Installed Direct Connection chin spoiler...flex???

[MRGTX]

hey, guys.
Original DC chin spoiler secured at four points on the bumper supports....which seems to be the intended installation.

Surprisingly, I am able to press on the spoiler and flex it quite a bit. It deflects more than I would have guessed. Is this correct? Seems like it needs a brace in the middle

 

[72bluNblu]

I can't say that I've ever seen any additional bracing sold with the DC spoilers. So, the flex is probably "normal", but that doesn't mean it shouldn't have more bracing. The rear ducktail DC spoiler was just held on by plastic push rivets, I even have a picture of the instructions for that one. Nothing about the front one though.

 

[JoeSBP]

I would rather it flexes when I bump it off a curb..

It looks good though, now the bumperettes..meh

 

[Bulldozer]

are those 15 inch Rallye's and if so , who what where about the trim rings. the spoiler looks great fyi

 

[Princess Valiant]

wow, that looks great.

I love the look with the bumper guards, looks like the factory made it like that with the chin spoiler and all.

What a sweet car!!

 

[Princess Valiant]

Are those chin spoilers available, like re-pop or anything. After seeing this post I kinda want one for my 73 dart which is the exact front end.

 

[72bluNblu]

I would rather it flexes when I bump it off a curb..

That's a good thought, but what you don't want is it flapping around when you're traveling at freeway speeds. That will just cause it to crack, especially if it's an original DC spoiler made out of thin ABS.

 

[MRGTX]

...
It looks good though, now the bumperettes..meh

Plenty of people dislike the bumperettes. They came on my car and I'm not planning on taking them off...I think they fine.

are those 15 inch Rallye's and if so , who what where about the trim rings. the spoiler looks great fyi

Yes. 15" Rally wheels. IIRC, they're not hard to find...especially since you can get repros.

wow, that looks great.

I love the look with the bumper guards, looks like the factory made it like that with the chin spoiler and all.

What a sweet car!!

Thanks!

That's a good thought, but what you don't want is it flapping around when you're traveling at freeway speeds. That will just cause it to crack, especially if it's an original DC spoiler made out of thin ABS.

Exactly...a small amount of flex is fine. Too much and you could end up running it over.

 

[famous bob]

Plenty of people dislike the bumperettes. They came on my car and I'm not planning on taking them off...I think they fine.



Yes. 15" Rally wheels. IIRC, they're not hard to find...especially since you can get repros.



Thanks!



Exactly...a small amount of flex is fine. Too much and you could end up running it over.

-------check out ---spoilers by randy.com , I`m thinking about one for my 68 fish.

 

[Bulldozer]

have the Rallye wheels and I have 2 sets of repopped trim rings but what I'm wondering is which ones do you have and who makes them because neither of my sets look like yours

 

[MRGTX]

Bob,
How are the Spoilers By Randy parts in terms of finish/quality? do they require a lot of prep?

have the Rallye wheels and I have 2 sets of repopped trim rings but what I'm wondering is which ones do you have and who makes them because neither of my sets look like yours

In what way do yours look different?

Mine were from Wheel Vintiques. I picked them up a long time ago, around 2000...since 15"s weren't original for a '73 A Body anyway, I picked and chose from the parts I liked. Brushed rings, 1971 style dark centers.

 

[MRGTX]

Are those chin spoilers available, like re-pop or anything. After seeing this post I kinda want one for my 73 dart which is the exact front end.

Here's a direct link from Bob's suggestion:

70-73 Duster spoiler

Hmm... the way Randy suggest mounting his has them sitting much deeper...using the radiator support? I don't think that's the intended location on a big bumper car...but I'll have to take another look.

 

[70Duster440]

How are the Spoilers By Randy parts in terms of finish/quality? do they require a lot of prep?

I like mine very much. Metal, powder coated, rigid and secure. No prep. Just bolt and go to holes that are already at the bottom of your support. I think it actually helps my cooling as it diverts air up and behind the bumper through the core.

 

[DustyDuster]

Are those chin spoilers available, like re-pop or anything. After seeing this post I kinda want one for my 73 dart which is the exact front end.

I saw in another forum that '69 Camaro spoilers from Randy (?) fit with little effort and are much less expensive.

 

[dart4forte]

Get rid of the 5 MPH bumper supports. You can modify to get the bumper pushed in. They look so much better that way.

 

[moper]

Neither of those are affective for downforce. They look cool, and they do redirect a small amount of air into the radiator, but there's no real added downforce from them. Potentially just the opposite as the underhood area becomes a high pressure area. So they don't have to be very substantial. I have something similar on my LHS, and had similar ones on my E bodies, and my GM station wagon.

 

[MRGTX]

Get rid of the 5 MPH bumper supports. You can modify to get the bumper pushed in. They look so much better that way.

Again, I like the bumper blocks...the car is a product of its time. At some point I may temporarily remove the stock bumper in favor of a fiberglass piece (which obviously would also remove the blocks...but being able to return this car to stock is a top priority for me.

I've often wondered about pushing the whole bumper back an inch or so...has anyone actually done this? Where can I find pictures?

Neither of those are affective for downforce. They look cool, and they do redirect a small amount of air into the radiator, but there's no real added downforce from them. Potentially just the opposite as the underhood area becomes a high pressure area. So they don't have to be very substantial. I have something similar on my LHS, and had similar ones on my E bodies, and my GM station wagon.

Getting more air into the radiator and having less air flowing under the car are two really important jobs of a chin spoiler. Looking at how this one sits, you're probably right that it won't be optimally effective but it will do something and it's a period-correct piece so it works for me.

Along with the fiberglass bumper, I was looking at the fiberglass hood options...I'd like to cut some heat extractors aft of the radiator--If I put them in the right spot, this absolutely will help both cooling and under-hood pressure. Besides, I'm sure as hell not going to cut my stock hood.

 

[krazykuda]

Spoiler alert....

 

[LeftyJD]

In a perfect world, you could run the chin spoiler down to the ground. But thats not realistic on anything driven on the street. Even trailered cars would hang up pulling onto/off of the ramps. These definitely help-who wouldn't wanna take about 1/3 of the under car air and route it through the radiator for cooling (or around the car) instead of leaving it under the car to negate some downforce. Why not? Plus I think it looks better than seeing the bottom of the k member, sway bar etc on street type cars. I wouldn't worry about the flex too much, every factory one I've had on cars has been pliable to a extent.

 

[dartindanno]

Here is my chin spoiler, spoilersbyrandy.com on my 70 Dart. Fit great and sturdy steel construction

 

[72bluNblu]

That looks like the taller version of Randy's spoiler. I have one for my GT and its definitely not that tall. They're nice pieces, but, this is my OER spoiler for a '67 Camaro. It was $30, and with a center brace to the radiator support it's more than sturdy enough. It's an ABS plastic, so if you curb it or something it would crack, but for $30 it's easy and cheap to replace, and I know it will fail before it damages my valance. The Randy's spoiler will dent and deform if you hit something with it, and it could transmit enough force to damage the valance as well.

Also, keep in mind that a chin spoiler isn't supposed to create downforce per se, it's to limit the amount of air going under the car. Air going under the front of the car creates lift at high speed, causing that light feeling you get at high speeds in these cars. Preventing lift and creating downforce are not the same thing, and while a larger front spoiler would be more effective, less air going under the nose of the car is a good thing, even if it's only a small amount. Ideally the spoilers would be wider to keep more air away from the spinning tires, as that changes how the air behaves under the car as well. But, even though the improvement may be small, it's still an improvement. Coupled with an effective rear spoiler (not a cosmetic one like a go wing), even a few small improvements can make a difference. Somewhere I read that the DC rear spoiler for Dusters/Demons/Dart Sports actually resulted in slightly faster lap times during road course testing, but I'll be darned if I can find where I saw that. I wish I could find it again, or more info on their performance in general, because most of the information on their results is anecdotal.