Has anyone else removed the factory air damn under the bumper? I took mine off my 2010 to make changing the oil alot easier. I am currently averaging about 18.2 MPG and was wondering if it would impact my MPG's. I'll post an update after a few weeks with the new MPG after I go through a couple tanks of gas.

 

OK........JMHO here, but many air dams are designed both to get air to your radiator to aid in cooling and to keep air from going under the car/truck. The air going under your vehicle causes more drag than the air going over it due to how unsmooth (is that a word?) the underside is..............let us know how this turns out for you though............

 

The air dam creates a low pressure area right under the engine bay, thus sucking hot engine air (higher pressure) down. This helps in engine cooling.

As well, it keeps the air low pressure under the vehicle, reducing lift, helping the truck/car stay on the road, especially at high speeds. I assume therefore that it helps reduce air resistance.

I am pretty sure Ford, and otehrs, put one there for a reason.

 

I checked a friends 2009 that has a near identical setup as mine before doing it and he didn't have the air dam. It does improve the access to the oil filter 10 fold, not to mention the space improvement to reach the oil pan.

 

nothing bad will happen if you take it off, lots of people have done it. you will probably get a little worse MPGs though, but you might not even notice it depending on your driving habits.

 

Not really going to make much difference. The Ford cooling is very well engineered, so unless you are towing a max load in 115 degrees it will not be an issue. Now the air dam and fuel mileage is a tough one. I have actually added air dams to older vehicles and got better mileage. I guess it will depend on how much highway vs city driving you do.

 

+1 well said amigo.

Whoever thinks that little plastic deflector helps with cooling is downright ignorant.

Modern engine cooling systems rely on the radiator...not actual air flowing over the engine. the Cowl at the back end of the hood (near your windshield wipers) has vents in it to allow hot air to escape the engine when you are in motion.

This deflector is more for making air less turbulent when passing underneath the truck, to increase fuel efficiency.

It will also serve as a terrible snow plow in deep snow.

 

I doubt anything major will happen either if you take off the air dam. But since Ford Motor Company is the one that designed and engineered this truck, I think I will trust their judgment and leave mine on. I just disagree that someone would want to take it off just because they don't like the looks lf it. Making modifications for the sake of making your truck look better is one thing but modifying a functional part is something else. IMHO

 

I was thinking of going the opposite direction. Car and Driver magazine had a project many years ago to improve gas mileage. They installed an air dam similar in shape to what we have, except it was down to within 1/2 inch of the street. The MPG improvement was huge. Plus, like stated above, increased downforce and cooling. If I can find a material to use that won't break if it hits something, I might extend it down some.

 

I too was skeptical about the air dam, but removed it after performing my leveling kit. Havent seen one reason to put it back on and thats been 2-3 mths and 3-4k miles ago.
my .02