Spoilers Vs Wings.

[Loz]

So come on then educate me, whats the difference between a spoiler & wing please?

 

[bigbadjoe]

A spoiler is somone who wrecks everthing, and a wing is somone who runs up and down the side of a football pitch, usually has a contract with Brillcream, and crosses the ball into the strikers. :amuse:

 

[davalav]

A spoiler is somone who wrecks everthing, and a wing is somone who runs up and down the side of a football pitch, usually has a contract with Brillcream, and crosses the ball into the strikers. :amuse:

Ahaha...Cracked me up BBJ!

I think 'Wing' is an American term for a ricer, an another American term to describe what we know as 'Chavs' who stick a massive spoiler on there Honda Civics.

Spoiler.. is... well a spoiler mate

 

[davalav]

Of course please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Prince]

I'm pretty sure OG has been over this one a million times! He's definitely the man for the job. In basic terms a wing is used to create downforce (and in turn aid traction). RWD cars tend to benefit most. The wing also has to be areodynamic to work though.

A spoiler is commonly the wrong word used for a wing and generally something used to ruin the looks of the car.

 

[T9 man]

Yep, I'm sure OG will be along in a little while to give us all a masterclass as to the difference between the two! Maybe we should make it a sticky when it comes

 

[obi_waynne]

This article on spoilers and wings covers the bases.

 

[davalav]

Well it educated me! I was completely wrong. Having worked with Americans for a year, there terminology kinda stuck...

 

[old-git]

Last paragraph in the article is wrong, IMO. A spoiler is, as the name suggests, designed to spoil the air flow. A car, due to its wing-like shape (the air has further to travel over the top than underneath just like a wing) tends to create lift at the rear end so a spoiler is employed to break or 'spoil' the flow, thereby reducing the lift. A spoiler produces no downforce it just reduces lift.

It's the wing that needs to be mounted as high as possible so that it is operating in air undisturbed by the car's body. Disturbed air doesn't allow the smooth laminar flow that a wing needs to work efficiently, which is the main reason most wings fitted to cars are purely cosmetic at best but more likely a power drainer due to increased drag and weight.