Air Dam & Splitter attachment Points & COA

[tom91ita]

anybody understand this?

http://www.scca.org/documents/Fastra...ck-aug-coa.pdf

They concluded that the spoiler is non-compliant because the spoiler/air dam is not mounted onto the body of the car, as mandated by 9.1.3.D.8.b.

[Greg Amy]

Keep reading:

DECISION
The Court of Appeals upholds the determination of the Review Committee that the design is non-compliant; however, the basis for the
non-compliance is not the attachment design, but rather the presence of the unducted openings.

Got photos?

[tom_sprecher]

I could note find your quote. What I did find was the statement that the design wa illegal because he had unducted openings.

What did I miss?

[Greg Amy]

BTW, very interesting case at the end vis-a-vis Katech Whistler. I'm a fan of that tool, but the process was well-handled, and correctly resolved, by both the competitor and the Court of Appeals. - GA

[tom91ita]

I could note find your quote. What I did find was the statement that the design wa illegal because he had unducted openings.

What did I miss?

my quote was from the last sentence of the facts in brief portion.

Greg,

I think it is interesting that within the description of the air dam / spoiler / splitter they say that the following;

Multiple components may be joined to create an air dam, whose shape is unrestricted - thus allowing a “splitter” lip which must not protrude beyond the body when viewed from above.

if the shape is "unrestricted" why can't there be openings?


i do not have this device on my car but the one i had started making was going to be supported by more than the front cross-member and front tie-down clips. and now i am wondering about the comments regarding attachment to the body OR bumper cover in the decision section;

The panel must be attached to the body or bumper cover (if the car is so equipped)

[Xian]

I could note find your quote. What I did find was the statement that the design wa illegal because he had unducted openings.

What did I miss?

It's there... right above "Decision" and toward the bottom:

Mr. Moser’s design incorporates unducted openings, and is therefore non-compliant.

Just a guess here but I'm betting that he designed something with an "unducted opening" that could have fed air to the area where there used to be a Cold Air Intake. It'd be easy enough to make a legal airbox above the hole in the unibody that leads down to the fender area... the fender area would be enclosed by the fender liner and fed by the opening. Definitely a good idea but still not legal.

Christian

[Greg Amy]

if the shape is "unrestricted" why can't there be openings?

At the risk of sound flippant - I don't mean to - there can't be openings because they're specifically disallowed.

If your question is, "why does the rule disallow openings" I can't offer the specific reason, but I suggest it's to eliminate the possibility of someone fabricating a wing and hanging it off the car. Allow airflow under, around, and through an airdam and I can guaran-damn-tee a wing will be made (easily.) Look at the intorturation of the original airdam that got us splitters!

...was going to be supported by more than the front cross-member and front tie-down clips. and now i am wondering about the comments regarding attachment to the body OR bumper cover in the decision section.

Well, I'm as guilty as anyone on this; the rules specifically state the airdam shall be mounted to the "body". I think a lot of us - myself included - glossed over this and used attachments to the crossmember, engine clips, etc - and we're wrong.

GA

[tom91ita]

i don't think we are guilty of the attachment methods since their use of "or" does not appear to be correct. per the GCR it does not say "shall" but "may"

[quote]the front spoiler or airdam may be attached to the bumper cover[/qutoe]

however, now i am wondering about laying the plywood on the ground and taping a marker to a rod and drawing the outline. is that the "body" or the "bumper" as noted below?

A front spoiler/air dam is permitted. It shall not protrude beyond the overall outline of the body when viewed from above perpendicular to the ground, or aft of the forward most part of the front fender opening. This body outline does not include bumpers or bumper mounts. The spoiler/air dam shall be mounted to the body, and may extend no higher than four (4) inches above the horizontal centerline of the front wheel hubs. It shall not cover the normal grille opening(s) at the front of the car. Openings are permitted for the purposes of ducting air to the brakes, cooler, and radiator. Dealer installed or limited production front/rear spoilers/air dams/wings are prohibited. The spoiler shall have no support or reinforcement extending aft of the forward most part of the front fender wheel opening.
NOTE: Integrated bumper assemblies are defined as those designs where an external non-metallic bumper cover completely encloses the primary energy-absorbing bumper and where this cover could be installed in its normal position with the underlying bumper removed. On cars with integrated bumpers, the front spoiler or airdam may be attached to the bumper cover.
Where an air dam/spoiler is used, two total openings may be cut in the front valance to allow the passage of up to a three (3) inch diameter duct leading to each front brake/rotor assembly.

[spnkzss]

Well, I'm as guilty as anyone on this; the rules specifically state the airdam shall be mounted to the "body". I think a lot of us - myself included - glossed over this and used attachments to the crossmember, engine clips, etc - and we're wrong.

GA

I'm glad I DIDN'T buy those fancy brackets and mounted it directly to my bumper cover.

[Greg Amy]

per the GCR it does not say "shall" but "may"

Tom, I think you're cherry-picking. Copying from your quote above, here are the important bits:

...The spoiler/air dam shall be mounted to the body...On cars with integrated bumpers, the front spoiler or airdam may be attached to the bumper cover.

Bottom line, nothing in there allows attachment of the airdam to anything other than the body or the integrated bumper cover.

is that the "body" or the "bumper" as noted below?

Integrated bumpers are included in the "outline" and vertical viewing. - GA

[tom91ita]

if i get my air dam done, it will be mounted most likely like everyone elses. it would be interesting to do a straw poll at the IT fest and see how we have been doing this.

my immediate goals are annual tech of my car and a head gasket in my daughter's daily driver.

[JLawton]

Maybe Andy B can give us some advice on attaching air dams??


(he, he, he)


.

[JeffYoung]

I'm not the quickest when it comes to rule interpretation, but is anyone else reading this to say you can cut holes in your splitter to duct air to the RADIATOR?? The decision specifically mentions brake ducts and oil coolers, but what about an opening between the attachment points in the bumper cover and the "vertical plane" for radiator air?

Or is it saying ALL air must be ducted so that none of it spills over into the engine compartment?

[tom91ita]

radiator is Prego (its in there).

i did an edit to highlight in the section from the GCR up above.

[JeffYoung]

Thanks Tom...so next question, does the ducting have to be "air tight" so that no air spills into the engine compartment? That's what I am reading the decision to mean.

I've got my air filter in a different location so that the air that misses the radiator is not getting to it, but I certainly don't have air tight ducts to the radiator/oil cooler...the opening in the spoiler/splitter just fart in their general direction......

[tom91ita]

i think i better understand your question.

my intention was to add a plywood "splitter" using the bumper/cover as my outline and attach that to the factory tie-down points with maybe a vertical rod or two from the front bumper.

then bridge the gap from the factory body work to the plywood with some thin aluminum (4" gutter). i was not doing anythng higher up than that.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Maybe Andy B can give us some advice on attaching air dams??


(he, he, he)


.

That's why they blow up dude! Just attached to the bumper cover. The poblem with the ones I run (ran) is that when you go off, there is no flexibility. New and simpler design coming soon.

[quadzjr]

The poblem with the ones I run (ran) is that when you go off, there is no flexibility. New and simpler design coming soon.

Problem solved... don't go off

Care to clue us in on what is the basis for your better more flexible yet efficent design?

[shwah]

Mine just bent the heck up when I went off. Downside being that one side was right at, middle 1/2" over and the other side 1/4" under legal height afterwards. I'm waffling on making a stronger one that won't deform, or a weaker one that will deform but bounce back - leaning towards the latter.

I never considered extra openings for radiator flow, but also never considered not fully ducting the radiator so that all the air has to go through it. This made a bigger improvement in cooling than any other single thing on my car.

[tom_sprecher]

...the opening in the spoiler/splitter just fart in their general direction......

I've been contemplating using this fart technology you speak of. How big of a fart and how close dare you be to the orifice?

Yes, I am serious. The stock radiator ducting had some pretty good size holes in it and I wanted to relocate my air filter closer to those holes, and when I say closer I mean hover right beside and over them.

Is that not legal?