Air dam removal

19793 Views 35 Replies 19 Participants Last post by RollyPollieBenito, Dec 23, 2019

Trplxl2

Discussion Starter · Sep 6, 2016

Automotive exterior Vehicle Bumper Automotive tire Car

Motor vehicle Vehicle Bumper Auto part Wheel

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Bumper Automotive exterior

I removed my air dam today on my 2016 Colorado, took me about two hours total. You will need a 1/4" drive ratchet with 7mm and 10mm socket, and a t10 torx socket. There are 6 torx screws in each wheel well liner to be removed, so that you can access the fender screws. 6 torx screws in the top of the grill, two 10mm screws in the front of the bumper recessed. Three 7mm screws holding the bumper to each of the fenders, and four torx screws on the underside of the bumper. You do not need to take the headlights out for this, there is a how to video on YouTube that details this more if you don't like this post lol!

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TERNARYTEACHER

· #2 · Sep 6, 2016

man I wish you would have asked before you went to the trouble lol. you don't have to remove the entire bumper. if you start at the wheel wells and pull the bottom 4 screws in each wheel well, you can push the air dam down and remove them with a ratchet and a magnetic bit that will stay in. takes about an hour less time. looks good though man. is it orange or red?

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Trplxl2

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 7, 2016

Orange, but It does look red in the pictures. I'm glad I learned how to take the bumper off though, because I know I'll be doing lighting upgrades down the road.

TERNARYTEACHER

· #4 · Sep 7, 2016

Yeah, I've been looking for lights. I got cyber gray, wish I would've went orange. I think it'd the best looking color on them

Ottomaddick

· #5 · Sep 10, 2016

Trplxl2 said:
View attachment 377
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I removed my air dam today on my 2016 Colorado, took me about two hours total. You will need a 1/4" drive ratchet with 7mm and 10mm socket, and a t10 torx socket. There are 6 torx screws in each wheel well liner to be removed, so that you can access the fender screws. 6 torx screws in the top of the grill, two 10mm screws in the front of the bumper recessed. Three 7mm screws holding the bumper to each of the fenders, and four torx screws on the underside of the bumper. You do not need to take the headlights out for this, there is a how to video on YouTube that details this more if you don't like this post lol!

Could you post a picture from ground level or level with the bottom of the bumper? I am interested to see how much suspension is visible.

TERNARYTEACHER

· #6 · Sep 10, 2016

Kinda sucky pic but all I could get. It's a pretty big difference side by side

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Ottomaddick

· #7 · Sep 11, 2016

TERNARYTEACHER said:
Kinda sucky pic but all I could get. It's a pretty big difference side by side

Thanks. I am not sold on removing it yet. I might be once the color starts to fade.

SteveLNew

· #8 · Feb 26, 2017

Is there any point to removing it? Clearance or Just for looks?
Is there any negative sides to removing it... Like over heating?

Donald

· #9 · Feb 27, 2017

SteveLNew said:
Is there any point to removing it? Clearance or Just for looks?
Is there any negative sides to removing it... Like over heating?

One member posted a 4mpg loss from removal.
IMO looks aren't worth 4mpg unless it's a lift.

SteveLNew

· #10 · Mar 1, 2017

I have a hard time imagining a 4MPG loss from removing the air dam.
How would it effect it that much?

Donald

· #11 · Mar 1, 2017

Airflow is everything. Manufacturers spend millions to improve airflow. It's probably not that far off. That just what one user posted, YMMV.

Burgess159

· #12 · Mar 1, 2017

SteveLNew said:
I have a hard time imagining a 4MPG loss from removing the air dam.
How would it effect it that much?

Haven't you seen the semi trailers with the hub cap covers and things on the back of the doors and the skirts on the bottom of the trailers. That's all the same thing. Trying to decrease drag. I could see losing 4 mpg from removing it. I don't know much about drag and wind resistence, but I would say that air dam keeping wind from getting under the truck would really help.

SteveLNew

· #13 · Mar 1, 2017

I'm not saying it's impossible... I just think it highly unlikely to lose 4mpg's (unless it like a parachute under your truck which I guess could be)

I know this has been a topic for years on car and trucks. Most air dams where designed to force air to the radiator.
On sports cars, exotic cars, and race cars, It's to block air from going under the vehicle. Sometimes it helps apply downward force to the vehicle.
You wouldn't think air under our trucks would hurt much. I guess we will see. lolol
I sure hope we don't lose 4mpg's from that.

Most people on the other forums have said they lost a half mpg, or even gained some mpg's.
I guess I will have to find out myself. If I have some confirm data I will definitely post it. I go on my 1st long drive with it this weekend for drill.
So I will have to get a few baselines 1st. Well sort of baselines... My lift and tires are being applied as I type this. So that's going to hurt my mileage as well.

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SteveLNew

· #14 · Mar 1, 2017

Burgess159 said:
Haven't you seen the semi trailers with the hub cap covers and things on the back of the doors and the skirts on the bottom of the trailers. That's all the same thing. Trying to decrease drag. I could see losing 4 mpg from removing it. I don't know much about drag and wind resistence, but I would say that air dam keeping wind from getting under the truck would really help.

I understand that about Semi Trucks... But when you have a truck that get approximately 6 miles per gallon... Every bit helps. But even with big rigs. They get maybe a half mile per gallon more... But when you are talking about a truck that hold almost 200-300 gallons... That half MPG goes further.

4 MPG's a gallon seems really high to me that's all. (for removing the air dam)

Skrow

· #15 · Mar 2, 2017

Wasn't the member on this forum that posted the 4mph loss also the guy who put the 6" lift on with 33"/35" tires?

I'm not sure if his truck was reprogrammed for the tire change as well. I'm sure with the lift there would be a loss in mpg. I'm not too concerned about removing my air dam. I just need to get a spacer kit for the front to level it out. Ideally I'd like to put a lift on, but that is something down the road.

SteveLNew

· #16 · Mar 2, 2017

Skrow said:
Wasn't the member on this forum that posted the 4mph loss also the guy who put the 6" lift on with 33"/35" tires?

I'm not sure if his truck was reprogrammed for the tire change as well. I'm sure with the lift there would be a loss in mpg. I'm not too concerned about removing my air dam. I just need to get a spacer kit for the front to level it out. Ideally I'd like to put a lift on, but that is something down the road.

I'm not sure... Could be, but they claimed a 4mpg loss from removing the air dam.

I was planning on just a front leveling kit as well... But my new tires wouldn't fit... ( I was told they would ) Not even close.
So instead of going down to a 31" or a 32" tire. (because I wanted a lift done next year as well)
My wife said go ahead and get the full lift. So... I went with a 5" lift with my 33" tires. Should be done today. ( I hope )

I want a programmer, but that's going to have to wait... I spent a lot of money on wheels, Tires, and a lift.
2 lifts really because I had to pay $200 for the leveling kit to be put on also. He did say he would give me back my money for the spacer. ($90)

SteveLNew

· #17 · Mar 2, 2017

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Tire

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Tire

Just the leveling kit with tires that won't fit

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Rockcrawlerdude

· #18 · Mar 10, 2017

Lol you don't have to take the whole dam (pun intended) bumper off the truck to get those bolts out. That's quite dramatized. use a 1/4" ratchet and the appropriate torx bit to remove the bolts, then flip the tinnerman clips on the two that hang down like fangs afterward and then you're done.

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smthng

· #19 · Jun 21, 2017

Agreed with @Rockcrawlerdude ... a small ratchet and torx bit was how I got mine out. Admittedly it took a while and it was literally one "click" on the ratchet at a time, but that was still easier than taking the front off, IMO.

4 MPG seems a bit of an overstatement unless you're averaging about 90 mph.

My average is currently around 28 MPG and I've had it off for almost a year.

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SteveLNew

· #20 · Jun 21, 2017

I think it took me literally 15 minutes to do with a torx bit and a small wrench that fit the torx bit.
(and a small piece of wood to hold back the air damn in a couple of places)

After my lift I was getting 24 mpg's on the Hwy.
After taking the Air Dam off, it dropped to... Well... 24 mpg's.
It had absolutely no effect on my MPG's

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