10$ Air Dam. Another One.

[sarguy01]

Edit. ABA testing in. Need more testing...

Route was one mile long. Set cruise at same points and canceled at same points. Used Torque to data log.
A - Two runs, ran both ways, with the dam.
B - Two runs, ran both ways, without the dam.
A - Two runs, ran both ways, with the dam.

Here are the numbers:
MPH MPG
A Run 1 51.44 32.46
B Run 1 51.97 32.66
A Run 1 51.48 32.83
A Run 2 51.26 33.68
B Run 2 51.13 33.43
A Run 2 51.74 34.02
For Run 1, this is a .06% loss.
For Run 2, this is a 1.25% gain.

Using median, to rule out outliers, I'd be at a .13% gain and a 1% loss.

Not what I was hoping for. 1.25% is hardly a gain for me. That is a .375 mpg increase. Hardly conclusive.

Original Post:
I had some time today to get out in the garage. I had to run to Home Depot for some other stuff so I grabbed the $10 lawn edging. Here are the pics of the install. No A B A testing yet. Hopefully I can get some testing done soon. I am hoping there will positive results like the rest of the air dams usually produce.

This is version one. If I find it needs to be beefed up, I will. I am leaving it like this for now.

The pics are pretty self explanatory.

Here is the aluminum angle I had sitting in the garage and the lawn edging.


Before...


Here is the first piece of angle attached to the bottom of the bumper.


I used this saw to cut the angle. Took seconds for each cut.








Yeah, I used sheet rock anchors to go into the plastic bumper. They were free.


I just drilled through the edging and riveted it to the angle. Pretty simple.




This stupid sticker didn't come off. I started riveting and realized it was there. I tried to rip it off and it didn't come off. Ughh. I'll have to scrape it off. Someday.


This is the side view. The edging, width wise, goes from the outside of one tire to the outside of the other tire.


If I missed something, please feel free to let me know.

A grill block made of roof flashing may be coming soon. A WAI is also going to be tested, as soon as I make it and get some free time.

[user removed]

Bock that lower grille with some pipe insulation.

regards
Mech

[jeff88]

I've read on other threads that it's better for the air dam to go from half way/middle of tire to half way/middle of tire. If you have the air dam from outside edge to outside edge the air won't 'wrap' around the side of the car, rater be pushed out at an angle away from the car.

Again, this is what I have read, hopefully Aerohead or somebody more knowledgeable than me will chime in.

[tvbd56]

Originally Posted by jeff88

I've read on other threads that it's better for the air dam to go from half way/middle of tire to half way/middle of tire. If you have the air dam from outside edge to outside edge the air won't 'wrap' around the side of the car, rater be pushed out at an angle away from the car.

Again, this is what I have read, hopefully Aerohead or somebody more knowledgeable than me will chime in.

I second this. That's the way I had it before was outside to outside but idk where i read it but it should be from the middle of the tire to the middle of the other tire. Maybe a tad longer, but not much.

[2000mc]

Results look similar to a test I did before. Your mpg slowly creeps up throughout testing, I found that my car takes around half an hour of driving before the mileage really levels off, long after just the thermostat has been open.
I'm guessing tire, engine oil, trans temps all come into play. I've tried to do testing at the end of other trips to try to minimize this.

[sarguy01]

Okay, hopefully I'll get some time today to tweak the dam.

I am going to trim the edging so it's in the middle of the tire. I also need to take an inch off the bottom since it scrapes going up and down the driveway. I do have speed bumps on my route and don't want this thing ripping off.

Before testing last night, I did have the car warm. I drove it all day and then made sure the engine was up to operating temp before testing. I know the tires will keep heating up as well as the trans fluid, so that might be part of the reason why.

I am going to find a different route to test. There aren't many flat roads, without traffic, with 55 mph speed limits around my house. I may hop on the interstate and do some testing later this week. The interstate going south is traffic free at night and I can do 55 mph (speed limit).

I am not giving up yet!

[TexasCotton]

When I did the front of my 04 Ford F150and increase the tire pressure. I got a boost in FE

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by TexasCotton

When I did the front of my 04 Ford F150and increase the tire pressure. I got a boost in FE

My tires are at 44 psi. They've been there since I got the tires.

What kind of increase did you see with the F150?

[mikeyjd]

I don't think you'll see as much benefit on a civic, as say, a pickup. Your car is already relatively low and cleaner underneath than the vehicles which report significant improvements in fuel economy.

I see the biggest potential for improvement in front side aero coming from a flush upper grill block.

Also note that higher speeds will be more revealing of aerodynamic benefits of lowering CD

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by mikeyjd

I don't think you'll see as much benefit on a civic, as say, a pickup. Your car is already relatively low and cleaner underneath than the vehicles which report significant improvements in fuel economy.

I see the biggest potential for improvement in front side aero coming from a flush upper grill block.

Also note that higher speeds will be more revealing of aerodynamic benefits of lowering CD

Yes, the grill block is coming. Since I want to make it look nice, I need to find some extra time to make it. I don't want a hacked together one. Though, I may do some painter's tape testing before I even take the time to make the grill block.

Maybe I will test the air dam at 60-65 mph instead of 50.