would i be better off installing an air dam or extending the front bumper down and forward so that the air goes up and over instead of out the side? I think if i used the air dam i would get more lift at higher speeds.
moby van - '03 Dodge Caravan SE 90 day: 19.74 mpg (US)
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I would suggest an upper grille block with an air dam to direct more air into the opening below the bumper. It has been my experience that an air dam will reduce front end lift because it reduces air flow under the car.
There are other considerations as well. An air dam could be closer to the centerline of the front wheels therefore be a little lower and a little less vulnerable to damage at driveway approaches, etc. An air dam even near the front axle line will decrease lift at freeway speeds from the stock set-up. Extending an air dam from the front of the bumper will decrease lift even more and be more slippery overall but vulnerability is a consideration.
moby van - '03 Dodge Caravan SE 90 day: 19.74 mpg (US)
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I agree that driveway vulnerability is an important consideration. My 93 Trans Am's air dam is well under the nose and so low that I can't get a floor jack under it but it has never hit a driveway.
...to CONTINUE this line of thinking--when there's nothing there now, which is more beneficial? (A) a BIG air-dam or (B) a small air-dam like the OEM's use?
...any "ratio" of their true FE effectiveness?
...I know which is easier to buy and install: what's already been made and is easily bought at a junk yard!
I do not know what the car has under the plastic, but the same year Bonneville had an extra plastic 'spoiler' that mounted about a foot back from the leading edge. Since the cars are identical underneath the sheet metal, I bet you could find one and use stock plastic clips to hold it in place.
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