Home Depot Air Dam

[katoranger]

Disappointed so far. I drove alot more highway miles today than normal. My mileage was just a shade better than 23mpg. Thought I would actually get closer to 30 since I can get close to 23 in town.

Some more work probably needs to be done.

[comptiger5000]

Katoranger - How fast were you driving?

I might have to try this on the Jeep at some point this fall, maybe before my trip up to Rochester at the beginning of September. Of course, being that it's a Jeep, I've gotta make it easily removable, and just install it for long highway runs.

[katoranger]

Well yesterday the flow of traffic was 75-80. Today I stayed to the right and under 65mph for the most part.

My daughter is in the hospital so I have been going down after the older one gets out of school.

The other thing I haven't looked into is a tune-up. May be due for a set of plugs.

Allen

[spydyr]

3 questions.

1. What length of screws did you use?
2. How many?

3. Do you think it can be cut down to smaller sections and used as air dams for infront of the tires?

[wagonman76]

Originally Posted by moorecomp

The biggest benefit in around town driving is weight reduction. I have noticed a decrease in drag, as I have a large hill I EOC down every morning. Before, I could not maintain 55mph from the top due to a slightly less steep area near the top. Now I can start coasting at 55mph from the top and I do not go below 55 in the less steep area. Also get to my top speed of 60mph much earlier, and have to brake twice before the bottom. A quick read is ~2mpg increase in my mileage.

Cool, 2 mpg just like I got.

Good ol Elmira hill. Even after having already come 140 miles from downstate, I can usually pick up an extra mpg between that hill and the rest of the 7 mile downhill run to Boyne Falls. I won't EOC with my automatic and heavy unpowered steering and brakes, and headlights since I'm usually coming through there around midnight, but I have to wonder what I'd get if I did. If I stay in gear with the foot off the gas, even OD drags me down on the steep part with the V6 and 3.33 final drive. I also don't like to run in N because I have to go back into D at highway speed and I don't like how the trans acts when I do. But the shallow part is still a good gain and if I start at 55 on the steep part then I can sometimes get it to DFCO till the bottom if I open the throttle just a hair to maintain speed but still fool the ECM. 60 would be a more surefire DFCO but I always wonder if there's a cop waiting at the bottom on the side road, I've gotten an $80 ticket for 60 in a 55 some years back.

[moorecomp]

Originally Posted by spydyr

3 questions.

1. What length of screws did you use?
2. How many?

3. Do you think it can be cut down to smaller sections and used as air dams for infront of the tires?

1. 1/2" pan head sheet metal screw. My front bumper cover is plastic and drilled and mounted easily.

2. About every 6" to 8".

3. Sure.

[skyl4rk]

How high off the ground?

How low can you go?

[suspectnumber961]

I had lawn edging on 2 cars thru several winters and found that it helps plow new snow and that clumps of ice/snow don't seem to bother them too much.

Usually it seems that the typical lawn edging width puts the lower edge near the same height as most of the stuff under a car...which is probably about where you want it?

The only issue I can see with my car is that it looks like the current air dam height is designed to allow air flow to cool the engine and trans oil pans...where with the extra air dam you will lose most of this direct cooling? You will also lose a lot of air turbulence and resistance?

A brace or 2 made out of conduit and running back to a frame member might help along the front of the air dam?

[jtbo]

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

How low can you go?

1 inch is way too low, scraping even on highway on bumps + it should not be any lower than lowest part underside of the car as there is no benefit, just more frontal area, that is at least what I have read from here.

edit: That 1 inch part I did notice by myself as I did made little error at installing my vinyl carpet air dam.

[suspectnumber961]

Installed an air dam on the Focus using the Home Depot edging (now has a different name?). This stuff is not the best material to use...I should have tried to find some heavier pro rubber edging with more substance.

Did it a little different in that I cut off the extra 2 flanges and just used the straight edge...fasted every 6" using pan head SM screws and flat washers. I will eventually paint these black.

The extra flanges made it hard to have a neat installation. Material is still fairly "wavy" in appearance though.

I also put a metal rod inside the hollow area at the bottom to allow shaping the bottom edge some...and this will help hold the center part as the wind hits it.

As far as I can tell I gained maybe 1-2 mpg from this mod.