Rocker panel function?

[REDLINE]

Apart from collecting rocks, does the little opening behind the front wheel serve a purpose? I know a lot of folks block it with a wheel well rock guard or foam block. But the little winglet doo-hickey...does it serve any aero dynamic purpose?

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[SnakeAndSteak]

My guess is the rocker panel splitter is used for aerodynamics and downforce. As the air passes through it should provide force just as the front splitter does. I'm sure there is some cosmetic merit to it as well.

 

[white15gt]

It's functional aero...It wouldn't be there is it didn't do anything.

 

[madlag]

I put the front rock guards on mine. Not the foam inserts but the "mud flaps" lol. They look great and solve that problem. I doubt many of us are hitting the cars top speed where that sort of down force is beneficial.

 

[tdzee]

It may have some very slight aero affect, but I think it is mostly cosmetic to blend the transition from the metal fender (more inward) to the lower rocker panel (more outward) to fill that gap.

 

[key01]

I have hit track speeds of 140-145 mph with the foam rock blockers tucked in there and they have not moved. I would say they are an aesthetic enhancement for the most part.

 

[Eric0w]

I have hit track speeds of 140-145 mph with the foam rock blockers tucked in there and they have not moved. I would say they are an aesthetic enhancement for the most part.

The rocker is there to prevent air on the side from getting down to the underneath of the car, which creates vacuum underneath the body, thus giving the car a little more downforce. Same function as front splitter. The rock collector in the front part of the rocker is just to make it look good because of the wider front fender. The rocker doesn't do much to the air traveling horizontally.

 

[nastang87xx]

It MIGHT do some air redirecting from the wheel well in conjunction with the rocker panel opening that people plug up but I can't imagine it does much, maybe make a vortex similar to how canards do but who knows.

 

[65sohc]

It is functional. You can point to any single aerodynamic tweak and question how effective it is, but that misses the point. It is a complete, integrated aero package and every part has its purpose.

 

[nordique14]

It is functional. You can point to any single aerodynamic tweak and question how effective it is, but that misses the point. It is a complete, integrated aero package and every part has its purpose.

Understood. But I still blocked it anyway because...rocks.

 

[Colleton]

It is functional. You can point to any single aerodynamic tweak and question how effective it is, but that misses the point. It is a complete, integrated aero package and every part has its purpose.

This is like the faithful on TS claiming that the little 1/8th inch "Gurney Flap" on the GT500 Performance Pack cars actually produced extra downforce. Ludicrous.

IMHO, it's just styling.

 

[Hack]

It is functional. You can point to any single aerodynamic tweak and question how effective it is, but that misses the point. It is a complete, integrated aero package and every part has its purpose.

I think you are right. That's why I decided to live with rocks coming through rather than putting a blocker on there. Function over appearance.

The Ford GT has a passage from the front wheels as well, but that passage is a complete tunnel and much larger. I imagine both have the same function, albeit the Ford GT has a much higher budget to optimize the aero rather than keeping costs low as the GT350 does.

 

[Tomster]

I've had the car to top speed with and without the rock guards in front of the rocker panels and didn't notice a difference at all in how the car performs. I've never had the whole rocker panel assembly off the car for testing so I cant say for sure. I think that would be the only valid comparison.

I'm reaching here, but for the sake of speculation, maybe it provides boundary layer separation to minimize drag at high speeds. Bernoulli described lift production that the faster a fluid moves across a surface the less sideways pressure is exerted. Air moves over the top of the car faster than it travels below it. The body (chassis) produces lift. In an odd way, you could call it a wing (for comparison's sake). On an airplane wing (at the trailing edge and tips), where the faster moving air (from over the top of the wing) meets the slower moving air from under the bottom of the wing, that is an area of instability that produces drag. By reducing the turbulent flow, you would be reducing drag and instability. Airplane wings use winglets to accomplish this. Again, this is just my speculation, but maybe the rocker panels are smoothing the transition of higher pressure air to lower pressure air and reducing drag and increasing stability.

What the hell do I know? :shrug:

 

[PP0001]

I've had the car to top speed with and without the rock guards in front of the rocker panels and didn't notice a difference at all in how the car performs. I've never had the whole rocker panel assembly off the car for testing so I cant say for sure. I think that would be the only valid comparison.


Tom, I have read various top end speeds for an R model and am curious as to what speed you were able to achieve with your TY car assuming that was the R that you achieved it in?

Secondly, would you suggest any difference in top end speed between an R model and a Track Pack car?

:cheers:

 

[car crazy]

I'm guessing the R has a lower top speed (vs track pack) given the extra downforce (drag) produced from the larger rear wing and front splitter.

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