3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002) 1993-2002 Discussion including performance modifications and Technical Support Sections.
Sponsored by:

Adding downforce to stockbody FDs?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 12-16-08, 04:24 PM
  #1  
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
khoveraki's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Attica, NY (not in the prison)
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Adding downforce to stockbody FDs?

What's the best way to add downforce to a stockbody FD? Or is there any kits that offer close-to-stock looks?

I'm looking to generate more downforce front, back and sides.

Pics of kits/wings/wingmirrors/anything appreciated
Old 12-16-08, 11:35 PM
  #2  
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
iTrader: (2)
 
BC-FD3S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: LA, CA
Posts: 3,332
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
rear diffuser?... 99 spec front lip, front diffuser.....
Old 12-16-08, 11:40 PM
  #3  
R.I.P. Icemark

iTrader: (2)
 
staticguitar313's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: gilbert, arizona
Posts: 4,229
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
check the pics thread for pics . . .

i agree with post #2
Old 12-17-08, 12:18 AM
  #4  
Old and grumpy

iTrader: (4)
 
cabaynes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 3 Posts
I think you'd have to fab up a completely flat floor under the body that flow into a rear diffuser.



Also the 99 spec front bumper with 99 lip, and the 99 rear wing have been proven to be more aerodynamic than the original 93+ bumpers
Old 12-17-08, 02:04 AM
  #5  
Full Member

 
CarbonFD3Assault's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
yeah, y'know...
get some like... stuff,..
and like, maybe a hammer or something...
n',.. y'know...
fab that **** right up in your garage.

lol...
Old 12-17-08, 02:34 AM
  #6  
Goodfalla Engine Complete

iTrader: (28)
 
Monkman33's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kennewick, Washington
Posts: 3,233
Received 32 Likes on 25 Posts
Originally Posted by stokedxiv
I think you'd have to fab up a completely flat floor under the body that flow into a rear diffuser.



Also the 99 spec front bumper with 99 lip, and the 99 rear wing have been proven to be more aerodynamic than the original 93+ bumpers

I would think that a setup such as the Enzo... would be risky on an FD. Enzo is a mid engine platform (i believe) and as such, the exhaust is very short. An FD with a full tray would have to figure out how to get the excess heat from the exhaust out of there efficiently. Aww screw it.... Just go side exhaust and flatten that (under)bitch out.
Old 12-17-08, 02:38 AM
  #7  
Full Member
Thread Starter
 
khoveraki's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Attica, NY (not in the prison)
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There's a lot of legitimate looking cars that use rear diffusers. Are they only effective if the entire bottom of the car is flat?

Also looking to generate more downforce than stock

Maybe steal the viper ACR fins?
Old 12-17-08, 02:56 AM
  #8  
SiH
Senior Member

 
SiH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Warwickshire, UK
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As far as I'm aware, the MazdaSpeed Rear diffuser and front undertray with the 99 spec front end have a proved effect on downforce. I'm running the above combo on mine, and on the occasions where I've temporarily removed the underbody gubbins, the car certainly feels a lot less stable at higher speed without them
Old 12-17-08, 05:36 AM
  #9  
R.I.P. Icemark

iTrader: (2)
 
staticguitar313's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: gilbert, arizona
Posts: 4,229
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
that ferrari crap is worthless on an FD, front-engine RWD vehicles use the drive train tunnel to evacuate the air forced through the radiator and engine bay. rear diffuser works just fine and adds over9000 cool points.
Old 12-17-08, 11:29 AM
  #10  
Moderator

iTrader: (3)
 
j9fd3s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
Posts: 30,829
Received 2,597 Likes on 1,845 Posts
the 99 spec helps downforce. http://www.rx7.net.nz/newrx7.htm

they actually list the downforce/lift about halfway down, it does not give a speed though.

you also will notice please that the bigger the angle of the wing, the more downforce it has on the rear, but the more lift it gets on the front!
Old 12-17-08, 01:10 PM
  #11  
Mr. Links

iTrader: (1)
 
Mahjik's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 27,595
Received 40 Likes on 26 Posts
Also keep in mind that for the most part, downforce does not come free. The more downforce you generate, the more drag you create.
Old 12-17-08, 01:40 PM
  #12  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
iTrader: (1)
 
JKL Racing Engineering's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: SF
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
well, the main function of a full underbody splitter setup is to maximize the air flow velocity hence decreasing the pressure under the car. As a result of lower pressure under the car, you will be getting more downforce.

Back to OP's topic, if you want to keep your stock body look and increase some downforce, the best you can do is change the front bumper and get a good front splitter and add a small wing, such as the 99 spec or Mazdaspeed (aka Racing Beat Type II). If you want to stick with stock front bumper setup, just add a Mazdaspeed front lip or the 99 spec lip. For the side, you can add some skirts. The main purpose of adding side skirts is not hoping the pieces will generate much extra downforce directly, they are there to minimize the gap between the car and the ground to limit the amount of high air from flowing into the underbody. For the rear, a diffuser would be a good addition as well since it again increases the air flow.

BTW, you can also add some canards on the front bumper if you are aiming at tracks with more corners than long straight. Canards tend to generate lots of vortices on the side of the car hence giving you more drag so a bad choice for high speed tracks.

Hope this helps!

Last edited by JKL Racing Engineering; 12-17-08 at 01:45 PM.
Old 12-17-08, 02:02 PM
  #13  
Old and grumpy

iTrader: (4)
 
cabaynes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by staticguitar313
that ferrari crap is worthless on an FD, front-engine RWD vehicles use the drive train tunnel to evacuate the air forced through the radiator and engine bay. rear diffuser works just fine and adds over9000 cool points.
I'd like to start by saying I am in no way an aerodynamicist, but there have been many FR cars that have utilized a flat or semi-flat underbody to decrease lift and turbulence under the car's body. The FR cars typically need to vent heat either through the hood or through the underbody panels to keep things cool, and sometimes the will leave the area open that the exhaust travels down, but it is definitely a feasible idea. However it will take a well designed panel set to increase downforce. Most do this with a slight rake in the car's body front to back (as well as a raised area in the rear diffuser similar to the old school re-amemiya diffuser) to help create a low pressure area towards the rear of the car, sucking it to the ground. Here is a picture of the Ferrari 550, an FR V12 platform, where you can see the vented area under the engine and the open tunnel for the exhaust:

Attached Thumbnails Adding downforce to stockbody FDs?-f550underbody500.jpg  

Last edited by cabaynes; 12-17-08 at 02:06 PM.
Old 12-17-08, 03:50 PM
  #14  
Goodfalla Engine Complete

iTrader: (28)
 
Monkman33's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kennewick, Washington
Posts: 3,233
Received 32 Likes on 25 Posts
That looks like it could work for an FD... well, the design style. A small lip just in front of the opening below the engine would help the engine bay evacuate hot air if my memory serves me correctly.
Old 12-17-08, 04:17 PM
  #15  
Lives on the Forum

iTrader: (4)
 
mrb63083's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Dallas
Posts: 5,748
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Doesn't the stock R1 wing help on down force?
Old 12-17-08, 09:22 PM
  #16  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
gripp2maxx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: BALAD IRAQ>ny,ma,ct
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
...............

Last edited by gripp2maxx; 12-17-08 at 09:34 PM.
Old 12-17-08, 09:24 PM
  #17  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
gripp2maxx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: BALAD IRAQ>ny,ma,ct
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by mrb63083
Doesn't the stock R1 wing help on down force?
^ no just looks if anything

Last edited by gripp2maxx; 12-17-08 at 09:35 PM.
Old 12-17-08, 11:02 PM
  #18  
Oun
I can confirm.


iTrader: (3)
 
Oun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6_MUycoPPs

hope that helps
Old 12-17-08, 11:16 PM
  #19  
Top's always down
iTrader: (5)
 
SLOASFK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Spain
Posts: 4,841
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by mrb63083
Doesn't the stock R1 wing help on down force?
Yes, the stock R1 wing and lip combined provde quite a bit of downforce. It's been tested and proven in wind tunnels and on roads.

I've always wanted to do a full underbody diffuser on the FD...I'm just waiting for someone who knows more than I do to create one
Old 12-18-08, 01:04 AM
  #20  
NASA TTS Build

iTrader: (2)
 
Specter328's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 816
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by SLOASFK
Yes, the stock R1 wing and lip combined provde quite a bit of downforce. It's been tested and proven in wind tunnels and on roads.

I've always wanted to do a full underbody diffuser on the FD...I'm just waiting for someone who knows more than I do to create one
Actually they don't. The lip may help marginally but the wing only create more drag but does nothing to produce downforce, its purely aesthetic.
Old 12-18-08, 01:15 AM
  #21  
Original Gangster/Rotary!


iTrader: (213)
 
GoodfellaFD3S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FL-->NJ/NYC again!
Posts: 30,529
Received 539 Likes on 326 Posts
I've driven my R1 and a good friend's touring (no lip or wing) back to back on long stretches of Texas highway, and his car felt VERY light over about 140mph, so much so that I backed out of it. My stock body R1 felt rock solid at 170mph.
Old 12-18-08, 09:45 AM
  #22  
needs more track time

iTrader: (16)
 
gracer7-rx7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bay Area CA
Posts: 9,188
Received 509 Likes on 350 Posts
Most of the front engine / rear drive STREET cars I've seen can't make use of a flat underbody where the exhaust and mechanicals are covered up. Not a problem on a race car where you can get around the challenges of heat management through clever building/engineering.

For street driving, I have never needed more downforce. Can't say I ever needed it on track either on my mildly prepared street car.
Old 12-18-08, 12:47 PM
  #23  
Top's always down
iTrader: (5)
 
SLOASFK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Spain
Posts: 4,841
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Specter328
Actually they don't. The lip may help marginally but the wing only create more drag but does nothing to produce downforce, its purely aesthetic.
Sorry, I mistook CoD for Downforce when I made that post, but I would trust Goodfella's word on this over anyone elses short of howard colman's, but I'm pretty sure coleman agrees with Rich on this one.
Old 12-18-08, 01:07 PM
  #24  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
iTrader: (1)
 
JKL Racing Engineering's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: SF
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Specter328
Actually they don't. The lip may help marginally but the wing only create more drag but does nothing to produce downforce, its purely aesthetic.
R1 wing mounts too low to be in the effective region so it cant get enough air flow pressure. It might give you slightly more downforce but not significant enough to really help. Since its fairly thin so the drag it creates is also small due to the same reason, the wing is not in a clean air flow zone.

Last edited by JKL Racing Engineering; 12-18-08 at 01:10 PM.
Old 12-18-08, 02:18 PM
  #25  
Still got it.

iTrader: (2)
 
Prometheus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 1,687
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Kevin, it would me sweet if you worked up an underbody aero for your GTC kit...

Hm??!!


Quick Reply: Adding downforce to stockbody FDs?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:59 PM.