There are two black "flaps" or "tabs" that hang down from underneath the front airdam, right in front of each of the front tires...

One of them was hanging by a thread, and finally came off completely...

What are these little flaps in front of the front tires for (functionally)?

Should I have it replaced? If I have it replaced, I think I have to replace the whole front piece that the "flap" is attached to, because upon looking underneath the car, it appears that it is the main front piece that the "flap" is attached to that is damaged...not the "flap" itself...

Advice? Guidance?

Thanks!

 

they are part of the overall aero package, I mistakenly sold mine when I sold my original fender liners (as they are attached to the liners) and I ran without them for a while. You won't notice much of a difference with or without them, but it is better to have them in a perfect world. They simply attach to the fender liners with standard Honda clips, if your ride is lowered you have probably scraped them enough to rip them from the attachment points.

 

So you ran without them "for a while", which tells me that you thought it was important enough to replace them at some point, correct?

 

Yup, I am OCD about my car so I want it to be 100% correct. I didn't realize the parts were missing after I sold my original liners, I probably ran the car without them for 6 months before I realized something was missing when I was parked beside another S2000 at a meet, lol.

They will improve aerodynamics at higher speeds, and fuel economy, worth having in perfect world.

 

Not necessary. Up to you if you want to replace them. I just worked on an S that didn't have them at all... Didn't seem like they'd ever been on the car. I figured they were standard issue?

 

They're called Front Strakes and Jfusion's explanation is the same as stated in numerous other threads in the past. Many parking lots have those concrete stops that are at the right height to break off those front strakes

 

My S2000 is stock height and I have yet to find a parking lot that has stops low enough to clear the front bumper. The speed bumps may have a shot at my strakes, but they are not in much danger from a parking stop.

 

I call them warning devices

 

The strakes are air dams that push air from hitting the tires. I assume they are only effective once you are going 50 mph or faster and the purpose is to increase high-speed tracking... With a lowered car, less of the tire is exposed to direct air, so maybe its not as much of an issue.

 

At some point I read they also help to displace standing water by directing airflow, breaking trail for the tire.