is there any way to lower a car`s Drag coefficint ?

 

man, I hate it when threads are named like this.

a thread named "lowering the drag coefficient should be about HOW to do it. NOT asking if it can be done.

That thread SHOULD be named "How can I lower the drag coefficient?????"

 

lol, sounds like someone else would be interested in knowing as well

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ACLR8
man, I hate it when threads are named like this.

a thread named "lowering the drag coefficient should be about HOW to do it.

 

You can lower your car's drag coefficient in a number of ways.

Drag can be reduced by controlling airflow on the car. Keeping air from swirling or becoming uncontrollably turbulent would be a good way.

For many cars, this includes an aero package that keeps more air from going under the car. For instance, the G35C offers an aero package that drops the Cd by 0.01 or 0.02 - that's not bad, considering it's a 3-5% change. A lip on the back can help keep turbulent air from swirling back on the car. A front lip can reduce air from going under the car, as can side skirts. A flat undertray can help control turbulence and provide downforce (like the 360 Modena). Side skirts can keep air from entering the car laterally. Wheels without large gaps or prominent spokes (for instance, the five spoke wheels on the S2000) will help reduce drag. Smaller tires will help.

The list goes on and on....

 

Narrower tires.

Sam

 

JonBoy basically said it all. Some of the best ways are the splitters, skirt, and rear lip/spoiler (they don't have to be extreme- most stock spoilers work pretty well). Most of the S2000's problems relate to it being a convertible with a long hood: the windshield isn't as sloped as other cars and the top that slopes down fairly abruptly.

Another idea is to decrease the vehicle height so that the wheels are tucked more into the wheel wells. Also, keep the top up, or better, get a hard top. Even better than that, get a hard top that extends over the trunk a little so it's lines are smoother. Also, make sure that the gaps between body panels aren't that large. That's about it without doing major work on the car to slope the windshield and top more.

 

Drag coefficient is (oversimplifying a bit) a measure of drag divided by surface area; technically installing narrower tires or lowering the car would reduce the frontal area and thus the total drag, but not the drag coefficient.

Steve
- nitpicker

 

If drag coefficient is drag/area and you reduce drag, would not your drag coefficient drop?

Perhaps not....but perhaps so. If the drag from changing to narrower tires or lowering the car decreases in proportion to area greater than its original proportionality between drag and area, your drag coefficient will also drop.

In other words, if drag drops more than area (proportionally), your drag coefficient WILL decrease.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ACLR8
man, I hate it when threads are named like this.

a thread named "lowering the drag coefficient should be about HOW to do it.