What is a front lip? Why do you want it?

What is the reason for all the interest in this part of the car?

There are two main reasons. One is practical and the other is cosmetics.

From a practical point of view, vehicles moving in the air can behave like airplanes. That is, the air flow under the car or truck travels a slightly shorter distance than the air flow at the top of the vehicle. This difference creates a pressure difference that reduces the pressure at the top of the vehicle.

This means that there is more pressure to lift the car than to leave it on the road. The weight of the car is sufficient to overcome this upward trend in most situations. However, if you move the car fast enough, the air flow will increase and interesting things can happen. Just as an airplane takes off, enough speed is equal to enough lift and you are floating in the air.

What is good for an airplane is a disaster for a car. If you’ve ever seen a picture of a car race, the picture of a fast-moving race car can suddenly be lifted at the front end and sometimes completely upside down.

The front spoiler or lip or air dam is a race car or exotic car capable of very high speeds and is designed to stop this dangerous air flow.

The second reason these devices are added to the car is because of their styling. People like to feel that they are driving a fast car. They want a look, even if they never push the car to the speeds that require such an aerodynamic device. Most new cars have some kind of extension under the front bumper. It’s for the design and not for the front end of the car.

Not all cars have this look, so there is a large aftermarket that designs and manufactures lips, spoilers, or air dams for those who want to dress up their pride and joy.

Is it all positive? No. There are a few things to keep in mind. First, this is the additional weight of the front end of the car. It makes no difference, but adding a very heavy weight to the front end can change the handling characteristics of the car. Next, I shortened the distance from the front end to the pavement. There is no problem on flat roads. However, if you hit a dip, a high parking block, or a steep driveway, the front end may be dragging the ground.

The last note is the installation. Most such aftermarket products require some expertise to fit them correctly. If you don’t have this experience, find an installation expert.