Wing setup and adjustment tips
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Utah & Bay Area
Wing setup and adjustment tips
I thought there was already a thread on this. I've searched ... no can find. 
I've finally got the APR GTC-200 wing mounted on the car. What I'm looking for are tips or advice on track setup and adjustment.
I've finally got the APR GTC-200 wing mounted on the car. What I'm looking for are tips or advice on track setup and adjustment.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,284
Likes: 1
From: Utah & Bay Area
Originally Posted by cthree,May 1 2006, 07:41 PM
Start with none, do a couple laps. Add a bit, do more laps, etc until your lap times increase. Make a note for next time. 
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Santa Cruz, CA, US
he means till your lap times decrease.
you should see them go up/car feel more planted, but at some point you'll slow down because of drag.
I run my HPM wing flat. (it still makes downforce when its flat).
-Ry
you should see them go up/car feel more planted, but at some point you'll slow down because of drag.
I run my HPM wing flat. (it still makes downforce when its flat).
-Ry
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From: Toronto, Canada
No I mean until your lap times INCREASE (you slow down) At some point the benefit of the wing in terms of lift (downforce) will be overcome by the amount of drag it creates. It's a classic cost-benefit situation. There is no other way to know how much to carry except trail and error because every wing is different and where and how it's mounted is different. The higher and the further back you can mount it the more effective it will be (think top-fuel dragsters). Wings on street cars are limited by rules as to how they are mounted and usually have to be within an imaginary box the car fits within. If you don't have that regulatory limitation then get it as far back and up as you can. You'll make due with less wing and therefore less drag for a given amount of downforce.
At some point the benefit of the wing in terms of lift (downforce) will be overcome by the amount of drag it creates. It's a classic cost-benefit situation. There is no other way to know how much to carry except trail and error because every wing is different and where and how it's mounted is different. The higher and the further back you can mount it the more effective it will be (think top-fuel dragsters). Wings on street cars are limited by rules as to how they are mounted and usually have to be within an imaginary box the car fits within. If you don't have that regulatory limitation then get it as far back and up as you can. You'll make due with less wing and therefore less drag for a given amount of downforce.
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: San Diego
msm,
I know this is/was a wing thread, however, I imagine the goal here is lower lap times. I dunno what the rules allow but for aero stuff, but, at the risk of sidetracking your initial question, as a rule, the back of almost any car is the biggest drag producer, generating about 1/3 of the total drag of the vehicle.
2nd is the wheels and wheel openings, at about 1/4 of the total, and 3rd is the underside at about 1/7 to 1/6 of the total drag. Soooo, if the rules will allow it, I would put full body panels under my ride. If you contour them correctly, i.e., up in the front, sloping down to minimum clearance about 1/3 back and then tapering up at the rear (like a large inverted wing) you should get WAY more downforce than the deck wing and, because of the "ground effect" effect, at a much lower cost of induced drag.
Check the bottoms of F1 cars and their diffuser tunnels to see what I am talking about.
And keep the shiny side up,
Jim
I know this is/was a wing thread, however, I imagine the goal here is lower lap times. I dunno what the rules allow but for aero stuff, but, at the risk of sidetracking your initial question, as a rule, the back of almost any car is the biggest drag producer, generating about 1/3 of the total drag of the vehicle.
2nd is the wheels and wheel openings, at about 1/4 of the total, and 3rd is the underside at about 1/7 to 1/6 of the total drag. Soooo, if the rules will allow it, I would put full body panels under my ride. If you contour them correctly, i.e., up in the front, sloping down to minimum clearance about 1/3 back and then tapering up at the rear (like a large inverted wing) you should get WAY more downforce than the deck wing and, because of the "ground effect" effect, at a much lower cost of induced drag.
Check the bottoms of F1 cars and their diffuser tunnels to see what I am talking about.
And keep the shiny side up,
Jim
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Bay Area
What effect does closing off the bottom have on things like heat dissipation? I imagine that the differential and tranny, as well as the driver, would cook with the bottom of the car all closed off/no airflow.