Splitter development, part 3

[Jack Olsen]

For those of you following along...

Two inches all around seems like sufficient lip area, at least for starters. So my current thinking is to not attach an additional piece of fiberglass -- partly because of weight, and partly because of convenience. Instead, I've bridged the two gaps with aluminum flashing, and used rivets to hold the three pieces together. Of course, its real structural rigidity will come from being bolted to the front spoiler.

Here it is fitted under my spare bumper, and also sitting alone:



The aluminum pieces are strong enough for support struts to the bumper. My thinking with the abs brake ducts is to not attach them to the splitter assembly, but rather to the car, so that they can (possibly) survive an impact would tear away the rest of the lip.

The total costs involved for the current scheme are pretty low, aside from the $120 for the splitter (ouch!). It's just a few bucks for flashing, rivets, gutter downspouts, and a shop vac hose for the brake ducting.

[Chuck Moreland]

Looks funtional. I know you don't care about class rules but if you change your mind... many classes don't allow a spiltter to extend beyond the front of the bumper. Looks like your new design should handle that nicely.

The next challenge will be routing the brake hoses around the control arms without rubbing and compromising ground clearance. I think you will find a shop vac hose hard to work with. Too rigid.

You might do better with wire core flex hose. You can flatten the wire a bit and it will hold the shape. You might also check the air ducts solutions from Smart Racing and others that route the hose over/around the control arm.

[cstreit]

Aye Aye Chuck,

Jack, won't shop-vac hose melt? Heck, my Fuchs will sizzle spit after 10 laps... I think that wire inner hose will serve you better, especially for ground clearance...

BTW, looking good! (and those aren't downspout parts, those are aftermarket high-impact PVC brake ducts...)

[Jack Olsen]

The shop vac hose only goes from the back of the splitter to the wire core hose that's already there at the normal inlet point for chin-less driving. It's a small gap to fill, and not near any heat sources.

I may try running it for a session or two this weekend at California Speedway.

[atlporsche]

I like it...

Why didn't you use "port tubes"? Several honda guys I know get the plastic port tubes from subwoofer enclosure kits, and use those for the air intake ducts, and they come preflanged.

sjd

[Jack Olsen]

Oops.