It's not a WING!
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,532
Likes: 5
From: Trussville, Alabama
As already stated, a wing and a spoiler are two entirely different things.
But, if you turn a wing upside down (so to speak) it is still a wing. It just creates lift pointing downward.
In other words; the wing adds downforce.
But, I'm left to wonder.....
are all these ricer wings upside down?? I've never looked to see. And if they are, aren't they decreasing downforce on the front (i.e. drive) wheels??
edit to add: Oops...I see where I missed Chris's explaination of turning the wing upside down. Sorry 'bout that.
But, if you turn a wing upside down (so to speak) it is still a wing. It just creates lift pointing downward.
In other words; the wing adds downforce.
But, I'm left to wonder.....
are all these ricer wings upside down?? I've never looked to see. And if they are, aren't they decreasing downforce on the front (i.e. drive) wheels??
edit to add: Oops...I see where I missed Chris's explaination of turning the wing upside down. Sorry 'bout that.
Last edited by BrianA; Dec 9, 2003 at 10:24 PM.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,153
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From: Roseburg OR.
It should be mentioned that the vast majority of a wing's lift is generated by it's angle of attack not the Bernoulli principle. Otherwise planes couldn't fly upside down and we of course know that they can. As the wing passes through the air it is lower in the rear than the front and surface tension causes air to follow the upper surface of the wing downward drawing air from above down with it. This is what creates enough equal and opposite force to hold a plane in the air, a huge column of air above the wing being drawn downward.
So an inverted assymetrical wing with the front lower than the rear will tend to draw air upwards thus placing more downforce on the rear of the car. I just wonder how well it can work because the wing only has about 2 feet of air below it to move upward so the total weight of the air it is moving is very limited. An airplane wing will cause air as much as a couple hundred feet above to move downward as it passes though it at speed.
So an inverted assymetrical wing with the front lower than the rear will tend to draw air upwards thus placing more downforce on the rear of the car. I just wonder how well it can work because the wing only has about 2 feet of air below it to move upward so the total weight of the air it is moving is very limited. An airplane wing will cause air as much as a couple hundred feet above to move downward as it passes though it at speed.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 714
Likes: 1
From: Zville, Ohio u.s.a.
Re: It's not a WING!
Originally posted by phatpharm85
Ok I have to rant! I've been looking on cardomain, trying to see what i want to do for a nice summer car. As I look every one seems to call spoilers wings! why!!! It's not a wing! If it were a wing, the back of your car would lighten up and your handling would get worst! Your car dosen't have 747 written on it so why a wing?
This just proves that most people dont know what the intended use is! So why have it if you dont know what it's there for!
" oh I know it looks nice" not! It may very well add drag and weight, hence slowing your car down!
ok I'm done. Does any one have a focus, or a v6 mustang or both. These are the two cars I'm considering. I can get a base v-6 mustang coupe for the same price as a fully loaded zx-3 Focus. I have a feeling that the focus with the 2.3 liter would be just as fast while insurance would be less and gas milage would be better. anyways what do you guys think?
Ok I have to rant! I've been looking on cardomain, trying to see what i want to do for a nice summer car. As I look every one seems to call spoilers wings! why!!! It's not a wing! If it were a wing, the back of your car would lighten up and your handling would get worst! Your car dosen't have 747 written on it so why a wing?
This just proves that most people dont know what the intended use is! So why have it if you dont know what it's there for!
" oh I know it looks nice" not! It may very well add drag and weight, hence slowing your car down!
ok I'm done. Does any one have a focus, or a v6 mustang or both. These are the two cars I'm considering. I can get a base v-6 mustang coupe for the same price as a fully loaded zx-3 Focus. I have a feeling that the focus with the 2.3 liter would be just as fast while insurance would be less and gas milage would be better. anyways what do you guys think?
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 714
Likes: 1
From: Zville, Ohio u.s.a.
Originally posted by mustange70
Rent each car for a weekend or so and take a small trip with each one and see how you like it. Thats what myparents did when they bought their windstar.
Rent each car for a weekend or so and take a small trip with each one and see how you like it. Thats what myparents did when they bought their windstar.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 207
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From: Ontario, Canada
My 87 Mustang GT has a WING from the factory, stock, flat top with a lip, round bottom side to create negative pressure and downforce. Focus outhandle ANY stock Mustang? 2003 Cobra? 2000 Cobra-R?
Fox Body cars + Winter = NOT A GOOD THING!
My GT is my summer car for a lot of reasons, partly due to the fact its a money pit, but, its also HIDIOUS in snow, bad weight distribution on them, but god are they FUN....in the summer, on dry pavement, add rain, snow, gravel....etc into the equation and things geat really freaky really fast. The V-6 Mustangs are nothing special, the Focus is cute and the SVT one has amazing handling and really good power, it gets my vote.
Fox Body cars + Winter = NOT A GOOD THING!
My GT is my summer car for a lot of reasons, partly due to the fact its a money pit, but, its also HIDIOUS in snow, bad weight distribution on them, but god are they FUN....in the summer, on dry pavement, add rain, snow, gravel....etc into the equation and things geat really freaky really fast. The V-6 Mustangs are nothing special, the Focus is cute and the SVT one has amazing handling and really good power, it gets my vote.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 448
Likes: 1
From: MN
I wouldn't call any of them a wing
If it's on a car I wouldn't call it a wing. I think the scientific non-aplication specific term for anything that produces lift in either direction would be an airfoil.
An airfoil can produce an upward force or downward force depending upon camber and orientation. The pitch of the airfoil can then be changed to increase or decrease that force.
ckrichard you seem to know your stuff but what about a symmetrical wing. At a zero angle of attack this one doesn't produce any lift. Or does it. Bernoulli works great in a closed system in which it is a priniciple, but in the air it's more of theory. There are a couple other theories when it comes to flight and lift.
An airfoil can produce an upward force or downward force depending upon camber and orientation. The pitch of the airfoil can then be changed to increase or decrease that force.
ckrichard you seem to know your stuff but what about a symmetrical wing. At a zero angle of attack this one doesn't produce any lift. Or does it. Bernoulli works great in a closed system in which it is a priniciple, but in the air it's more of theory. There are a couple other theories when it comes to flight and lift.
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Posting Guru
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,082
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I have an 03 ZTS Mach Audio Edition. I actually traded my last F150 in on it because the oil companies were getting rich by me. It's a super fun car to drive, very tight handling. A bit under powered when a/c is on. Mine has HID HLs which I love. I'd get the ZX5 SVT. More room than the ZX3 and isn't as ugly.
Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: dalton,ga
sorry! i do not understand this word "wing". it must be because i am from the south, and down here it is called a "waang"!! of course some of you may prefer to just call it a "spauler"!!! (yes, you have to stress the "au" sound). hee hee kind of fun being a redneck who is making fun of rednecks!!!!!!!!!
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 535
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From: Laveen
Wings or spoilers they are just air drag on regular street cars, and to really be effective on race cars they have to be very carefully designed and set up or have computer controlled variable wings to keep from applying too much or too little downward force.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,940
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From: Eastern WA
Myself, I refer to them as "park benches". I'm waiting for the day when some kid puts one on a car and learns about Bernoulli's principle the hard way, in particular I'd like to see enough lift generated to rip the park bench off of the the trunk/hatch
I do sincerely hope that no innocent pedestrian or motorist is injured when the event occurs.
I do sincerely hope that no innocent pedestrian or motorist is injured when the event occurs.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
Speaking of "home made style" there was a rice boy up near Toronto last year who had chopped the springs on his Civic so he was stylin' like a champ, and he was coming down the on ramp onto the 401 and something in his "stylin" front-end let go due to his or whoever did the marvelous job on his car's complete lack of mechanical skills, the car lost all control, went into a spin at about 120Km/h, hit the median, flipped on its roof and slid into on-coming traffic, wearing the roof off and then smearing him down the highway for several hundred feet. Makes me want to throw out my Eibach's and get some stock 'stang springs and cut 'em off with a die-grinder, then I can be cool and unsafe too!
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: MT
So a Top Fuel car has a spoiler??
Imports need the spoiler/wing for high speed down force for traction and higher top speed.
U all did not know that??
Spoiler: An air deflector mounted usually at the rear of an automobile to reduce lift at high speeds
Wing: Something that resembles a wing in appearance, function, or position relative to a main body.
interesting when U look stuff up !
Not sure I would call it a wing, but people do.
Imports need the spoiler/wing for high speed down force for traction and higher top speed.
U all did not know that??
Spoiler: An air deflector mounted usually at the rear of an automobile to reduce lift at high speeds
Wing: Something that resembles a wing in appearance, function, or position relative to a main body.
interesting when U look stuff up !
Not sure I would call it a wing, but people do.
Last edited by pro3qtr; Jan 8, 2004 at 01:01 AM.
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