is it true?

[Just another 240]

Is it true that when people put on an aluminum wing, it only works when you go pass 150 mph? -heard that from a friend.

[jemil118]

The only way to truley tell is if you took it to a wind tunnel and had it tested... this is an area of much controversey, because certain cars come with spoilers that mechanically pop up that is supposed to improve wind flow...like the Porsche 911 and the New Beetle Turbo S

[astron]

Pleeeeeeese dont put on an aluminum wing though! Ack. Ugly!ast

[Former_240_s14]

I would beleive that its kinda true. It depends if it can be adjusted or not. It won't make a difference until at least 100mph I would say. This is only my opinion though so if I am wrong sorry.

[Mike09]

I would beleive that its kinda true. It depends if it can be adjusted or not. It won't make a difference until at least 100mph I would say. This is only my opinion though so if I am wrong sorry.

I'm with former 240 on this because it need's wind to do it's job but there is probobly just not enough wind until 100mph give or take a few mph's.

[astron]

drive at 65, stick hand out window, feel wind. *grin* there's alot more downforce available than you might think, but you're not gonna pull 1000 pounds of force off a pep boys special without going 200mph...

[Mike09]

Well ya of course there's alot of wind put for enough downforce to make a difference you going to have to go kinda fast.

[Former_240_s14]

astron, I would have to respectfully disagree. I think the force you are talking about "when you put your hand out the window at 65" is pushing you back, and I don't think its downforce.

[Mike09]

ya that is true, but a aluminum spoiler does the same thing exept it's at a different angle. Tilt the spoiler straight up and it will slow ya down because the wind is pushing it back.

[astron]

a spoiler makes backward force go down...angle your hand down a bit, you get pushed down, not really the actual effect you get from a wing, but wings are pretty dang efficient....well, except that ugly white ebay thing. yuck! and all those aluminum ones!ast

[Mike09]

i kinda like some of the aluminum wings. But i'm still not a ricer.

[Former_240_s14]

ya that is true, but a aluminum spoiler does the same thing exept it's at a different angle. Tilt the spoiler straight up and it will slow ya down because the wind is pushing it back.

Thats why I said above that some of the ones that can be adjusted might be a little different. But remember you can only adjust so much.

[Mike09]

Yea thank god. I can just see some dumb ricer tilting it up to a 90 degree angle.

[SilviaLuvr]

well if you watch the amercian le man or any gt races you'll see that alumminum wings work well with downforce and also with breaking...at top speeds, it keeps the car nose down to the ground as low as possible...it dosen't take much to lunch a car made completly out of carbon fiber espically if it's going and excess of 150mhp into the air...also in funny car ( the big a$$ drag racing cars that go like 320mph i don't know what the official name is) they use them as well and it pretty much works but then again both are going over normal speeds so for use wee people that don't posse such great speeds, it's all for show

[fenrisx]

I've only read the first three posts, so if I'm restating something, eh too bad! A while back someone on the board posted a few pictures of their 180sx? 200sx? He had an aluminum wing on it and he said he could really tell a difference when he was doing about 70mph. I recently posted a pic of his car on another thread. So, from a board members personal experience I'm going with 70mph. :0

--- Eh, my bad. His was an adjustable carbon fiber wing. It looked pretty good if I do say so myself.



Heres a pic of it.

-- Yet another edit

Go read the 240sx FAQs thread, theres a link in there explaining it. It also says something to the effect that unless your wing is relatively high it won't make a difference. The stock ones that come on some of are cars are mainly just for looks. Whenever the wind comes from the top of your car down the back or whatever it creates turbulence(?) and so by putting a high wing on there it helps the wind go straight off. (?) - Not very sure those last two sentences are correct, just going from memory here. Go read the thread.

[Nebraska240sx]

read the faq on wings and it will clear things up

[Dano]

in regard to the LeMans and top fuel dragster cars, the thing that keeps the front end planted aside from the wing is under car spoilers and if u look at the top fuel dragsters and formula cars they have little wing/winglets up front to keep the front end planted and also improve aerodynamics...if u notice the front winglets and rear wing are both tilted downward so the car kinda "cuts" through the wind.... correct me if im wrong any1 but thats wat i remember if i remembered correctly... blah, im done.

-Dan

[Dano]

...when ure goin stupid fast in a super-lightweight car...air goin under the car is just as important as air goin over the car...

-Dan

[specialkonrd]

aluminum wings are only functional if they are basically shaped like an airplane wing except upside downotherwise they'll cause drag not downforce

[wingzero]

true true, I remember reading somewhere that lowering you car and running the lowest side skirts you can were good for improving your cars aerodynamics, since it helps to move the air under your car faster.

[SilviaLuvr]

240sx2nr95: thats correct

wingzero: what does the side skirts got to do with it. if your running the car as low as possible i don't even think you'll be capable of putting side skirts or on your car

[Tino]

It's simple with a true well-designed body kit and spoiler, it should give you a higher top speed of about 5-10mph.

[not_a_porsche]

aluminum wings are only functional if they are basically shaped like an airplane wing except upside downotherwise they'll cause drag not downforce

Not necessarily.

This wing (ok, spoiler really) fixed the high speed stability problems with the early Z cars. It was made by BRE (British Racing Engineering) and you will see one of these on almost any Z raced during that period. Bob Bondurant, Bob Sharp and others all used this spoiler. Also featured on the Datsun 510's and 2000's as well.

[big jon's 240]

Is anybody really worried about not having enough downforce on their 240? Does anybody really want to put one of those ugly contraptions on their car. Aerodynamics come into play around 55MPH (coefficient of drag, blah blah blah), so in theory those wings will give you downforce, however they will also give you much more drag. Most of the wings you see these days are not designed / tested in a windtunnel and are just for looks. When you and your 240 are going to run the 24 hours at LeMans, you can put the wing on. If not, skip the wing, the car looks much nicer without it.

[SRdS14]

i'm not sayin a word.... ~Scott

[Just another 240]

who heres think that aluminum wings are ricey or look bad on a 240? cause i don't think so.

one bad thing for sure about putting an aluminum wing on is, People STEAL THEM!!!

[AznRide]

there is only one reason that us, consumers' cars with spoilers with only one purpose, show. There is no need for us to have a spoiler, rather than giving the car a better look than without one, in some people's taste. You are not going over 150 mph in public roads anyways, unless you're insane and don't care for other people's lives...so why bother thinking about the downforce? Even nascars don't have big *** wings...::sign::, only them ricers.

[SRdS14]

i have one on my car...i've had it on my car for 2.5 years. although i'm gettin the bomex slick-back wing, i still think the alumninum wing is badass. just don't get the cheap ones from pep boys. ~Scott

[Just another 240]

i personally want the regular stock s13 wing, the one that you have to paint it to match the car. But i dont' have the money so i got myself the aluminum ones for now because i like them too and i don't have to paint them! One problem now is that people i seen with wings on their car, it get stolen! They only steal the wing and not the stand.

[Former_240_s14]

I must agree with you AznRide, its all about a person's personal style. Even though I don't care for them, it dosen't matter what I think, or it shouldn't to other people. I just don't like when they put the alum. spoilers on when they still have hubcaps and the only other mods they have are APC stickers and a fart can, but again, it shouldn't matter to anyone else what I think.