Car spoiler – What's that?

The first time you see a car spoiler mounted on the trunk of a car you will wonder, “Now what is that?”. That reaction is quite understandable. A car spoiler sticking up from the trunk invites that question. Why would someone want to increase the weight of their vehicle and have an odd protuberance like that? Well a car spoiler is not there just for the looks it has a function to perform. It makes the ride more stable at high speeds.

To explain let us first understand a car without a car spoiler. The roads we drive the car on are not perfectly flat. And I don't mean large potholes even smooth roads have small imperfections. When a car moves over these imperfections it gets thrown off its trajectory. At low speeds the deviation is not much at all, but at high speeds it is substantial. Once the car gets throw off the weight of the car brings it back down. The new trajectory of the car is not the same as the old one. The variation will depend on the size of the imperfection and the weight of the car. If the imperfection is large or the car is very light the variation will be correspondingly large.

This change in trajectory is a measure of how well we are able to control the car and how stable is the ride. So how does a car spoiler contribute? A car spoiler acts the same way a wing does on an airplane. It creates a lift force which is perpendicular to the direction of motion. But with one difference. An airplane wing creates an upward force. A car spoiler creates a downward force. The faster the speed of the car the greater is this downward force.

Now when at high speeds the car gets thrown off its trajectory along with the weight of the car this downward force too brings the car back down. This makes the car hug the road more. So when you next see a car spoiler remember its a device which makes the car press down on the road at high speeds. This is very useful in high performance driving conditions. Car spoilers are sold as parts of body kits and also by themselves

Car spoiler for a stable ride

A car sometimes slips or slides when it is being driven on a road. That could be dangerous. It happens when its grip on the road is loosened. Car tires are specially designed to ensure that it retains its grip on the road. Car spoilers have a similar function. They too improve the car’s grip on the road to a limited extent.

When a car is driven fast it tends to leave the ground and rise up. This is due to aerodynamics of the vehicle. This aerodynamic force called the lift is what makes an aircraft fly. The wings of airplanes are so designed that the up thrust on the air craft is maximized and it rises in the air. A car spoiler acts in just the opposite way. It does this by generating negative lift which exerts a downward force on the car. It tries to keep the car firmly on the ground. Chances of its slipping are reduced and so is the danger. That makes driving safer.

You would have seen a car spoiler slightly projecting at the rear top end of a car. Since it is so visible, it can be used to improve the looks of a car. Car spoilers are made of molded plastic, or fiberglass, or resin. Sometimes these are even made of aluminum. You can have a car spoiler in a color of your choice. If by chance that is not available, you can have it painted in that color. Car spoilers are sometimes included as part of car body kits.

A number of makes and brands of cars are there in the market. Car spoilers are therefore made in a multiplicity of designs and colors to match these makes and cater to different tastes. It helps you in giving the car your preferred look.

The stores dealing in auto part accessories have car spoilers. To make it easy for the customers to select they display photographs of cars of different makes fitted with various types of car spoilers.

You can also select and buy car spoilers on line at car aftermarket products web site. That saves much of time and effort. You will find there a wide range of latest designs of car spoilers.

Car spoiler for a better drive

A car moves through atmospheric air on the road. As the car moves the air exerts pressure on it. One would presume that the pressure would be in the direction opposite to the one in which the car is moving. No doubt, it is correct to a large extent, but the air also exerts pressure in another direction. A fast moving car would experience an upwards thrust. If the car happens to be particularly light, its grip on the road will be lessened due to the upwards thrust. The car spoiler is of use in countering the upwards thrust.

An airplane wing enables the plane to take off from the ground when the plane moves fast on the runway. This is because the airplane wing generates an upward force on the airplane. The function of a car spoiler is just the opposite. It generates a downward force on the car. It keeps the car firmly on the road. Its grip on the road is stronger. The drive becomes safer.

Usually a car spoiler is made of molded plastic, or fiberglass, or resin or even aluminum. You can have a car spoiler in a design that matches the looks of the car. It can be of a color that goes with the color of the car. If the desired color is not available, you can have it painted in the right color.

A car spoiler is fitted externally on a car. Therefore, along with other after market products such as body kits it can be used to give the car a look of your choice. If you are so inclined you can give the car a sporty look.

Car spoilers are sold in stores that deal in car accessories. They have catalogues and photographs that show how a car spoiler will look on the car of a particular make. However you need not go to an auto store to buy a car spoiler. It is much better to look for them online. You can easily get information, view images and compare prices.