Does the rear wing/spoiler from Volvo to the 3 or 5 doors 340 makes really down force?

Or is it just an estheticall acessorie

It's a spoiler, not a wing (since it's not in full airflow), I doubt it creates much if any downforce, other than the couple of kg's it weighs.

When I used to run Mk3 GLT's I would always experience the back end squatting down at around 85-90mph with associated increased traction and stability. I always attributed this to the wing. I don't get the same effect in my Mk2 - but then it's a better car than my Mk3's and is much less sloppy to drive. Anyone else experienced this?

it says in a volvo brochure that it does help and icreses motorway stability.

Will

hi there

I've noticed too that my 340 with a spoiler is more stable on the motorway and drifts less in cross winds

I wonder.. I think its a placebo effect?

I havn't noticed any difference between Fake and Kar, but then the one with the spoiler also had knackered dampers. It is good for making sandwiches on though, and filling in forms, nice flat surface

Rear of the hatch doesn't look right without it, but I'm sure thats all it does really.

Ivan, what do you mean not in full airflow? Do you mean as the air can't pass over both sides (the Mk2 spoiler can't, as its a solid lip, but the mk3 can) or that the hatch is too steep to allow the air to get pass that low under the spoiler?

Andy and myself believe there is some downforce provided by the rear spoiler. In some brochures it shows the airflow and the spoiler assisting. In my own personal experience the rear end of my 340 without a spoiler does feel a little wobbly or unstable at speed, however it has a different balance to the 360 and still feels very springy and new. However the 360 seems more planted at speed, so when I fit the spoiler to the 340 I'll have a better idea!

Pete

I have 2 360s. A hatch with spoiler and a saloon without one. (Yeah I know I have a saloon spoiler but I haven't got round to fitting it yet )

They both feel very sure footed at motorway speeds. The saloon feels smoother, but on the hatch you definitely can feel a sort of downward push and occasionally vibration coming from the back as though the wing is doing something.

the difference between a spoiler and a wing is the principle by which they work.

spoiler diverts the air flow and uses the reaction to the change in momentum it creates to produce downforce
whereas a wing accelerates the flow beneath it (in the case of downforce) and this reduce the static pressure, and the difference in static pressure between the top and bottom surfaces causes the downforce.

a wing very close to the top of the boot on the 300 would be mostly in turbulent air which wouldn't generate much downforce.

hope that clears some stuff up

Above comment seems to make good sense.. a wing in the true sense of the word is what you find on an f1 car, and would definately create a noticable effect in downforce (which you dont need at all on a volvo 360). Most of the tossers in little cars that put those huge wings on their car loose around 10mph of their top speed.

A spoiler might create a little bit of downforce due to momentum of the diverted air, but I think the general principle is to create favorable air flow
behind the car, which helps in the aerodynamics department.

That being said, who cares if it's practical or not, if you like the look, stick it on.

IvanAE86 wrote:That being said, who cares if it's practical or not, if you like the look, stick it on.

+1

Aleks, thanks for that, makes a lot of sense to look at it that way.

Another thing you will notice cars with a rear spoiler get less road dust on the back! Less cleaning needed