splitter or no splitter

Nice pictures, now I understand better what the splitter is. I have heard of them over the years, but until now had never seen one.

Thanks

David

Good point, I was wondering this, as the one on Simon's car has been fitted further back than the factory item, which is normally mounted right on the rear edge of the air intake apeture.

Coincidentally' my current garage project (read: waste of time) is grubbing about under the car and trying to botch together a wider, deeper splitter. This may provide more front downforce, but equally it may sod-up the airflow to the rad.

So if you had both, would that work?

My logic would say that the front splitter would direct more air through the rad, and the second would assist the airs escape from the engine bay??

It is my understanding (and I may be wrong) that the splitter I have fitted doesn’t generate down force directly like a wing. It disturbs the air flow, creating turbulence, which slows down the flow under the car and reducing pressure relative to the surrounding air flow. This increases the air through the radiator as a result of higher pressure in front to that behind.

Other methods (of which I think David’s is one though I haven’t seen it) add vanes that scoop more air, ram air, through the radiator. It is my opinion that this method will improve cooling to a greater effect, but wont improve stability.

If you mount the splitter further forward you don’t quite get the best of both worlds because the air is deflected and doesn’t create as much turbulence and the reduced ground clearance on the longer overhang means it will get ripped of even more often. I don’t know where the factory ones are fitted but I used existing holes for mine and there aren’t any further forward.

As I said before these are only my thoughts on what happens, the set up I have works but to what degree it could be improved or changed to get the same effect, I don’t know.

Cheers,

Simon.

I agree, but once my temp gauge hits 90 deg it stays there unless I switch the fans on constant or I maintain speeds at the legal maximum.

When the splitter is fitted I only need to travel at an average of 50 mph for a few minutes and the temp drops.

This is summer time running, in the winter months the splitter over cools and I struggle to get her up to 70 deg on anything like a brisk pace.

However, just to confuse the issue, since my last re-core in February I haven’t bothered refitting the splitter, this rad is definitely working better than I’ve ever had before.

Cheers,

Simon.