Hi everyone,
My name is Mike and I’m from NYC. I hope this is the right place to post but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with front splitters. I’m really not sure if they do anything and if they’re only for performance cars. I read that they can save you on MPG by reducing drag. Any thoughts? Is it worth it to put on a 10 year old Camry?
Splitters use aerodynamic drag to produce downforce. The downforce adds grip to the the front tires in corners. That downforce doesn’t really start until about 50 mph. It can and should be balanced by adding a rear wing and diffusers.
None of this will help mpgs, they will only hurt. There is no reason to add one to a 10 year old Camry.
Now adding an air dam, google that, can reduce drag by preventing air from getting under the car. Badly designed, it can hurt, too.
Looks only for a street car. And they must be a real pain around speed bumps, etc.
Thanks. So, thats the complete opposite of what I was told on the Toyota forums. But, what you’re saying makes sense. Is there anything I can do that will help increase MPG
Yes . use sensible driving habits - keep tires at the correct pressure on even a couple of pounds higher - don’t haul stuff in vehicle you don’t need - and do a web search for hyper mileing . Some of the hyper mileing stuff is not safe or just ridiculous but some of it is good to use.
my air dam was missing. as was a big chunk of the fender liner. figured it would be easy to find at the junkyard. duh. looks like a lot of cars there have front end collisions. seems most people drive forward, vs reverse on the highway. did get one though.
What @VOLVO_V70 said is all correct. The driver is the most important part.
Mechanically, you can pump an extra3 to 5 psi into the tires. Buying low rolling resistances tires help, too. Have the car aligned to the lowest toe-in settings both front and rear that the manufacturer recommends. Clean and wax the car…small effect for sure…but effective.
Make sure all the belly pans and spoilers installed by the factory are in place. Make sure the car is in good tune. Use synthetic fluids in the engine and transmission.