Front Air Dam

StayInYourLayne · November 23, 2015

I've heard that the front air dam pushes air up into the radiator and what not to help cool the engine. Is that true? Has anyone who has taken it off noticed a difference in engine temperature?

Huetatos · November 23, 2015

I've read a few posts here (can't dig them up) but it says that somewhere in the manual I think. People pull them off anyway because they don't look very good combined with the fact they don't seem to help fuel economies that much.

Phillip123 · November 23, 2015

It is true. I wanted to get rid of the low air dam since I heard that it forces air up to the radiator. My source was pretty relevant and I believe the guy that told me that.

tnchevy · November 23, 2015

Your source is full of crap. People have taken them off of these trucks since they came out nearly 3 years ago with no problems. Tons of people running leveled trucks with and with out the front air dam and no overheating problems. The air dam will give you about 1 mpg better on the interstate and that is why it is on there. GM says the exact same thing in the owners manual for the Colorado yet they have delivered multiple trucks to reviewers with the air dam off. I think they tell you that in the owners manual so people can't come back and complain they are not getting that 22mpg on the Interstate.

txchevy4ever · November 23, 2015

No cooling differences. Run slow in hot and humid east Texas in bogs as well as in the west Texas head. No cooling differences.

BigBadSierra · November 23, 2015

It is just for Aero and to reduce the millage. They actually made it easier to remove in case people needed it off.

soltys · November 23, 2015

I took mine off nicely before I ripped it off and it took other things out with it.

Took mine off a month after I got the truck and haven't had one issue in the two years since.

tnchevy · November 23, 2015

It is just for Aero and to reduce the millage. They actually made it easier to remove in case people needed it off.

???? I thought it was a pain in the butt to remove. Do you mean the 2016 models are easier to take off?

amxguy1970 · November 23, 2015

Your source is full of crap. People have taken them off of these trucks since they came out nearly 3 years ago with no problems. Tons of people running leveled trucks with and with out the front air dam and no overheating problems. The air dam will give you about 1 mpg better on the interstate and that is why it is on there. GM says the exact same thing in the owners manual for the Colorado yet they have delivered multiple trucks to reviewers with the air dam off. I think they tell you that in the owners manual so people can't come back and complain they are not getting that 22mpg on the Interstate.

Glad to know you work on the truck design, aerodynamic and cooling teams and have some insight. Since it is crap, can you shed some light on your reasoning behind this being an engineer with hands on experience? Not sure about the Silverado manual and what it says (I should probably go look) but the Colorado says it can mess up with the cooling.

On those trucks it creates a low pressure area and helps pull air through the radiator at highway speeds (not just putting around the city). Just because you haven't seen any effect doesn't mean it won't. It most likely was found by engineers testing a full load on the hitch in 105 degree weather pulling up a mountain at 10k feet elevation. Effectively the most extreme situation it was probably found enough to warrant a clause in the manual to cover their butt, so your mall duties won't reveal those conditions that warrant it.

Most anyone won't have any issue OP, and I am not sure if the Silverado/Sierra if it is even relevant (someone know if it says it in the manual like the Colorado twins?). But if you want a lesson on how those work check out the F-body's, they can overheat with their lower valence removed (there have been other vehciles the same way). Trucks usually don't see this because their cooling capacities are so large combined with large openings it usually is sufficient. But with MPG's and aero playing such a large role they are trying to close off the front ends as much as possible while still meeting their cooling requirements to increase mpg. This is one reason I wouldn't put a light bar in the lower opening of Colorado, it effectively closes off 1/3 of the cooling almost.

Thinking about it for these trucks it probably doesn't matter much. The valence under where the radiator is (the part that would create the low pressure area) is so small most of the valence is by the tires to direct air around and away from them. The Colorado on the other hand has a large valence right under the radiator, combined with much smaller cooling openings than the Colorado it probably isn't there for the same effect. But I didn't design the truck so I wouldn't know for sure, just a hunch.

Tyler

fondupot · November 23, 2015

???? I thought it was a pain in the butt to remove. Do you mean the 2016 models are easier to take off?

No, they are just bolted on. Pretty easy to get off.

I guess some the Colorado and Canyon ones are a PITA tho

StayInYourLayne · November 23, 2015

I am planning on leveling my truck anyway, so wouldn't that pretty much defeat any purpose of it anyway?

scott19677 · November 23, 2015

Glad to know you work on the truck design, aerodynamic and cooling teams and have some insight. Since it is crap, can you shed some light on your reasoning behind this being an engineer with hands on experience? Not sure about the Silverado manual and what it says (I should probably go look) but the Colorado says it can mess up with the cooling.

On those trucks it creates a low pressure area and helps pull air through the radiator at highway speeds (not just putting around the city). Just because you haven't seen any effect doesn't mean it won't. It most likely was found by engineers testing a full load on the hitch in 105 degree weather pulling up a mountain at 10k feet elevation. Effectively the most extreme situation it was probably found enough to warrant a clause in the manual to cover their butt, so your mall duties won't reveal those conditions that warrant it.

Most anyone won't have any issue OP, and I am not sure if the Silverado/Sierra if it is even relevant (someone know if it says it in the manual like the Colorado twins?). But if you want a lesson on how those work check out the F-body's, they can overheat with their lower valence removed (there have been other vehciles the same way). Trucks usually don't see this because their cooling capacities are so large combined with large openings it usually is sufficient. But with MPG's and aero playing such a large role they are trying to close off the front ends as much as possible while still meeting their cooling requirements to increase mpg. This is one reason I wouldn't put a light bar in the lower opening of Colorado, it effectively closes off 1/3 of the cooling almost.

Thinking about it for these trucks it probably doesn't matter much. The valence under where the radiator is (the part that would create the low pressure area) is so small most of the valence is by the tires to direct air around and away from them. The Colorado on the other hand has a large valence right under the radiator, combined with much smaller cooling openings than the Colorado it probably isn't there for the same effect. But I didn't design the truck so I wouldn't know for sure, just a hunch.

Tyler

This is what the air dam does. The designer of the Corvette came up with our new truck air dams after learning the benefits of the cut out section on MPG and aero efficiency in conjunction with the little aero spats on the rear wheel wells. NO those aren't backwards mud flaps. Tom Peters has plenty of vids on youtube.

tnchevy · November 23, 2015

Glad to know you work on the truck design, aerodynamic and cooling teams and have some insight. Since it is crap, can you shed some light on your reasoning behind this being an engineer with hands on experience? Not sure about the Silverado manual and what it says (I should probably go look) but the Colorado says it can mess up with the cooling.

On those trucks it creates a low pressure area and helps pull air through the radiator at highway speeds (not just putting around the city). Just because you haven't seen any effect doesn't mean it won't. It most likely was found by engineers testing a full load on the hitch in 105 degree weather pulling up a mountain at 10k feet elevation. Effectively the most extreme situation it was probably found enough to warrant a clause in the manual to cover their butt, so your mall duties won't reveal those conditions that warrant it.

Most anyone won't have any issue OP, and I am not sure if the Silverado/Sierra if it is even relevant (someone know if it says it in the manual like the Colorado twins?). But if you want a lesson on how those work check out the F-body's, they can overheat with their lower valence removed (there have been other vehciles the same way). Trucks usually don't see this because their cooling capacities are so large combined with large openings it usually is sufficient. But with MPG's and aero playing such a large role they are trying to close off the front ends as much as possible while still meeting their cooling requirements to increase mpg. This is one reason I wouldn't put a light bar in the lower opening of Colorado, it effectively closes off 1/3 of the cooling almost.

Thinking about it for these trucks it probably doesn't matter much. The valence under where the radiator is (the part that would create the low pressure area) is so small most of the valence is by the tires to direct air around and away from them. The Colorado on the other hand has a large valence right under the radiator, combined with much smaller cooling openings than the Colorado it probably isn't there for the same effect. But I didn't design the truck so I wouldn't know for sure, just a hunch.

Tyler

I am not an engineer by any means and sorry I rustled your feathers. If that is the case then it is bad engineering on GM's part. I also drive a F-150 on a daily basis for my work truck that has the front valence off and a big ol' brush guard with a winch on it covering up 1/3 of the grill. I drive the crap out of that truck and it has never once come close to over heating. Your right in saying it was put in their to cover their buts but for those of us that hunt or have other reasons to go off road then the air dam is going to come off one way or the other.

tnchevy · November 23, 2015

No, they are just bolted on. Pretty easy to get off.

I guess some the Colorado and Canyon ones are a PITA tho

I took mine off already and though it was not difficult it is still something I would not want to do on a weekly basis, especially during hunting season.

Horhay7 · November 23, 2015

Cooling the radiator oh good lord.

Completely 100% for MPG. Moving air away from the front tires and minimizing airflow under truck. Any type of plow hookup in the front requires it's removal as well, and any off-roading got to take that thing off unless you're just doing a slight dusty trail. Mine was taken off a while ago, makes the front end look great. took a hit about 0.5 MPG on the highway, nothing in city. I'm sure there's a CAFE test somewhere that loves it though