Usual Mayfield Disclaimer applies.
The thread on how much ground clearance is required is an interesting one.
As is the belly pan thought.
Some interesting data is in my reference book for passenger cars of the 70's.
Drag coefficient component factors:
For body drag: forebody = 0.05
afterbody = 0.14
underbody = 0.06
skin friction = 0.025
Wheel and wheel wells = 0.09
drip rails = 0.01
window recesses = 0.01
external mirrors = 0.01
Cooling system = 0.025
Internal drag (WTF?) = 0.025
Total drag coefficient = 0.42
Cars of the 80's = 0.30 - 0.35
The important part of this is that the underbody is a significant part of
the total drag, in this case about 14.3 %.
So putting an air dam on the front of the car is imporant to keep the air
from wedging under the car. What causes the drag is that the air under the
car is going at two different speeds: the air that is at the road surface
is going at zero speed and just a few inches above that the driven air is
going the same speed as the ca or nearly that speed. And because the car
has lots of cross members, drive shafts, rear ends, etc hanging down, it
get really turbulent!
Now a down side to pans. If you get close to the surface with a smooth pan,
then any upset which lifts the front of the car to let a little, and I mean
little, air under the car, you may get airborne and do a blow over. at
worst, you will lift enough to loose traction and spin, wildly...could
replace sex as a high..
mayf(fuel for the flames...)
L.E. Mayfield
124 Maximillion Drive
Madison, Al. 35758-8171
1-256-837-1051
old >>>>>>>> http://www.hsv.tis.net/~mayfield
new >>>>>>>> http://home.hiwaay.net/~lemayf
DrMayf@AOL.com
lemay@hiwaay.net <<<<preferred
Sunbeam Tiger, B9471136
Sunbeam Alpine Bonneville Land Speed Racer,
'66 Hydroplane Drag Boat (390 FE)
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