Are those the things that go on the butt of the car? I'm taking a wild guess here. Do they help reduce drag or something?

Aerodynamics to keep the rear of the vehicle on the ground at high speeds.

They keep the rear end from flying up into the air when you're going really fast. Kinda like what underwear is supposed to do.

Downforce. Increase the pressure on the tyres to increase grip. The spoilers in Formula 1 cars at full speed produce more downforce than the weight of the car, so they could race across the ceiling.

It provides down-force to help with road-holding. Some cars, like the Cosworth Sierra from quite a few years ago were virtually impossible to drive at speed if they were removed. Bolt on ones are just for show.

Increase downward pressure on the front/back end to improve handling and control.

at racing speeds it is to create downforce to increase traction and handling....however most wings on street cars are for show because the dont operate at speeds that would develop adequate downforce

I saw a Yugo with one. It was really handy for the owner, who was pushing it at the time.

To create down force, basically increasing the weight of a car (by pushing the air up and the car down) to give the car better grip on the road. This only really works at fast speed.

to create down force on the rear of the car so help it from stepping out

In short, it keeps cars from going airborne at high speeds.

A spoiler on a car, a propper one at least, is just a airfoil (airplane wing) turned upside down. It creates downforce, the opposite of lift. This pushes the car down onto the road and increases grip and handling, it does however create drag and will affect top speed

It helps keep the car on the ground. It has something to do with aerodynamics. It also looks stupid. IMO.

It creates downward force on the car, helping it hold to the road at high speeds. Generally, under a hundred miles an hour does not require a spoiler on most consumer available vehicles, or those that are modified. Above a hundred depends on the vehicle, with most able to hold the road up to about 145mph. After that, a spoiler is a must. Most of the kids you see out there nowadays with huge spoilers on their cars, wasted their money, as they will never actually take the vehicle at a high enough rate of speed to need the extra downforce.

To increase down force on the car, thus holding you to road better so you can have traction and go faster. It is really only for show on cars that travel at normal road speeds (as in traveling at posted speed limits) as you need to have some speed before you can create down force.

1) Spoiler (automotive) "A spoiler is an aerodynamic device attached to an automobile whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle of some kind in motion. This can result in improved vehicle stability by decreasing lift or decreasing drag that may cause unpredictable handling in a car at speed. Spoilers are often fitted to race and high-performance sports cars, although they have become common on passenger vehicles, as well. Some spoilers are added to cars primarily for styling purposes and have either little aerodynamic benefit or even make the aerodynamics worse. Spoilers for automobiles are often incorrectly confused with, or even used interchangeably with, wings. Automotive wings are devices whose intended design is to actually generate downforce as air passes around them, not simply disrupt existing airflow patterns." "Spoilers generally work by disrupting the airflow going over a moving vehicle. This disruption's primary purpose is to reduce the amount of lift naturally generated by the shape of the vehicle while it is moving. This is accomplished by increasing the amount of turbulence flowing over the shape, "spoiling" the laminar flow and providing a cushion for the laminar boundary layer. In cars, the result is increasing the contact between the tire and the road surface, thereby increasing traction. This increase in traction allows a vehicle in motion to brake, turn, and accelerate with more stability. Additionally, this is accompanied by an increase in aerodynamic drag. In nearly all cases, drag increases as the speed of the vehicle increases. Thus, some spoilers that are effective at very low speeds often generate excessive drag at high speeds, and spoilers that work well at high speeds are often ineffective while moving slowly." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoiler_%28automotive%29 2) Further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoiler_%28aeronautics%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_control_surfaces

They regulate down force, only really working at a high rate of speed. They do look cool most of the time. But your wasting your cash unless your racing or showing.

Downforce yes. But on a car, nar rail dragster, is not as simple though. Breaks the laminar flow of air over rear of car, boot section, which creates a vacuum and liturally lifts the back of the car of the ground. Creates turbulant flow that flows al the way around the back of the car. Trust me, this is the ture meaning of a spoiler.

pushes the rear end of the car down to increase grip. (downforce) most cars you see on the road with them don't actually need it for example a 1.1 ford fiesta lol

Most car guys know a rear spoiler is useless under 100MPH. However a well chosen under-nose air dam could start working as low as 55MPH. This is because it changes the air shear surface from the clutered underside of the car to the (anmost) smooth road surface. This dead air pocket running under (with) the car and open to the rear not only reduces drag (saving fuel) but creates a low presure that "pulls" the car down to the road. Well balanced it also helps cooling the engine & front brakes.

A functional wing (front or rear)is basically an upside-down aerofoil (wing) that causes lift force downwards, as opposed to an upward lifting force on plane wings. Its main purpose is to keep the vehicle stable at high speeds by creating 'downforce' - downward force caused by air flowing over it - to better anchor the car to the ground. The more downforce a wing generates, the more drag it generates also, and the lower the vehicle's top speed due to the increased drag against the engine's power. A spoiler, on the other hand, is a different beast altogether. The purpose of a spoiler is to manipulate airflow over a surface, to alter the aerodynamics and to reduce drag. This can be like the little upturned 'lip spoilers' on older cars - they didn't generate downforce like a wing, but disrupted the path of air over the back of the car to prevent upward lift. Some cars have spoilers in other places, such as where the cabin slopes down at the back window. This spoiler directs air down the curve of the rear body and prevents turbulence. Other examples of spoilers include the big aero-panels on the top of semi trucks - simply there to prevent drag from the big slab front of the trailer they are pulling.

to look super wicked awesome on my civic! jk

If there is a wing, the flow of air is smooth and you drive fast.

I was told they are for looking cool. It sure worked on my Integra. As a matter of fact I plan on adding a second one on top of it. If what you all say is true, perhaps my car will have so much downforce it will crush my chrome rims? Thoughts?

Actually, in many cases, it *is* inly for show. As Shabba's answer states, a spoiler "spoils" the slipstream across the rear of a car in order to mitigate the pocket of low pressure created at the rear of the car, reducing drag. A wing, also sometimes called a spoiler, generates force- usually downforce in order to enhance traction at speed.

on a honda, i think its to go to the moon, but im not sure..never owned one.

So you can push your shopping cart down the produce aisle! CLEAN UP ON AISLE SEVEN! Don't kid yourself. Unless you drive an F1 car, its for show

used to keep the car from fliping over and spinning out of control.

i would say like a formula 1 car creats downforce and gives you better road holding at speed

9-13-2017 A spoiler is the opposite of a flap. The spoiler sits on top of the wing. When it is raised, it spoils the flow of air, reducing lift, so the airplane does not take off again.