Chevrolet "de-modding" the Volt's aggressive front air dam on request

[MetroMPG]

You don't have to look too far on EcoModder to find people who have made "aggressive" mods to their vehicles that require more attentive driving or otherwise changed behaviour to accomodate said mods.

Examples: everything from pickup truck bed covers, to passenger mirror deletions/relocations, to full boat tails.

Well, Chevy is now offering to replace the aggressively "deep" (low) front air dam for Volt owners who aren't happy when it contacts the ground or other obstacles in their driving environment/circumstances. It's possible the segmented air dam can separate, leading to flapping at highway speeds.

The original dam: from CFG's album



Has about 4 inches of clearance, according to Green Car Reports.

They didn't say how much shorter the new dam is, or how much it affects the car's aerodynamics.



Looks like the replacement dam (above) is roughly an inch or so shorter.

Source & more information: 2011 Chevrolet Volt: Air Dam, Display Issues Fixed By Dealers

[Piwoslaw]

I really don't see how this will help. Obama's limo also has clearance problems even though it's not exactly "ecomodded":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BvABn7L_So

[MetroMPG]

I remember seeing that! There was a huge CLUNK when the boat got hung up.

---

Volt: if you click through to the original story, there are a bunch of photos presumably by one of the owners who had the air dam shortened. It shows a driveway where the old air dam was scraping, and the new one has clearance.

[botsapper]

The majority of scrapping the pavement usually occurs when negotiating entrance ramps and deep dips. Having the lowest point in FRONT of the long overhang becomes a nuisance and concern. Corvettes and other GM vehicles tried to keep their lowest air dams more inboard so they could clear the ramp angles. I wonder why they did not just do the same for the Volt.

[aerohead]

I'm seeing a few shredded Cadillac CTS front airdams also.New Beetles ditto.

[CigaR007]

Adjustable air dams anyone ?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by CigaR007

Adjustable air dams anyone ?

Volvo already did it.Maybe they can revisit that technology.

[CigaR007]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Volvo already did it.Maybe they can revisit that technology.

Any links to it ? All I could find is this patent for an active air dam.

http://octechinnovation.files.wordpr...8/07775582.pdf

[kach22i]

Here is a early pre-production (test car) Volt in my dirt/gravel driveway back in September 2010. Not my car, just a U of M football game day visitor.

Automobile pictures by kach22i - Photobucket




I sure am glad I added some gravel this year.

[cfg83]

CigaR007 -

Originally Posted by CigaR007

Adjustable air dams anyone ?

Right now I have a spring+chain mounted air dam :

cfg83's Album: Air Dam



When the car is moving the air pushes the dam down and the springs stretch out until the chain stops them. In this way the air dam is horizontal in parking lots and driveways and vertical at speeds above 35 MPH. I have watched the reflection of them against the side of other cars. At highway speeds there is no appreciable wiggle (aka instability). The sides that stick out are pointed down because the air "bends" them at highway speeds.

CarloSW2