Splitters on the track...

[I12XLR8]

First question: does anyone see the need for splitters on our cars for road track use?
Second question: does anyone know of a splitter for the G8 that is actually functional (I.e. attaches to the frame and not just body panels)
Last question: is there any performance value in getting a fin, no matter how ridiculous it looks?

I would like to get a splitter and fin for the car but they would have to be useful for me to justify it to myself. Sometimes looking good just isn't enough ;-) I'm going to have good tires this season and am looking to get out to close to 10 events so want to be as prepared as possible. With my next power mod being somewhat out of my grasp financially I am exploring other options...


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[Eidolon]

Obviously, given my post in the "What did you do today?" thread, my knowledge is limited.

But as a friend/coworker (different one than the guy I mentioned previously) likes to point out, the money that you put into the G8 to make it better for the track is also money that could be set aside to get something that's better on the track to start. And with C5 Z06's being really cheap these days... Heck, the price of a Maggie gets you more than a quarter of the way to an outright buy! Just something to think about. Something off topic, of course.

[TonyKarter]

Do you aspire to race something in the future if you are financially able to do so? Are your track days a precursor to doing just that?

[I12XLR8]

the money that you put into the G8 to make it better for the track is also money that could be set aside to get something that's better on the track to start.

http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Chevrolet...howcpo=ShowCPO

This won't happen as long as the wife has anything to say about it. Having a track car brings this to a whole other level, even if it makes sense financially. ;-(

Do you aspire to race something in the future if you are financially able to do so? Are your track days a precursor to doing just that?

My track days are a way to enjoy the car. Even though the more I'm out there the more I love it, I don't think I'd ever make the jump to a dedicated car. MAYBE, MAYBE, I can look forward to a dedicated summer car once the kids no longer need to be chauffeured around. Only 12 years to go...

[Doug Hilliard]

I don't know about the effectiveness of the splitters out there. My own experience says the car is pretty stable up to 145-150 on the track with the setup I currently have (lowered). When my radius rod bushings needed replacing, it seemed a little shifty at those speeds, but I replaced mine with BMR's and had the camber/caster set correctly and it feels very good up to those speeds. I would love to get a splitter as I think they look pretty nice (at least the new one - can't remember who makes it but there's a thread on here somewhere).

[toedrag]

As a general rule, only make aerodynamic adjustments when you need to, and always consider the overall aerodynamic balance of a car when making any aero changes. With that in mind, what problem does the splitter solve for you? Is your car generating too much lift which is causing you to lose traction or feel loose? Is your car understeering at high speed (100+) but is fine at lower speeds (60-100?), suggesting more front downforce is needed at high speed? Conversely, if the car is neutral or oversteers at high speed, increasing front downforce with the splitter could induce add'l oversteer, which may be fun, but is slower than being perfectly neutral.

Also, remember there are penalties with every aero mod. With a splitter, where will the extra air be going? Are you adding vents anywhere? If you're not giving the air an exit, then I think you will have more drag. This may be okay, unless the increased drag slows you down more than the increased traction allows you to make up in the corners.

Remember that the higher the car sits off the ground, the less effective the splitter is. If you plan to lower the car only for track days, will the reduced airflow under the car result in higher temperatures elsewhere (engine oil, trans oil, other?)? Will you raise/lower the car at the track or at your garage? Either way, it'll get old pretty quickly on a street driven car. Or, just leave the car lowered and run the risk of scraping road debris, potholes, speed bumps, and other road hazards?

Just food for thought.

[Chewy]

^^^well said^^^

[I12XLR8]

As a general rule, only make aerodynamic adjustments when you need to, and always consider the overall aerodynamic balance of a car when making any aero changes. With that in mind, what problem does the splitter solve for you? Is your car generating too much lift which is causing you to lose traction or feel loose? Is your car understeering at high speed (100+) but is fine at lower speeds (60-100?), suggesting more front downforce is needed at high speed? Conversely, if the car is neutral or oversteers at high speed, increasing front downforce with the splitter could induce add'l oversteer, which may be fun, but is slower than being perfectly neutral.

Also, remember there are penalties with every aero mod. With a splitter, where will the extra air be going? Are you adding vents anywhere? If you're not giving the air an exit, then I think you will have more drag. This may be okay, unless the increased drag slows you down more than the increased traction allows you to make up in the corners.

Remember that the higher the car sits off the ground, the less effective the splitter is. If you plan to lower the car only for track days, will the reduced airflow under the car result in higher temperatures elsewhere (engine oil, trans oil, other?)? Will you raise/lower the car at the track or at your garage? Either way, it'll get old pretty quickly on a street driven car. Or, just leave the car lowered and run the risk of scraping road debris, potholes, speed bumps, and other road hazards?

Just food for thought.

Awesome. Just the slap in the face I needed to smarten up ;-)

I have had no issues with lift as far as I could tell but it was suggested on a local racing board that a splitter should be my next move. Advice like this is what I need to balance out everything else I've heard. Thank you all.

[toedrag]

Awesome. Just the slap in the face I needed to smarten up ;-)

I have had no issues with lift as far as I could tell but it was suggested on a local racing board that a splitter should be my next move. Advice like this is what I need to balance out everything else I've heard. Thank you all.

Happy to help

Happy tracking, and keep the shiny side up.

[MIEngineer]

What type of speeds are you seeing on previous track events you have done?