So my metal front air dam turned out to be a bad idea. When it did scrape, it ate up the bottom well and made some sharp points. Last night a raccoon ran infront of my car and took out a bunch of brackets that held up the dam. That's only my second collision with animals (first was a deer that ripped off a mirror). I might try to make a plastic one, but I might wait a bit first.
Moral of the story: Don't use metal for a front air dam
Belly pan firmly attached to lower edge of air dam gives it strength. Probably not enough to stand up to a 'coon though.
Another approach is to build an air dam to a moderate height, maybe good enough to clear nearly any parking lot bumper strip. Then add a strip of plastic lawn edging extending below that. So if you hit something you just bend the edging.
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Currently getting +/- 50 mpg in fall weather. EPA is 31/39 so not too shabby. WAI, fuel cutoff switch, full belly pan, smooth wheel covers.
I'm thinking of making a small and more flexible one. 6 of 7 brackets stayed on, so I guess that part held up well, but the metal was ripped in a few places that took the impact. I never did get to find out if it bnefitted or how much, but I hope to rebuild it someday.
metal is bad if it decides to let go and puncture your gas tank or bounce up and spear the driver behind you. plastic can be run over/crushed and if it a raccoon it might bounce right back into shape. I hit a fox once, bent the air dam and just the paint fell off while holding the original shape.
I wacked a rather large blackbird this past weekend. Did a lot of thumping around under the truck and there was some rocking about but no damage to the vinyl dams and side skirts. At first I thought something fell off.
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Proud owner of Stinkerbutt!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
-Air Raid cone filter, direct to TB
-Homebrew front air dam
-Homebrew side skirt
-Torza top bed cover
-Now featuring front wheel canards!
I'm thinking of making a small and more flexible one. 6 of 7 brackets stayed on, so I guess that part held up well, but the metal was ripped in a few places that took the impact. I never did get to find out if it bnefitted or how much, but I hope to rebuild it someday.
Sounds like you have a good basis to work from, with the brackets being pretty tough. Can't wait to see the next one.
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