by GTO.

Originally Posted by GTO

Nope.

On most cars, spoilers only really create a difference above 150 - 200 kph. 99% of the cars in India can't do a 200. Plus, the spoilers that make a difference are usually the factory-fitted type fitted on performance cars (starting from Lancer Evos & Subaru STIs). They are designed / fine-tuned in a wind tunnel.

If you go to the local pappu accessory shop and fit a spoiler, chances are, it could actually disrupt the airflow around the vehicle at high speed. All of us everyday car owners who get rear wings do so only for aesthetics.

Very few installs can match what you get from a factory.

Coming back to your question.
Technically: No use on a Vista.
Aesthetically: Its for you to decide. Personally I don't like it. As its just one more thing that can get loose, rattle, fall off and so on.

[diffuser]

Hello all ,

Sorry to dredge up such an old thread but I just wanted to know whether spoilers would actually work on FWD cars . I thought that spoilers were there to create down force and push down the rear wheels for traction and stability at high speeds . Does the OE spoiler of the Laura vRS actually help ?

Thanks,
NR

[satyamkaushik]

Even after extensive search on the forum i could not find a dedicated thread on spoilers, which made me start this new thread.
Mods, please merge if any related thread exists.

Seeing spoilers on every 1 of 5 cars i come across on the road, made me wonder few questions.
1. What exactly is the purpose of a spoiler (Rear).
2. How exactly does it work.
3. what are the different types of spoilers and what utility does each type provide.
(I was wondering about the utility part specially for a lip spoiler).
4. What is an average cost of getting a spoiler.
5. Does a wrong or a low quality spoiler affect the driving experience and aero dynamics of a car.
6. Where does one get a good aftermarket spoiler from.
7. Different ways of fixing a spoiler.
8. Durability and life of a spoiler.

Spoilers definitely look good and give the car a sporty look, but are these worth the effort ?

[999]

Originally Posted by satyamkaushik

Even after extensive search on the forum i could not find a dedicated thread on spoilers, which made me start this new thread.
Mods, please merge if any related thread exists.

Seeing spoilers on every 1 of 5 cars i come across on the road, made me wonder few questions.
1. What exactly is the purpose of a spoiler (Rear).
2. How exactly does it work.
3. what are the different types of spoilers and what utility does each type provide.
(I was wondering about the utility part specially for a lip spoiler).
4. What is an average cost of getting a spoiler.
5. Does a wrong or a low quality spoiler affect the driving experience and aero dynamics of a car.
6. Where does one get a good aftermarket spoiler from.
7. Different ways of fixing a spoiler.
8. Durability and life of a spoiler.

Spoilers definitely look good and give the car a sporty look, but are these worth the effort ?

there is a very nice artice in Wikipedia. A quote
A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion, usually described as turbulence or drag. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air flowing underneath the vehicle which generally reduces aerodynamic lift and drag. Spoilers are often fitted to race and high-performance sports cars, although they have become common on passenger vehicles as well. Some spoilers are added to cars primarily for styling purposes and have either little aerodynamic benefit or even make the aerodynamics worse."

Link->>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoiler_%28automotive%29

[satyamkaushik]

Originally Posted by 999

there is a very nice artice in Wikipedia. A quote
A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion, usually described as turbulence or drag. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air flowing underneath the vehicle which generally reduces aerodynamic lift and drag. Spoilers are often fitted to race and high-performance sports cars, although they have become common on passenger vehicles as well. Some spoilers are added to cars primarily for styling purposes and have either little aerodynamic benefit or even make the aerodynamics worse."

Link->>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoiler_%28automotive%29

Thanks for the reply

But i was more concerned with the real world situation of getting a spoiler. I read the whole wikipedia article, but i wanted to know about the practicality part of it.

Can someone answer these :

Originally Posted by satyamkaushik

4. What is an average cost of getting a spoiler.
5. Does a wrong or a low quality, after market spoiler affect the driving experience and aero dynamics of a car.
6. Where does one get a good aftermarket spoiler from.
7. Different ways of fixing a spoiler.
8. Durability and life of a spoiler.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by satyamkaushik

Seeing spoilers on every 1 of 5 cars i come across on the road, made me wonder few questions.
1. What exactly is the purpose of a spoiler (Rear).

On street cars, mainly for enhancing cosmetic value and upping the sportiness quotient. The theoretical reason is that it improves aerodynamics, by interfering with air flow patterns and reducing drag, but that's for sports cars and the speeds they use the cars at.

2. How exactly does it work.

Already explained by another member above

3. what are the different types of spoilers and what utility does each type provide.

On a street car, hardly any difference in technicals. The differences are more cosmetic and individual choice would make all the difference as to which design looks better on which car

(I was wondering about the utility part specially for a lip spoiler).

Works well if you want very little show, and elegant looks which don't 'mess' with the rear profile look too much

4. What is an average cost of getting a spoiler.

Depends on what kind of design you are looking for. OEM ones would mostly cost around 5-8k with painting charges thrown in, and they are simple to install. After-market ones can go up to 20-25k depending on type of material, size, design and the complexity of alteration required for installation.

5. Does a wrong or a low quality spoiler affect the driving experience and aero dynamics of a car.

At the kind of speeds a road car would be doing here in India, the aerodynamic effect of spoilers will hardly be perceptible unless it is very abnormally shaped. Of course, installing it crooked can mess with the air flow and cause issues at highway speeds, but this is rare. Perhaps the most common way a low quality spoiler can affect your drive experience here is if it starts rattling due to poor installation, or improperly drilled holes could mess with water entering the boot.

6. Where does one get a good aftermarket spoiler from.

Any good car tuner should be able to source one for you if you are going the aftermarket route.

7. Different ways of fixing a spoiler.

- 3M double sided tape reinforcement (non-damaging). This may not last very long and can't be considered a permanent fix though. Usually works only for 'lip' spoilers which have the entire surface plastered along the roof/bootlid

- Most common method is to drill holes onto the bootlid or hatch and install the spoiler. Most long lasting method, but installation should be perfect to prevent rattles and avoid alignment issues which might cause improper drag at high speeds.


This Fiat spoiler installed on my T-Jet is drilled and bolted onto the bootlid. I also got a very long strip of an exceptionally bright stop-lamp with this spoiler which serves me well from a safety aspect too, when I brake.


Another view



- Another method is used in some hatchbacks where the spoiler can just be bolted onto the hatch door near the the hinges and requires no hole-drilling, etc. I have personally used such a spoiler on my Punto, it is a direct bolt-on job and can be removed whenever required.

The spoiler on my Punto installed via screws and bolts onto the top of my hatch door slots

8. Durability and life of a spoiler.

Not an issue to worry about. Probably as long lasting as the car if the design and installation is done well.

Spoilers definitely look good and give the car a sporty look, but are these worth the effort ?

A very subjective question. If you prefer the looks of your car with the spoiler, you could go ahead with it. Not all people like them, some feel (even on this forum) that spoilers looks stupid and street-racer-boyish.


Personally I prefer spoilers on sedans since they complete the rear look well. I personally don't prefer bald bootlids on sedans since they look awkward to me. This was the reason I got one on my T-Jet.


Spoilers on hatchbacks need to be chosen carefully keeping aesthetics in mind. I prefer the ones which look like minor extensions (eg. the one on my Punto) and blend in well with the back. Installing a sedan-type broad spoiler on a hatch will make it look awkward (I see a lot of modded swifts with these). Some might even call them as clothes-drying stands *lol*.

To summarize, spoilers on normal road cars are mostly cosmetic additions and serve no aerodynamic advantages unless you do very high speed speeds or racetrack usage. I suggest you go for whatever (aesthetic) design you like.

P.S - what car are you considering a spoiler for, if I may know?

[skm1967]

Just to understand the purpose of spoilers in high preformance cars let me just explain the concept of lift. In an aerofoil or any body of aerodynamic shape there is a difference in length/path of upper and lower surfaces. The airflow on striking the front edge is divided into two flows, one over the top surface and another below the lower surface.

Since the airflow over the top surface travels a longer path, it accelerates and due to this the air pressure on top surface reduces compared to lower surface. It is this pressure differential between two surfaces that provides lift. This is how aeroplanes fly by generating lift.

In cars too the airflow over the top surface travels a longer path and thus there is generation of lift which depends on speed and is appreciable in high preformance cars. Because of this there is tendency of car to 'lift'. There are two major drawbacks of this. One is that the ride is not 'planted' and second is that braking friction reduces and brakes are less effective. So spoilers are used to get better and planted ride and to get better braking performance.

What spoilers do is to convert smooth airflow to turbulent airflow which leads to increased pressure on top surface, reducing pressure differential and thus killing 'lift'. It however also increases drag which is not really desirable. Both lift and drag are proportional to square of speed. Thus spoilers have significance only at high speeds.

[Rakshith220]

I currently own a WagonR Vxi 2008 model but unfortunately the Maruti dealer near my home (Bimal Auto) who had informed me of having the MGA Spoiler for my car, recently confirmed that it is out of stock and will no more be available due to discontinue of my car's model.
Can some one please suggest me a place/dealer of Maruti in bangalore who could fulfill my need of a MGA Spoiler as i dont want to get a after market solution as much as possible! All your suggestions and opinions on the same (both MGA/after market spoilers) are welcome.

Regards,
Rakshith

[Gannu_1]

When there's insufficient downforce, the car takes off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxe_DqAkeAk