'16 lower valance/airdam removal?
 

Anyone have pics of your truck after the lower airdam removal? thinking about taking mine off but wondering what the possible issues could be as well as how itll look.

I like the looks without it but mine is on for now...someone wrote awhile back the gas mileage suffered ...not sure how much though

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...e9e17c699e.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...74af86e026.jpg

I think it looks much better removed. Plus it would have been damaged eventually when offroading or in the snow.

any hit to your mpg?

Not that I've noticed. Did this in the past week so not much time to really tell.

I am interested in this too.

I want to put on aftermarket RCI skid plates and the air dam comes off. If gas mileage suffers a little I may change my mind.

I removed mine shortly after I lifted so I don't have a lot of data to base this assumption, but I didn't notice any decrease in MPG. Maybe the lift and tires negated any benefit I would have had from it. Perhaps it does more for a truck with a stock setup. I lost about 2-2.5 MPG with the lift and tires and that didn't change when I removed the valance.

I took mine off when I added the RCI full steel skid plates. The Skid plates reduced the amount of road noise at highway speeds and my gas mileage actually went up a marginal amount (about 0.3 avg)

Also, help me settle a debate. My dad, a fleet mechanic in charge of over 40-50 vehicles, mostly chevy, is trying to tell me that if I turn one screw, the entire warranty is void (I know its false but has anyone heard of this happening?) IIRC there was a supreme court case where it was decided that unless the part touched, altered, or replaced could be proven to have caused the failure then the warranty was still intact and had to be honored. Is this correct?

IE from what my dad is claiming, if I remove this, the ENTIRE warranty, including the ESP I purchased will be voided due to this one item.

Anyone know of this happening to someone for just turning a screw?

Me and him have gone back and forth on this one so many times I just want to put it to rest for good.

I pulled mine off the day I drove it home.
Attachment 488722


I don't see anyway it would have survived on my property in the winter with a good snow or after a trip to the dunes

Here's a front side view of it off.

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is what you are referring to I believe. I've never read it so I don't want to act like I know something.

I hope what your Dad is saying isn't true because if so, there are a **** ton of voided warranties on this site. Common sense says that if the part affected has no direct relation to the part that failed, then it can't be blamed for it's failure. Which is why this Act was established for the most part.

Good looking truck! I like the clean look of the white.

Out of curiosity, you have chrome door handles but black vinyl mirror caps. Did it come that way? Any plans for PTM mirror caps or chrome?

So does your Dad think that when you take your truck to get a spray-in bedliner and they remove the top rails to spray it that your entire warranty is gone? What about people that add an aftermarket sub and tap into the back of the head unit? Poof! Entire warrant gone? Doesn't pass the smell test to me. Your dad is wrong. See: Magnuson-Moss Act.

Ya KY, me and him have gone back and forth on this multiple times. That is the act I was remembering. Thanks, that answers my question/dispute lol. also thanks booze as well.

I took mine off and cut it down a good bit, and I think it looks a lot better than the factory size one, the only reason I put it back on is if you look under your truck the EPAS, electronic power assist module is some what exposed and I believe it could take a hit pretty easy, atleast I thought the air dam might help deflect something from hitting that.


I didn't really notice a drop in MPG but I done a lift, wheels and tires all at the same time, but I don't see how that little piece of plastic would help or hurt a MPG

Interesting. So you really noticed the noise diminish huh? That would be a nice benefit too.

What kind did you get steel or aluminum? Easy to put on?

Was the air dam easy to remove?

Thanks!

Does anybody know if the full RCI skid plate protects the power assist module? I think it does.

Page 194 of the owner's manual states:

Note: Your vehicle may be equipped with a front air dam that can be damaged (due to reduced ground clearance) when taking your vehicle off-road. You may remove this air dam by removing eight bolts.

....so there's your permission from Mr. Ford himself. Go for it!

Magnuson-Moss only speaks to a manufacturer being unable to void your warranty for using non manufacturer replacement parts, eg. you can run any brand oil filter of comparable specs (doesn't have to be Motorcraft) without worrying about voiding the warranty.

I want to cut mine down. If it kills my mileage, it's only $80 bucks for a new one.

Funny you say that, I just put the Ford chrome mirror caps on today. I ordered my truck, I got the XLT chrome appearance package & upgraded to the Chrome PVD wheels. The chrome mirror caps finish off the look totally. Apparently the XLT chrome package gives you everything except the mirror caps, only took about 5 minutes to swap them out.

I did the full steel package. There isn't enough difference in weight to make a difference. IIRC it's not even a 20lbs difference.
The reduction in road noise was definitely noticeable. My wife could tell too.
It took me about 45min to install the plates initially. I had trouble getting the speed clips attached to the frame. Now it takes 20 min to take them off or put them back up once it's jacked.
The air dam takes 10 min to remove. I think there are 6 screws and a few clips to pop it out of. And it's just as easy to put it back.

Yes it does. RCI's description of the front skid plate states ... "Protects expensive EPAS power steering unit (new trucks), front differential, front cross-member, engine, engine bay, and low hanging intercooler (Ecoboost models)"

I have the full aluminum set on mine with the newer front plate option that allows for easy oil changes. FYI, the 36 gal tank skid plate requires FX4 gas tank hangers. RCI sells these on the site for non FX4 trucks (like mine). I had a local shop install mine due to the need to replace the tank hangers. Much easier on a lift with a transmission stand. The total install cost less than $100 for all plates, including swapping out the hangers.

ohh I like the look of the RCI Plates, I may only have a 2wd but I do go into fields and such while hunting/checking the property, Will def invest in these when I can. Thanks.

Your Dad is very poorly informed and totally incorrect.

ya but hes the know it all type. im dropping the argument lol.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...7a3e64730.jpeg





I love the way mine looks without the air dam. Didn't really notice a large drop in mpg's, but that could be because I removed it after only having the truck for 2 weeks. Truck also had a RC 2.5" Leveling kit put on a few days after I bought it so that could factor into the equation as well!

I started a thread about this a while back and forgot to update it. I removed mine in the winter for snow clearance. I go on lots of trips and holidays, so I travel a LOT (I have 52k on my 16 month old truck). Once the snow melted I put my air dam back on and noticed an improvement in MPG on the highway. It was still cold, the gas stations still had winter gas and I still had my winter tires on, so the only thing that changed was me putting the dam back on. My truck is completely stock.


Also, I did like the look at first, but putting it back on made me like it with it on again lol. I find with it off, the front of the truck seems so short but with more ground clearance (but not really). When it's on it makes the whole front seem taller.

I cut about an inch off the bottom of mine. It looks much more proportional to the front end now, and I haven't noticed any drop in fuel economy.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...318a6f4358.jpg

Looks good that way. How did you cut it ? Just curious if I do mine, it will probably end up in the trash after it looks like junk

I snapped a line where I wanted it and cut it with a pair to tin snips. Then cleaned up the edge with a fine rasp file. If you have a band saw, that might be easier even though the air dam is curved.

So I cut mine and boched it all up...today I had nothing to lose and run it thru the table saw...clean even smooth cut!

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...f9ab107e85.jpg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...0003ae0783.jpg

Nice, I like it. It doesn't hang so horrendously low as stock, and it doesn't look unfinished like a completely removed one does.

I'm probably going to take another 1" off to bring it to where the tabs lock in place

There will be no discernable change in mpg.

Even the guys that say they lost 0.2 mpg etc can't account for the hundred other variables that could have affected the rather small mpg change (temperature, wind, slightly more aggressive acceleration, a change in traffic habits, etc)

Mine was off since july and noticed zero change in mpg...my daily commute is very predictable and I would have noticed

Want to remove mine or part of it. Subed

Any chance of a picture of your's off with the RCI Skid plates? I installed the RCI's, but with it there it is nearly impossible to see the RCI plates. Thanks.

I removed it the day I got my 2015.
I'm still debating whether to take it off the 2016 I'm getting tomorrow or not. Maybe I'll cut it half way too.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...0b4d6e1e59.jpg

Trimmed mine along the existing line.

Not quite as good looking as a raptor bumper, but still much better than stock. :thumbsup:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...edc91a455e.jpg

I trimmed mine because I didn't want the tabs or empty holes. I cut it along the contour of the airdam. It was easy to do with a dremel cutting wheel. With the trim job you get the added clearance and it still looks like nothing is missing from the front end. Mileage did not change.

No mpg difference?
 

If the valance/dam really did nothing at all why would Fomoco go through the design expense and cost to build and install them? It's not like it's something that's supposed to improve the overall look. Or is it?

They absolutely wouldn't. In a test environment you can bet it makes a difference in NVH or milage or both. The question is does it make a difference in YOUR normal daily driving.

For now I'm leaving mine on, but since I tend to forget about it, I expect I'll lose it on a spur of the moment off road excursion. It really changes the approach angle.

^^ Precisely.
I'd imagine in a perfect scenario you may gain .4 MPG, but for those of us that have to deal with traffic, year round weather, etc I challenge anyone to show that they actually lost fuel due to removing the air dam :no:

Agree 100%, there probably is an MPG benefit but it would be so minute that it could not be statistically measured outside of a controlled environment (wind tunnel, EPA studies, etc). The only thing I'd be curious about is does it impact wind noise? I heard a few responses on here mention it

I removed mine awhile back (no pictures, sorry) and never once noticed any decrease in performance or mph difference. I'm glad I kept it though, because a couple months later I ended up leveling my pickup and putting it back on. With the front end sitting up 2.5" higher it doesn't look as stupid and close to the ground as before.

Same here, I removed mine and didn't notice any difference in fuel consumption, or noise or anything else.

For the tabs, they are plastic, so I used a heat gun to soften them, and folded them 90* backward. They can be heated again if I decide to reinstall the valance.

Looks better without the lowrider valance IMO.

This. This is what I had in mind for mine. Thanks for the pic. My mind's made up now.

I had originally pulled mine off as well, mainly because I couldn't squeeze under the truck to do an oil change because the flap hung down so low. I also took a razor knife to mine, followed by smoothing off the cut edges on my bench grinder. I trimmed a lot more off than the other pictures I've seen.