does the rear wing ACTUALLY provide any benefit?

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by Myxalplyx

Don't let me have to tell you again Lee.

And if you look closer, the box weighs in at 6 oz (3.3ltr or 3 +3 = 6). I see the relation here.

That's Uncle Ben's, it's American rice.

Any true ricer worth his salt [geddit? geddit? ] will only use imported rice.

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by b3lha

The simple test is to leave unlatch the lid then go for a drive and see if enough downforce is generated to click it shut.

I think it's just for decoration.

That's a fair plan for checking the downforce Phil. I'm also wondering if it contributes negatively to drag. We have always been very proud of the very slippery CD ratio the SVX was rated with when the car launched. That sub 0.30 figure was for the car with no spoiler.

I agree that the spoiler is purely cosmetic also, to suit the different markets.

And further, it is my guess, and only a guess, that the JDM spoiler will cause less drag than the US/UK type. I think the JDM one presents less of an obstruction to the airflow spilling off the roof over the back window. Some of the air can spill beneath the wing.

Joe

[lhopp77]

If weight is a consideration the first thing to go should be the radio/CD and all related equipment and then next the carpeting and sound deadening material.

Actually, I personally like all of these things including the very stylish and conservative spoiler. Possibly driving the point home, AGAIN, that this car was never designed to be a racer or light to light juvenile rocket. (read the thread about the Ford Focus beating the SVX if you like fast starts) I love the comfortable, stable highway cruising at the higher speeds allowed in my area.

But, to each his own.

Lee

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by lhopp77

If weight is a consideration the first thing to go should be the radio/CD and all related equipment and then next the carpeting and sound deadening material.

Actually, I personally like all of these things including the very stylish and conservative spoiler. Possibly driving the point home, AGAIN, that this car was never designed to be a racer or light to light juvenile rocket. (read the thread about the Ford Focus beating the SVX if you like fast starts) I love the comfortable, stable highway cruising at the higher speeds allowed in my area.

But, to each his own.

Lee

Lee, I whole-heartedly agree with what you say here. The car should be enjoyed like it is and as it was designed.

As regards weight, if somebody was seriously thinking about making a lighter SVX for highway use, there are a couple of things they could do that would drop serious poundage, and not do away with the radio or sound deadening.

1) Replace the front seats with semi-lightweight reclining recaros. The OEM mechanised driver seat in particular must weigh 50 or 60 kgs. Possible gain for two seats -80 kgs

2) Take off the front and rear bumpers. Strip out the incredibly heavy 5mph crash sections behind the skin. Replace by fabricating light metal internals, and put back on the skin over the new structure. Then replace.

It is practically a two man job to lift the front or rear bumper as standard. Probable gain for both bumpers, -80 to 100 kgs.

The replaced seats will be an improvement on the originals.

The replaced bumpers will be less collision effective than original.

Combined weight removed: 180kgs, about 400 lbs. Anybody serious about losing weight and not just paying lip service to the notion, this is the way to go.

Joe

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

It is practically a two man job to lift the front or rear bumper as standard. Probable gain for both bumpers, -80 to 100 kgs.

The bumper beams do not weigh 40-50kg (100 lbs) each. At least the US ones. Maybe half that, I have one in the basement, I'll weigh it later...

I agree that that is a good place to get rid of weight, and the bumper skins can be held in place with some screws and zip ties.

[sicksubie]

Originally Posted by Hocrest

the bumper skins can be held in place with some screws and zip ties.

Zip ties??? LOL

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by sicksubie

Zip ties??? LOL

They're lighter than a nut and bolt

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by sicksubie

Zip ties??? LOL

Screws and zip ties??? Youse guys crack me up. We're trying to lose weight here, for gosh sakes!! What's wrong with good old-fashioned duct tape??

[Chiketkd]

Here's a link to a thread I started sometime ago about this same question: SVX spoiler = downforce?!

[crazyhorse]

That was all good info.

To generate downforce, the wing doesn't actually have to have airflow over both sides. (top & bottom)
The stock wing just barely clears the boundary layer on the bottom. The Boundary layer is an approx half inch thick layer of turbulent, slow moving air that clings to the skin of a body moving through it. That tickle you feel when you stick your hand into the air outside the car window at speed. (Yes I'm simplifying this)
The abrupt change in airflow direction adds downforce. However, Subaru decided to pull it in, out of the clean, descending air from the roofline.
If it were moved back, a half inch higher with just a couple degrees of negative AOA, (angle of attack) it would generate significant downforce. Possibly enough, that it would cause front end lift.


My 2cents FWIW

[svxcess]

I did not know where else to put this.

I was in Ellicott City this afternoon when I spotted the "lipstick on a pig"

There was a Jaguar XJS V12 convertible in a restaurant parking lot with an SVX spoiler on the trunk!

Wish I had my cell phone with me to record this. It fit fairly well, but I thought it was too massive for the shape of the car.


.

[SoobCrazy]

Originally Posted by sperry

I It's not raked like a spoiler, and I bet it's too close to the trunk lid to really have good enough flow to act as in inverted airfoil.

I'll bet the most it does is help reduce drag by spoiling the air off the back of the car (and thus helps freeway fuel mileage a little).

Take a look at the massive STi spoiler or the Spec-C wing (or actual race cars for that matter)... that's what a wing needs to look like for it to be downforce functional, and even then you need to be hauling the mail for it to really make a difference.

Spoilers don't necessarily need to have a lot of angle of attack if they are in a clean airstream. You are correct that the SVX's OEM spoiler is mounted too low, but remember the low Cd this car has. That makes shorter spoilers more effective beacause a clean airstream is held closer to the body of the car instead of seperating along the roofline.

That being said, creating turbulance off the trainling edge of the body would improve top speed, etc.

Yes the STI spoiler is huge and in a much cleaner airstream (especially after '06, with the roof-mounted pre-spoiler), but don't discount the little spoiler on our cars, although most spoilers that size are cosmetic at best).

[SoobCrazy]

Originally Posted by It's Just Eric

Actually, the sti spoiler creats 12 pounds of LIFT after 90 mph

Who/what told you this? Don't want to step on any toes, but this statement is false.

[XT6Wagon]

likely mistaking the overall lift as the wing generated lift.

You know the wings work when Subaru refused to sell certain front areodynamic configurations of the STi without a rear wing. Also why the Audi TT got recalled...

Here is a great example of why you don't use a large front splitter and no rear wing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y24AqSok-Rk

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by XT6Wagon

Also why the Audi TT got recalled...

Care to elaborate?