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I know, the popular answer is gonna be "Other than looks, no" or something along those lines....and in a straight line, you're probably right. But what about high-speed cornering? If you really think about it, they do help. Let's say you take a corner at, oh, 75 mph. With no spoiler, there's nothing there to help, and your ***-end is gonna slide, because due to a lack of weight and downforce, your back tires aren't gonna be pushed enough to grab traction. Now, add a spoiler, you add weight from the metal, and you add downforce. Take the same corner at the same speed, and all of a sudden, you have traction! Since the air is pushing down on the car, the car is pushing down on the tires, and since there's something pushing on the tires, they won't slide as easily. So yes, big gaudy aluminum wings DO serve a purpose on FWD cars.

Sorry for the useless post, but it's 2 a.m. and I can't sleep. Don't ban me.

 
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A spolier on any car will serve a purpose. During high speed cornering it will keep the but of the car stuck to the ground. Correct me if Im wrong but to the best of my knowledge a FWD car doesn't kick out the back end in a high speed turn, it will understeer.

But then you have to remember the speeds need to get a decent amount of downforce, are the speeds most of these cars can't attain, much less hold throught corners. And even then is a FWD car can go fast enough produce enough downforce, the downward force on the rear of the car will lift up the front end of the car ever so slightly, making for even worse understeer.

I may be wrong im no suspension expert.

BTW I can't sleep either

 
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Also remember that its not all about downforce. There's a certain amount of vacuum created when driving at a fast speed. Basically you sucking anything behind you closer. This is where a well tuned spoiler can help by removing some of that and make cutting through the wind better. But this is more a racing thing I suppose... most spoilers you see if they arent OEM are designed for looks.

 
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It takes a speed of roughly 96MPH for any sort of spoiler to accomplish anything on a FWD car. Search the internet, theres a big article someone wrote up about it.

 
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I shal correct you....
1. a cars tendency to oversteer increases as speed increases.
2. if your FWD car still understeers then you haven't tuned the suspension right. Talk to the guys who run open track and autocross....
3. Just because your pushing down on the back of the car doesnt mean that the front is getting lifted up, this is a car with suspension, not a Teter-Toter. both sides act independantly. what does happen is that if you make the rear end stick more, then the point at which you oversteer/understeer has been changed, meaning if your car had an understeer problem, well if you add down force at the back of the car, you have done Nothing to improved it. (The amount of understeer you get will have remained pretty much the same).


If you want an areodynamic part that will actually help, build an airdam.

 
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Wow. I think this is the first spoiler post in a long time that hasn't resulted in flaming, and actually contained intelligent conversation.

 
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ill add to Zzyzx's post

1. OEM spoilers are molded Neutral(as in it doesnt produce either downforce nor "aero lift")

2. the "effectiveness speeds" referenced in the first post would almost require you to be on a track somewhere. ok, fair enough, lets look at all the FWD's and and see how many of them actually dont have a wing/spoiler... the experts DONT have one, cause they know 2 things...suspension tuning is more important and their money would be better spent on something else

that help the debate at all?

 
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im sure they serve a purpose. look at the spoiler on the Integra Type R. Honda wouldnt put it on for no reason.

 
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pure aesthestic. it gives the Type R A LOT sportier look.. dont get me wrong, it looks bad *** but really surves no purpose. you wouldnt feel a difference if it was on or off.. look at the huge ugly *** spolier on the the SRT-4.. got ya thinking huh?

 
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yeah, I take 96 mph corners all the time ... don't you?

 
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OK, so OEM spoilers are useless, much like OEM kits. What about aftermarket spoilers?

And true, suspension tuning is FAR more important...but is it really possible to get the suspension tuned SO PERFECTLY that nothing else is needed? With changing track/road conditions, wouldn't you eventually need that extra little bit of help?

 
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i dont like spoilers just because they break up the lines of the car and make the car look ugly.

 
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This thread isn't about how it makes the car look. It's about how it affects driving. If you want to post about how spoilers look, go start a thread.

 
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I have a spoiler on my car.. It doesn't look too bad either. I don't think it does any suspension justice for me though! Just like those front splitters on FWD cars.. Arren't they the same as having a spoiler to an extent? They may not help until higher speeds..?

 
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Couple of issues with your standard Spoiler/wing.... If you were to actually spend time tuning one to work with your car, sure you'd make a little more down force.... Now couple of problems with that.....1. the amount of down force created would be insignifigant, due to the small size of the wing. and 2. that force is being exerted on what is possibly the weakest piece of sheet metal on the car, The trunk lid.

So how big does the wing need to be to be worth the time....
and even then you'd want to attach it directly to the frame rather then to some sheet metal on the outside of the car...
Try this.

 
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Hey that looks like my car!!

 
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diffusing your rear bumber (cut holes in it) will give you more low speed control over the rear of the car. our civics big asses hold a lot of the air flowing under the car. a full undertray would be real nice.