Effect of Air Dam

[atomicradish]

I'm not schooled on aerodynamics but using common sense that design doesn't appear as efficient as it could be.

Ever stuck your hand out the window while driving? If you stick it out palm outward, the drag on your hand is substantial. But rotate your hand 90 and have it palm down, and your hand will slice through the air with minimal drag.

I know that these bulky airdams have helped FE, but wouldn't a wedge shaped nose work best? Something which would slice through the air, and direct it smoothly over the hood of the car.

I don't really know here. I'm just speculating/musing.

[lunarhighway]

atomicradish

true, but that would take some major rework of the trucks nose to make it work.
this would not only compromise the trucks usefullness, but it would cost considderably more than this setup, so any financial gain from saved gas would be gone. a lot of aero mods are little band aids that improve the stock configuration without compromising the original structure or overall usefullness

the most difficult part in aeromodding, but in original car design as well i think, is makeing a tradeoff between whats ideal aerodynamicaly and whats doable withing the existing buget and practical requirements.

[Big Dave]

My air dam is not as bulky as it looks. I simply fastened the belt fairly high on the bumper so I could re-use the (expensive) rip-stop in other applications. Also the rip-stop is a bear to cut and poke holes into.

Actually the air dam only extends six inches below the stock bumper so my added frontal area is fairly minimal.

My plan is to fab a new bumper that will have a six inch "bulge" when viewed from above. that will tend to deflect air around the truck. I don't want to lift it over the truck - air has weight and lifting it takes more energy than moving it sideways.

Anybody got Chip Foose' phone number?

[sonyhome]

No-one makes lips for trucks? There's 10 bolt-on to choose from for honda civics, from somewhat stylish to cheezy rice, $35 to $200, ABS, polyurethane, fiber glass.

[Atclarkson]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I was thinking of just extending the factory air dam on my truck by bolting on a piece of black corrugated plastic. I'm thinking it won't be too noticeable, and should be relatively cheap and easy to fabricate & install.

-Jay

just a thought.... bolt on a second valance to the original one on your front bumper.

[Big Dave]

Finally got side skirts on. First tank results: 27.24 MPG. Without air dam & side skirts, I was doing at best 26.6.

Lots of AC on that first tank. Let's give it some more tanks.

[BamZipPow]

I'd be curious if any of you have measured the angles yer airdam is across the entire airdam. That is the center of the nose...12" off the center and so forth. I'm sure that will change slightly as you load the car as well.

On my dropped airdam (as well as my extended airdam) my angles weren't the same as the bumper it was attached to was a little banged up from the previous owner(s). So I'm trying to adjust them so there is a slight protrusion forward on the bottom part of the airdam so the air goes up and around vs down and around.

Just a thought...

[GasSavers_SD26]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Finally got side skirts on. First tank results: 27.24 MPG. Without air dam & side skirts, I was doing at best 26.6.

Lots of AC on that first tank. Let's give it some more tanks.

Pics, Dave, we need pics!

[Big Dave]

Rats! Upload failed.