Quote:
Originally Posted by 7thgear
the far back mounted wings, do they not act as a lever.. making the axle the pivot point, and therefore lift the front of the car?
and hence it would theoretically be better to have the wing directly over the rear axle to reduce this
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Think about it in terms of big booty betties... 200 lbs of her downforce is either sitting on the front area of the trunk lid or back at the bumper support.
The required support from the ground is still 200 lbs. How that force is distributed (front-to-rear) will definitely be affected by leverage. Chassis deflection, suspension geometry, squishy bushings, and other things will prevent the car from acting like an infinitely rigid member (Call 1-900-Mix-a-Lot!).
In the motorsports world, they use aero leverage as a tool for balancing the car. Typically the rules restrict wing placement... but when the rules are loose (like hillclimb), you'll see some really innovative aero designs.
