Lets talk down force
- Thread starter NOVA98Cobra
- Start date
I have the Roush "splitters" hanging off the bumper - which are really more of an airdam, dispite the name. When I go to the track, I mount a flat panel up behind them that extends back to the front of the wheel wells. It puts some strength behind the Roush fronts (which like to tip back at higher speeds) and keeps air smooth under the front. I've found on the street, my coolant temps started to creep up around town (not hot, just warmer than I want), which is why I take it off for daily use. With the panel under the front, vents on the hood open and the wing sitting with minimal AOA, it keeps the car planted pretty well (at least for my driving ability).
WPBcobra,
How did you run a 97 cobra in TTD? The rule book starts at TTC for that car. I'm hoping there's something about the rules I don't understand because I bought a bunch of Max Motorsports parts and if I add correctly I'm in TTA and that means I'm not competitive.
How did you run a 97 cobra in TTD? The rule book starts at TTC for that car. I'm hoping there's something about the rules I don't understand because I bought a bunch of Max Motorsports parts and if I add correctly I'm in TTA and that means I'm not competitive.
^technically there is no TTA anymore. I think they call it ST3 now.
you can get the car dyno re-classed. I knew the car would not run with TTC cars down here in FL so i wanted to go into TTD. So i dyno re-classed it and detuned it alittle down to 245HP. They sent me a weight to be at and i started at 0 stars. so i was able to only do a few mods. (springs,shocks,brakes and the best thing to brings times down was Hoosiers, and running a 225 or 245 tire. The cars was a top runner in D with thos mods and ran pretty quick.
A mustang needs alot of work to play in ST3 (old TTA)
Is better to remove some timing at the higher end so that you don't dyno over 245hp than it is to get dyno'd at 245hp with a nice timing curve? I would think it would be better to dyno with less timing at the higher rpms because up to a point you will have the hp and tq of a much more powerful engine. I witnessed several vettes at last years NASA Championship that their dyno'd runs flat lined from 5000rpm to 6000rpms.
Ive read and recommend Macbeaths Competition Car Aerodynamics book, its a good book to reference back to and will explain some of what the aero bits do when installed on a racing car.
I can tell you don't go out without your top. All around negative effect.
Well Greg that may apply to you but I know plenty of women that should go out without their top much more often!!! All around positive effect for sure!
a couple things. having good downforce on a mustang helps first in ways that you might not consider which are very important. for me a good splitter and a g stream wing, which ar going on my car now, provide downforce and stability under high speed braking. straight line braking.
where i race, road atlanta, vir, roebling road, sebring. there are numerous 140mph straights with heavy braking at the end. the downforce helps stop the car. it allows you to go a little deeper. in the process it pulls stress off the brakes and the tires. in a racing environment that means better laps times and control late in the race.
where i race, road atlanta, vir, roebling road, sebring. there are numerous 140mph straights with heavy braking at the end. the downforce helps stop the car. it allows you to go a little deeper. in the process it pulls stress off the brakes and the tires. in a racing environment that means better laps times and control late in the race.
Beyond saying read an aero book I'll offer a few ideas.
Vent the hood above and behind the radiator. The shelby hood vent can be installed in the 98 cobra hood and from the ones I have seen looks good and at home on the car. If you dont want to hack up the stock hood then Id suggest getting a donor hood.
Vent the fenders. This requires removal of the fender liners or atleast some trimming to allow air to escape from the fender wells. One thing to note is after extended use with sticky tires the rocks thrown upwards into the fenders will put lots of small dents into the fenders. This is ok on a race car but would bother me if it was my open track/street car.
Dont entirely disregard a shorter wing, the shorter wing has an advantage over taller wings, the shorter wing can develop a ground effect between itself and the trunk lid. Ground effect acts like a venturi and accelerates the air underneath the wing. The faster and larger volume of air that passes under the wing the lower the pressure under the wing will be and the greater the downforce.
Install a larger air dam below the radiator. I used some rubber belting, then drilled holes through it and installed it in the existing holes in the radiator support. This dropped temps on my water temp. gauge by about 10 degrees. The car didnt have one and I saw a nice decrease in temps after installing it.
Vent the hood above and behind the radiator. The shelby hood vent can be installed in the 98 cobra hood and from the ones I have seen looks good and at home on the car. If you dont want to hack up the stock hood then Id suggest getting a donor hood.
Vent the fenders. This requires removal of the fender liners or atleast some trimming to allow air to escape from the fender wells. One thing to note is after extended use with sticky tires the rocks thrown upwards into the fenders will put lots of small dents into the fenders. This is ok on a race car but would bother me if it was my open track/street car.
Dont entirely disregard a shorter wing, the shorter wing has an advantage over taller wings, the shorter wing can develop a ground effect between itself and the trunk lid. Ground effect acts like a venturi and accelerates the air underneath the wing. The faster and larger volume of air that passes under the wing the lower the pressure under the wing will be and the greater the downforce.
Install a larger air dam below the radiator. I used some rubber belting, then drilled holes through it and installed it in the existing holes in the radiator support. This dropped temps on my water temp. gauge by about 10 degrees. The car didnt have one and I saw a nice decrease in temps after installing it.
quick question on your last tip.
If the radiator is boxed in, will a larger air dam make any difference?
I just boxed mine in, and removed the small stock air dam, and didnt reinstall it.
If the radiator is boxed in, will a larger air dam make any difference?
I just boxed mine in, and removed the small stock air dam, and didnt reinstall it.
It's my understanding the the little air dam (plastic black panel) under the radiator is designed to create a low pressure area right after it, so the air is pushed through the radiator faster.
I don't think I've seen one installed with a boxed in radiator.
When it comes to air through the radiator, I've seen that help and the 'reverse scoop'/heat extraction vents in the hood work best.
I don't think I've seen one installed with a boxed in radiator.
When it comes to air through the radiator, I've seen that help and the 'reverse scoop'/heat extraction vents in the hood work best.
I have thought about removing the inner fender liner. I don't want rock dings, even on my track only car. I wonder if I spray some truck bed liner on the underside of the fender if that will prevent it, or at least greatly minimize it.
I think some kind of ruberized coating would work better.
I would just leave the fender liners.
I cant imagine that one could "feel" any discernable difference with them gone.
my .02
I cant imagine that one could "feel" any discernable difference with them gone.
my .02
Not sure if I would notice or not. I have to do something. I have seen pictures of me going down the front staight at VIR and my front end is up like I am drag racing. I used to get a lot of cowl shake, then I removed the bottom spring iso's from the front to lower it a bit. That got rid of the shake. Before I removed the iso's, sometimes, it looked like my front end was just slightly higher than the back.
I have also debated the removal of the liners. Especially since at one time I had an aftermarket iginition mounted inside my front fender well. Wouldn't be able to do that with the front liner gone.
I would also like to make a front splitter. I have posted threads about it, but never found anything that would give me a good recipe to follow. I want it to look good, and professional, and have seen them that way. I have also seen some hack jobs. I have a foxbody and they seem harder to find some good examples of, especially to get details on.
I have also debated the removal of the liners. Especially since at one time I had an aftermarket iginition mounted inside my front fender well. Wouldn't be able to do that with the front liner gone.
I would also like to make a front splitter. I have posted threads about it, but never found anything that would give me a good recipe to follow. I want it to look good, and professional, and have seen them that way. I have also seen some hack jobs. I have a foxbody and they seem harder to find some good examples of, especially to get details on.
You could trim the rear portion of the liner so the top is still there to protect the fender. Mine were already gone when I bought the car and the fenders are now trashed. Nothing a sanding and a repaint wouldnt fix but with my luck Id just bend a fender next time out on the track.
A few lawyers of something like Plasti-dip or a rubbery coating might work. Even spray on undercoating?
the part between the bumper and the splitter is from Shinoda
(link Shinoda Performance Vehicles) and the bottom part is made of Alumalite. It is removable has the 3 front struts and 2 mounts on the back side.
It is also all legal for AI rules
hear are 2 more pics
http://www.teamshinoda.com/Cobra Shinoda 070.jpg
03 model + a splitter underneath would work nicely.
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