ST rear spoiler?

Is it possible? Anyone know if it's possibly better than what we have as I'm collecting a TON of dirt on my rear window wiper just from driving around town. (Yay Chandler is a dust bowl)

az erik said:

Is it possible? Anyone know if it's possibly better than what we have as I'm collecting a TON of dirt on my rear window wiper just from driving around town.

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I just mentioned this in the ST modification post. I have never had a car collect junk on the rear wiper. I am constantly cleaning the rear window.

I asked the ST forum if the ST spoiler helped keep the rear window clean, and someone said it does help a bit. But then I wonder if the slots in the ST spoiler would increase drag and effect the aerodynamics of the FFE.

I don't think the ST front end and spoiler would cause enough drag to actually be an issue with the FFE as your never going to see your milage suffer directly as a result.

I do have to find a set of the Titanium Focus 5 spokes though. I think they actually would pep up the FFE just in the looks dept.

Is the wing any longer on an ST? Or just the added slots. Hard to tell from photos.

The ST rear spoiler differs from the standard Focus spoiler in 3 aspects:

1. It has slots
2. It has a lip at the end that turns up
3. It is longer

I would assume the intention was to create down force, which comes at the expense of drag.

TexaCali said:

I would assume the intention was to create down force, which comes at the expense of drag.

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And, evidently, for the benefit of rear window clearing. :lol:

I want to find someone with an FFE who has done it and let them be the guinea pig. Or maybe someone at Ford could tell us what the thing does to aerodynamics. (But finding that person wouldn't be easy.)

After digging through some of the Focus Enthusiasts forums I've found two interesting bits of "data" on the larger ST spoiler. Sorry I didn't save any links, but here is what I found:

The first was a thread by an individual who placed the ST rear spoiler on a Titanium spec Focus and claimed he observed no change in fuel mileage from the on board computer. Obviously there could be lots of other factors and I would hardly consider this scientific data, but hey, it is a report.

The second was a post by an individual who claimed the purpose of the ST spoiler was to reduce drag, not create down force. It wasn't clear if this person had any inside knowledge from Ford, but he did give a rudimentary explanation of the aerodynamics at play and how the spoiler (in his opinion) modified the airflow to reduce drag. It has been over 25 years since I studied fluid dynamics in grad school and I haven't touched the subject since, so I'm not going to claim to know if his thesis was even close.

It is interesting to note this was all I found, 2 reports that claim it won't increase your drag, and zero reports to the contrary. Not exactly a mountain of data, but it makes me think one probably would not notice any change in range when moving from the FFE stock rear spoiler to the ST version. I'm going to check into painting costs (probably stupid high in my area), and if I can get it painted without spending a fortune, I might just go for it.

TexaCali said:

After digging through some of the Focus Enthusiasts forums I've found two interesting bits of "data" on the larger ST spoiler.

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Thanks for the info! If you do get the spoiler, you'll have to let us know if it does actually keep the rear window a bit cleaner. But, in any case, it looks really nice.

Update:

I didn't realize this, but there are actually 3 different rear spoilers for the current Focus:

1. The stock spoiler that came with our cars (and most other Focus hatch models)

2. The ST spoiler (longer, more squared off looking)

3. This spoiler:

http://www.partscheap.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BM5Z-5844210-AB&CartID=1 (also on Ford's web site, but photos aren't as good)

The #3 spoiler has the slots of the ST spoiler, extends further back like the ST spoiler, but is rounded, not squared off like the ST spoiler. I should also note 3D Carbon makes their own spoiler that looks almost identical to the #3 spoiler.

Here are 2 pics to clarify....

ST spoiler:



#3 Ford spoiler:




The #3 spoiler can be had for less than $300, but the cheapest I've seen the ST spoiler is $800! Remember these are unpainted prices.


Bottom line, I installed the #3 spoiler on my FFE. I'm a bit miffed at myself for not getting the ST version as (IMHO) it doesn't look anywhere near as good. But silly me, I failed to realize there was a difference until I had it painted and installed. Oh well - not sure I would have forked out $800 + paint anyway.

I'll report back after I've had it for a while and let you know if it had any impact on keeping the rear window clean or on economy.

how about a pic of your car with the new spoiler?

Any update?

So far no noticeable impact on economy. The rear window is indeed cleaner, but it is probably still too soon to tell how effective it is at this task.

And here are the photos:

Up close:




From the front/side:




And one more parting shot:

I want those rims!

What wheels r those?

zeeboid said:

What wheels r those?

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O.Z. Racing Ultraleggera 18x8 - http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&initialPartNumber=W0171221253B&wheelMake=O.Z.&wheelModel=Ultraleggera&wheelFinish=Black+Painted&showRear=no&autoMake=Ford&autoModel=Focus+Electric&autoYear=2014&autoModClar=&filterFinish=Black&filterSize=18&filterBrand=All&filterSpecial=false&filterNew=All&filterWeight=All&sort=Weight

Tires are Michelin Primacy MXM4 in 235/40R18. Traction is much improved and there is no hit to mileage/range. MFM screen this AM:

TexaCali said:

Spoiler Change

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Your car looks great. The black-out sets you apart and the wheels make the look consistent. I would black out the "Focus" badge (or remove it, like I did).

Is that plastidip on the trim? Are the wheels much lighter then the OEM?

Indeed, it is plasti dip on the trim and "Electric" badges. And yes, I do intend to either paint or remove the "Focus" badge. I want to try painting it first, but I have to paint outside and it has been too windy recently...

Here is the thread on the trim and other mods - http://www.myfocuselectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2040

Oh, and yes, the new wheel/tire combo weighs 5 lbs less per corner than the stock wheel/tire combo. Unfortunately that doesn't magically give you a 4 sec 0-60, but it sure does corner and ride better.

So what do people think of the new spoiler appearance wise? Personally I do like it better than stock, but still like the ST version better. I did find an ST knock off on evilbay for $150 or so, but the quality is probably lacking. $800 for the Ford ST spoiler is just too much IMHO.

I Just Ordered The knockoff So We Will see.

Tempting to get some lighter wheels. Less rolling mass is always good