hi guys whats up?
i have a 92 rs and i was wondering if the spoiler actually does anything or is it just cosmettic?

is it okay to take it off, or should i leave it on.

Any help would be apreciated.
thanx.

 

all it does is make your car look cooler

if you take it off, you'll have a series of large screw-holes that would need to be covered and painted

 

cool thanx.

 

I have a 1991 Formula and believe it or not, when I am going 85 plus on freeway and a car gets on my tail, I am loose and feel it bad. It must do something, minor at least. andy

 

Nope; just cosmetic. Even if that little thing had an aerodynamic purpose, it would have to extend backward, overhanging the rear bumper.

 

Your wing is purely cosmetic.

The Firebird aero spoiler is funtional while the 91-92 version actually creates lift at high speeds

 

are you serious about the 91-92 spoilers? How in the hell do they create lift?

 

i really like my ta without spoiler
i need a better pic but here is one

 

I am only repeating what I have heard on here.

If you look at the aero wing it's pretty obvious that air is forced up, therefore pushing the back of the car down. If you look at the later model spoiler it is flat. Depending on the aerodynamics of the car, it is not entirely false to say that it can crate lift. If the wing interupts the flow of air enough as it comes down the back of the hatch, the spoiler could act as a wing and create lift. Based on the shape of some wings of airplanes (curved both top and bottom) I don't see why it is not possible.

 

Uh i think you got it alittle backward, the wings create "downforce" not "lift" if they created "lift" your car would fly away over 70mph. Any of the wings/spoilers and the Firebird and Camaro create "downforce" not enough to notice through everyday driving. Most "downforce" properties come into play over 100mph so you really won't feel anythingdriving around town. For any of you guys with "Aero Spoilers" and most of you Z28/Iroc-Z guys in you want your Spoilers to be functional to the the local "Hardware Store" and pick up a sheet of clear lexan or plexi glass measure the dimentions of you Spoiler and then add 6 inches to that and cut the lexan to fit, attach it with screws, make sure it's suported in the back then go drive the car on the highway at about 70-80mph and feel how much heavier your car feels. For all the guys with flat wings, get another like junk wing from the local junkyard, bring it home, find the seems on the wing, you should be able to pop the seems and seperate the wing, now find some wood(2X4) cut 3 inch blocks then on one side cut a 30 degree angel attach then to the upper and lower parts of the wing then put it on your car take it on the highway around 70-80 mph and feel how much heavier your car feels...

Robert

 

The spoilers other often over looked function is to help back fill the air pocket behind the brakelight and bumper area to reduce drag by increasing pressure back there as you tear through air. This is why I think Koenigzegg and to a certain extend Corvette has its exhaust mounted high directly behind its last couple cars so it can pump air in that low pressure pocket that forms behind your rig. Its like a bullet being fired in water.... the cavetation (sp) behind the bullet is what slows it down so quickly.

Quick and easy explanation here...
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-pu...-back-of-a-car

As far as rear spoiler vids go this has got to be one of the more interesting...

 

What a great 15 year old thread to bump back to the top.

FWIW there are photos of the early thirdgen Trans Am in the windtunnel during development. Specifically the photos show the car fitted with various spoilers and such testing the results. One of the spoilers tested is the spitting image of the basic 82 Z28 3pc spoiler, and it did work well. The flat 82 Trans Am style wing was developed in the windtunnel, and is functional. As far as the later spoilers go, the 85-90 Trans Am wrap around may not have been tested, but it's at least solidly functional based on anecdotal evidence.

Part of the story behind the 91-92 aero wing generating lift comes from comments made about the late thirdgen Firebird that was run at Bonneville with the earlier style wing. It was stated that it was changed because of the 91-92 style wing creating lift. That said, if you took the 91-92 wing, and sectioned it to reveal the airfoil, it's not an inverted flat-bottomed airfoil like the typical 82 T/A wing, and it doesn't have the duck-bill at the rear like the 85-90 aero wing. Instead it's a fairly typical symmetrical airfoil, which will generate lift just like a flat bottomed airfoil. The only positive aspect is that it's angled up a bit at the back. At best it's a neutral effect. Not like it matters at the speeds most thirdgens will ever go.

I haven't looked at the 91-92 Z28 wing, but pretty safe to say it's just as functionally worthless as the Firebird part.

 

"functionally worthless" that is a good descriptor for much of the smog equipment on these cars as well.