front splitter size?

[lwt]

Could someone please tell me how deep the front splitter should be (i.e. how far it hangs below the bodywork)?

Last week I got caught in the peak district in snow, and a lorry kindly forced me through a small drift (which of course he couldn't drive his HGV through) and the splitter got knocked off. Then some more of his lorry mates ran over it a few times for me. I have it, but it's a bit flatter than it should be (ok, it is actually back to being a flat plate). So, I want to bend it back into shape but of course I have no idea how far to bend it...


Ian.

[DavidLScott]

I didn't know anyone still had theirs - they seem to get ripped off and not replaced.

[GreenV8S]

It's not at all critical. The ones I've seen typically stick downwards 2" at 45 degrees.

[DavidLScott]

My Chim only has 4" gap between the front valance and the ground - no wonder I have never seen a splitter.

[jellison]

DavidLScott said:

My Chim only has 4" gap between the front valance and the ground - no wonder I have never seen a splitter.

You should try lowering it

Lower it get less one is needed - not that I think they do anything.

Does tend to smash all the front paint of the front of the car on speedbumps though.

[spend]

Height should be set by getting the lower (longer) wishbone level for a very good reason, moving away from this is not very smart IMHO. If you wish to restrict the air going underneath the splitter is the best way to do it, you can make them whatever depth/profile you wish, plastic/alloy/fg, bent forward/backwards - the world is your oyster For clearance setting them as far back as possible towards the wheel base is preferential, hence many advising the backward rake.

Dave

[jellison]

and if eveb slightly lower thanstd it will last about a day on bumpy roads or speed bump areas.

They do nothing.

[spend]

jellison said:

and if eveb slightly lower thanstd it will last about a day on bumpy roads or speed bump areas.

They do nothing.

When you have a big lardy @rsed yank shoehorned into the front chassis, which probably has a sump bigger than most splitters anyway

Dave

[DavidLScott]

On that basis, is the 4" gap on mine typical. As far as I know the car is unmodified.

I also have a whole stack of scuff marks along the back section of the front valance (is that the right word?).

[jellison]

spend said:

jellison said:

and if eveb slightly lower than std it will last about a day on bumpy roads or speed bump areas.

They do nothing.

When you have a big lardy @rsed yank shoehorned into the front chassis, which probably has a sump bigger than most splitters anyway

Dave

I think you are assumping my lump is some retrograde step!

The sump is VERY VERY Shallow - about half the depth of an RV8 OneNext Question.

Engine was designed just under 50years after the RV8.

And weight is next to nothing more.

Splitters are a TOTAL WASTE of time - I have had 2 500's and done SHED loads of miles in them at Silly speeds - if theye are lower - they will come off in minutes and if lower any issue with floaty front end just dissapears.

Mine is Fine at well over 150 (km's of course).

Don't worry about crap like this just get some great quality Dampers and uprated Spings.

Spends car does not go fast enough to really pass comment...............

Edited by jellison on Monday 26th November 15:54

[spend]

DavidLScott said:

On that basis, is the 4" gap on mine typical. As far as I know the car is unmodified.

I also have a whole stack of scuff marks along the back section of the front valance (is that the right word?).

Front undertray is what I always call it? Most cars (not TVRs) suffer from this when parking up to kerbs anyway.

I think the clearance varies a fair bit on body alignment anyway, plus non adj dampers dictated by spring (old vs new?) to set height and modded cars with adjustable platform dampers may have been tweaked to death Lots of owners have asked for measured ride heights to set theirs to (someone elses) - getting the lower wishbones level (ie fullest extent) at nominal load is the best way to set ride height. This is a chassis/suspension thing, how the body is aligned is another topic

Dave

[DavidLScott]

Good point Spend.

Mine must have been in a corner crunch in it's earlier life as there is some over-spray on the washer bottle and the front left sits slightly lower than the right. The chassis measures up OK though so I haven't been too stressed about it(yet).

I scraped on a kerb 7 days after I bought it as I hadn't taken such a long overhang into account the first time I parked nose in.

[munky]

I heard somewhere that having the splitter reduces bonnet rattle at speed - is that true?

[blujay10]

munky said:

I heard somewhere that having the splitter reduces bonnet rattle at speed - is that true?

Certainly helps mine, and it runs cooler ....I dont understand why they were fitted if they are a waste of time........
Sorry couldnt resist....!

[350Matt]

There was a post a while back on the cerb forum where a chap had fitted a few thermocouples ( temp measuring devices) under the bonnet and was trying several things to reduce under-bonnet temps.
Upshot of his experiments was that the splitter / bent bit of ally reduced temps by about 8-10°.

Now whether this was due to more air being forced through the grill rather than underneath or some other funky aero effect I don't know.

But I'd say this is still worth having, although admittedly a Chimera is not a Cerbera but I also don't think TVR fitted stuff without reason.

Matt