RCZ's 370Z Journal.

christian370z · 12-09-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCZ

Do it, its actually pretty good to see it in person, you get a better feel for the dimensions. One thing you don't quite get the sense for in the pictures is how much it actually comes out to the front of the car. In other words, its not just a lip, its an actual splitter!

That's what I am not sure about right now; I love functionality but I don't know it I want it to come that far forward. If it is truly functional though, that would make up for the looks in my book!

RCZ · 12-10-2010, 02:31 PM

Yeah I would imagine it is. Splitters aren't the most complicated of devices.

M.Bonanni · 12-10-2010, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCZ

In other words, its not just a lip, its an actual splitter!

All I am going to say is that I strongly disagree with the above statement.

RCZ · 12-10-2010, 03:41 PM

Yeah, well tell us more, you know I'm always happy to be wrong.

Looks a whole lot like the one I see on some OEM "trackday special" applications like the new BOSS 302S. I haven't seen any testing to say its not a splitter or that it works. All I know is that it looks a lot more like a splitter than say a small lip type deal like the EVO-R.

Also, it doesn't have to be as extreme as a pizza style splitter for it to work. It wont be as effective, but a whole lot of companies have functional splitters that look nothing like a time-attack style one with supports and sticking out half a foot.

M.Bonanni · 12-10-2010, 04:18 PM

Keeping it somewhat vague for the sake of boredom the way a splitter works is it provides a surface area for high pressure air to push down on and that's how it creates downforce. A splitter's design is simple, but how it's mounted is what truly makes it functional. Think of it like a shelf. You make a shelf out of cardboard and duct tape it to a wall, then you put a 1 lb. weight on it and what happens? The shelf flexes and the weight falls off. So next you make the shelf out of super strong steel, there's no way it will flex or bend, but you still duct tape it to the wall. Now you can add 3 lbs. before the entire thing rips off the wall. Now you finally mount your steel shelf to the wall using big brackets and you mount them straight to the studs. Now all of a sudden you can load up 400 lbs. on that shelf without it flexing or ripping off the wall.

The wall is the car, the studs are the car's chassis, the weight is downforce, and the shelf is the splitter. A splitter mounted to the bumper cover using double stick tape and a few self tapping screws is going to do nothing. Likely the first step will be that the front edge of the lip flexes downward and the air starts bleeding off back underneath the car lowering the high pressure area that causes downforce. The little downforce that it will still make is only being used to flex and bend the bumper cover. Then lets say it still somehow continues to make more downforce, how much can it make before the double stick tape and self tapping screws give way?

A true splitter is mounted directly to the chassis, completely independent of the bumper cover and made of rigid material that does not flex that way it maintains a high amount of downward pressure 100% of which is pulling down directly on the chassis.

If you can't stand on it, its not working.

travisjb · 12-10-2010, 05:48 PM

Agree, that is the mechanism for transferring load from the splitter to the front tires and without strong connect points there is no way to design a splitter for large amounts of vertical load, or could create oscillations in the load if there is slop / deflection... the other aero benefit of a splitter is to minimize the air that gets under the car, which creates a pressure difference top and bottom of overall car, and thus more overall downforce

M.Bonanni · 12-10-2010, 06:11 PM

Same goes for wings as far as strength of material and mounting go...

If you can't stand on them, they aren't working.

spearfish25 · 12-10-2010, 06:28 PM

Stand on it Raul! Stand on it!

m4a1mustang · 12-10-2010, 07:32 PM

If Raul posts pictures of himself standing on the Stillen splitter (not gonna be pretty) before he posts pics of himself sitting in his chairs (the most beautiful sight in nature) I will be pissed!

RCZ · 12-12-2010, 06:27 PM

You guys are right and after playing around with the stillen splitter a little bit, I'm confident that it could withstand me standing on it only as long as it had plenty of supports. The material itself is pretty thick so I feel something could be done to improve on the design and make it more functional. This is not a racing splitter though and I dont think anyone was pretending for it to be, HOWEVER, it should do a fine job in cleaning up the air flow around that area. It is going to create some air velocity under the car and provide SOME benefits. Don't misunderstand me, Its not going to take seconds off my amateur track weekends.

Then again, neither is my "wing" and my car has Navigation, AC and power seats. Maybe one day haha

In a few months I'm going to get more serious about taking weight off and adding downforce. For now, enjoying my DD.

travisjb · 12-12-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCZ

In a few months I'm going to get more serious about taking weight off and adding downforce

M.Bonanni · 12-13-2010, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCZ

You guys are right and after playing around with the stillen splitter a little bit, I'm confident that it could withstand me standing on it only as long as it had plenty of supports. The material itself is pretty thick so I feel something could be done to improve on the design and make it more functional. This is not a racing splitter though and I dont think anyone was pretending for it to be, HOWEVER, it should do a fine job in cleaning up the air flow around that area. It is going to create some air velocity under the car and provide SOME benefits. Don't misunderstand me, Its not going to take seconds off my amateur track weekends.

Then again, neither is my "wing" and my car has Navigation, AC and power seats. Maybe one day haha

In a few months I'm going to get more serious about taking weight off and adding downforce. For now, enjoying my DD.

Thats fine, nobody's bagging on you. A good street car and a good track car are completely different things. I just didn't agree with the statement that it was functional. I am not saying it was the wrong choice by any means for what you're trying to get out of your car, just that its not a functional splitter out of the box and it should not be advertised as so.

RCZ · 12-13-2010, 01:04 PM

Yup, no offense taken either way. I know you aren't on here hating and that the comments you make are constructive and backed up by actual knowledge (very rare on this community). I know a track car and a street car have very little in common and there's no way to have both (comfortably anyway). What I need is to go to the track soon and get my priorities straight again.

Like I said, Probably gonna look into making it faster soon. The holidays are rough when it comes to spending money on your own toys though hehe, gotta get everyone else toys first.

RCZ · 12-13-2010, 11:14 PM

9psi on the dot.

Oh and on the Vossen 20" CV2's. Would love to feel my soon to be race wheels!

and yes thats tires letting go near the top of third.

Josh@STILLEN · 12-13-2010, 11:27 PM

12-10-2010, 03:41 PM	#1144 (permalink)
RCZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 6,403 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 1119	Yeah, well tell us more, you know I'm always happy to be wrong. Looks a whole lot like the one I see on some OEM "trackday special" applications like the new BOSS 302S. I haven't seen any testing to say its not a splitter or that it works. All I know is that it looks a lot more like a splitter than say a small lip type deal like the EVO-R. Also, it doesn't have to be as extreme as a pizza style splitter for it to work. It wont be as effective, but a whole lot of companies have functional splitters that look nothing like a time-attack style one with supports and sticking out half a foot. Last edited by RCZ; 12-10-2010 at 03:50 PM.

12-10-2010, 04:18 PM	#1145 (permalink)
M.Bonanni The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 2,575 Drives: Fast Rep Power: 1321	Keeping it somewhat vague for the sake of boredom the way a splitter works is it provides a surface area for high pressure air to push down on and that's how it creates downforce. A splitter's design is simple, but how it's mounted is what truly makes it functional. Think of it like a shelf. You make a shelf out of cardboard and duct tape it to a wall, then you put a 1 lb. weight on it and what happens? The shelf flexes and the weight falls off. So next you make the shelf out of super strong steel, there's no way it will flex or bend, but you still duct tape it to the wall. Now you can add 3 lbs. before the entire thing rips off the wall. Now you finally mount your steel shelf to the wall using big brackets and you mount them straight to the studs. Now all of a sudden you can load up 400 lbs. on that shelf without it flexing or ripping off the wall. The wall is the car, the studs are the car's chassis, the weight is downforce, and the shelf is the splitter. A splitter mounted to the bumper cover using double stick tape and a few self tapping screws is going to do nothing. Likely the first step will be that the front edge of the lip flexes downward and the air starts bleeding off back underneath the car lowering the high pressure area that causes downforce. The little downforce that it will still make is only being used to flex and bend the bumper cover. Then lets say it still somehow continues to make more downforce, how much can it make before the double stick tape and self tapping screws give way? A true splitter is mounted directly to the chassis, completely independent of the bumper cover and made of rigid material that does not flex that way it maintains a high amount of downward pressure 100% of which is pulling down directly on the chassis. If you can't stand on it, its not working. __________________ MikeBonanni.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MikeBonanni Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MBonanni36 Function > Form

12-10-2010, 05:48 PM	#1146 (permalink)
travisjb A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: GSO Posts: 2,803 Drives: VIR Rep Power: 188	Agree, that is the mechanism for transferring load from the splitter to the front tires and without strong connect points there is no way to design a splitter for large amounts of vertical load, or could create oscillations in the load if there is slop / deflection... the other aero benefit of a splitter is to minimize the air that gets under the car, which creates a pressure difference top and bottom of overall car, and thus more overall downforce __________________ 2009 370Z #104 For Sale

12-10-2010, 06:11 PM	#1147 (permalink)
M.Bonanni The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 2,575 Drives: Fast Rep Power: 1321	Same goes for wings as far as strength of material and mounting go... If you can't stand on them, they aren't working. __________________ MikeBonanni.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MikeBonanni Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MBonanni36 Function > Form Last edited by M.Bonanni; 12-10-2010 at 06:17 PM.

12-10-2010, 06:28 PM	#1148 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	Stand on it Raul! Stand on it! __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

12-10-2010, 02:31 PM	#1142 (permalink)
RCZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 6,403 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 1119	Yeah I would imagine it is. Splitters aren't the most complicated of devices.

12-10-2010, 07:32 PM	#1149 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	If Raul posts pictures of himself standing on the Stillen splitter (not gonna be pretty) before he posts pics of himself sitting in his chairs (the most beautiful sight in nature) I will be pissed! __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

12-12-2010, 06:27 PM	#1150 (permalink)
RCZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 6,403 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 1119	You guys are right and after playing around with the stillen splitter a little bit, I'm confident that it could withstand me standing on it only as long as it had plenty of supports. The material itself is pretty thick so I feel something could be done to improve on the design and make it more functional. This is not a racing splitter though and I dont think anyone was pretending for it to be, HOWEVER, it should do a fine job in cleaning up the air flow around that area. It is going to create some air velocity under the car and provide SOME benefits. Don't misunderstand me, Its not going to take seconds off my amateur track weekends. Then again, neither is my "wing" and my car has Navigation, AC and power seats. Maybe one day haha In a few months I'm going to get more serious about taking weight off and adding downforce. For now, enjoying my DD. Last edited by RCZ; 12-12-2010 at 07:07 PM.

12-13-2010, 01:04 PM	#1153 (permalink)
RCZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 6,403 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 1119	Yup, no offense taken either way. I know you aren't on here hating and that the comments you make are constructive and backed up by actual knowledge (very rare on this community). I know a track car and a street car have very little in common and there's no way to have both (comfortably anyway). What I need is to go to the track soon and get my priorities straight again. Like I said, Probably gonna look into making it faster soon. The holidays are rough when it comes to spending money on your own toys though hehe, gotta get everyone else toys first.

12-13-2010, 11:14 PM	#1154 (permalink)
RCZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 6,403 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 1119	9psi on the dot. Oh and on the Vossen 20" CV2's. Would love to feel my soon to be race wheels! and yes thats tires letting go near the top of third. Last edited by RCZ; 12-13-2010 at 11:17 PM.

12-13-2010, 11:27 PM	#1155 (permalink)
Josh@STILLEN The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Costa Mesa, CA Posts: 1,197 Drives: 2004 G35 Coupe 6MT Rep Power: 533

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