Thread: New air dam
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Old 12-12-2016, 09:03 PM   #1 (permalink)
JRMichler
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Phillips, WI
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Nameless - '06 GMC Canyon
90 day: 37.45 mpg (US)

22 Maverick - '22 Ford Maverick XL
90 day: 48.08 mpg (US)
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New air dam

The factory chin spoiler on my truck had broken into several pieces years ago, and the duct tape holding it together had been replaced several times, so I decided it was time to make a proper air dam.



I wanted something slightly lower than the factory chin spoiler, plus it had to be sturdy enough to smash into a snowbank or plow pile without damage. So I bought some conveyor belting, stainless carriage bolts, silicon bronze nuts and washers, and built an air dam. The bottom row of bolts fasten to angles that bolt to a second piece of conveyor belt intended to add stiffness to the visible piece. I have not yet observed whether the air dam flexes back under wind loads on the highway.

Unfortunately, I cannot properly test it. Any MPG difference from the factory setup will be small, and my driving habits will change since I retired last week.

__________________
06 Canyon: The vacuum gauge plus wheel covers helped increase summer 2015 mileage to 38.5 MPG, while summer 2016 mileage was 38.6 MPG without the wheel covers. Drove 33,021 miles 2016-2018 at 35.00 MPG.

22 Maverick: Summer 2022 burned 62.74 gallons in 3145.1 miles for 50.1 MPG. Winter 2023-2024 - 2416.7 miles, 58.66 gallons for 41 MPG.

Last edited by JRMichler; 12-12-2016 at 09:08 PM..
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