Your video is very well done, I have a 2020 F350 diesel and I pull a 35’ 5th wheel trailer and mine still has the factory air dam. My son-in-law has the exact same truck and he cut 4” off of his air dam because he didn’t like the looks of it. We did a family road trip last year across the USA with him pulling almost the same size 5th wheel trailer and I was able to get 3/4 of a mile more per gallon than he did with trimmed air dam. The air dam definitely works.
I just got a 24 f250 and figured out real quick if you're worried about gas mileage, ya got the wrong vehicle, lol. However, it's honestly not much worse than my mustang gt or sasquatch bronco.
I did the same on my 22 f350 diesel, took of valence and put on Boss plow and put on the smaller 2020 tremor valence and trimmed it to fit around plow frame. Looks good. Avg 19 to 21mpg.
When you said this is not exact, you are correct. You started the first test reset odometer at 75 mph. The 2nd test the reset was 61 mph, so you had to accelerate 19mph to get up to cruising speed or an additional 14 mph, which is a lot more fuel wasted for the 2nd run. Thus lowering your MPG.
I appreciate your video. I must point out that with the air dam you reset your trip at 75 mph and without the air damn you reset the trip at a much lower speed. I think around 50 mph. It takes a lot of energy to get the truck up to speed and in only a 3 mile test, this difference will have a dramatic impact on your results. It would be interesting to see the results with a longer distance like 50 miles or so.
Awesome video. For me, a SD truck is a highway vehicle. It is designed to drag and haul heavy things. A front valance is not something that bothers me. If the truck was supposed to be an off road vehicle (where approach angle is important) I could understand people’s annoyance.
Lots of us off road our 4x4 F250 trucks for camping, fishing, hunting, etc. so yes that can be an issue. But to date I have never had any impact on mine. I do have 35" tires and a level so that could be why I am ok l. I'm too smart to do any rock crawling with it
Thanks DS... very interesting results. On my '17 F350 6.7L PS, I did my own mod and made my 4WD valance into a "Tremor" like size. Wonder if I only lost .5 mpg vice a whole 1 mpg since it is not completely removed.
First thing I did on my new 22 F150 was raise the front end 2". Hated that low front stinkbug look. Didnt make a bit of difference in gas mileage. If anything it made it better!
I have a 2020 XLT with the 7.3. I track mpg against the computer and have found that reality is consistently about 1 mpg lower than the computer. 14ish vs about 13ish over most driving conditions. 4WD. I’ll keep the air dam for now. Every bit helps 😊
Great video DS, really enjoy your channel as I also have a 2022 7.3 250 and agree that it is a great truck, definitely going to at least trim my air damn but to each their own!
Bought mine used. I broke it in less than a month driving on snowy roads. I hate having such a garbage approach angle. I guess I'll be removing for winter and putting on in the spring.
Aerodynamically the number governing variable for mpg on any vehicle is drag on tires. You'll likely see an ever larger difference in mpg if you redo the test using the same speeds as engineers probably use, which is around 55mph.
I removed my valance because I thought it looked terrible… I definitely noticed a decrease in mileage which surprised me… still not gonna put it back on cuz it looks so much better without it!
I cut mine down to 2 inches and saw no difference in mpg at all. I've driven from Nevada to AZ many times 3 hr drive each way with about 300 pounds in the bed and my mpg has always been around 12.5 mpg highway with it left at factory and when I trimmed it down I'm still at 12.5 mpg. I don't think it's there for fuel consumption I believe it's there to stop all the crud from the road and rain from getting underneath just my opinion but I don't know.
While I appreciate the effort... No scientific test is 3 miles... it would take thousands of miles to prove if it helped or hurt... or hours in a wind tunnel using data on drag and aero.
Some have eluded to the the cooling effects and YES, it does have an effect. More negative pressure behind the radiator the more airflow through the radiator at a given speed. Trailer towing, you need that extra cooling especially in the deserts 100 plus degree temperatures. Some testing for longer range on 1/2 ton trucks have shown up to 4 mpg difference with the air dams complete removal.
No, I’m a certified aerodynamicist. Spent 6 years at ITT to attain that certification. The air dam has nothing to do with air flow to the radiator. Trust me, I’m a certified Aerodynamacist.
@@turkfebruary5836 Not everything works on the road as in the lab. Case in point; 2018 Colorado ZR2 (off-road) has a smaller air-dam than the non off-road truck. The towing capacity is reduced 2000 pounds also over the non off-road truck. I reached out to GM Technical Service and the reply was not as efficient engine cooling with the smaller air-dam. Air-dam's also prevent 'lift' and 'turbulences' from air movement under the vehicle. Watch a race car on the track and you will see air-dam's crapping the ground.
The thing I don’t like about the air dam is how it makes maintenance harder. I have a suspension clunk and when I try to investigate I can hardly fit my head under to diagnose.
I wish the dealer who installs my plows would just notch it out instead of taking it off and throwing it in the bed. I suppose I could do it easy enough but I agree, it does look bad when its not there. Those crash bar things look interesting, I wonder if they need to come off when a plow is installed. I watched your video when Aaron put together your Fisher on the 450 and mine being a 22 450 I hope a Western will fit without modifying anything.
You stared the second test at a much lower speed when you reset the computer and had to accelerate more to get it up to speed that is what impacted your mpg the most
I wonder if removing the valance lowers oil temps cause your blowing more air to the oil cooler? Stock truck it looks fine, but a 4" lift on 37's had to remove it and add 2wd valance along without crash bars.
I lost mileage on my 92 S10 when I removed it. I can not remember the year but that is what is was added for. They wouldn’t waste the time research and money to add it if it did not work.
Very interesting video. I never even really bothered to think about that valance. I have a 17 6.7 but I don't drive it enough to pay attention to the mpg. It's mainly for towing my toy hauler. I'm sure my truck wouldn't care if that valance is there or not when towing my toy hauler lol. Anyway, thanks for the video. I want to do my own test now that you got me interested lol.
I removed the valance from my GMC canyon .. purchased used .. it was cracked .. the truck looks better and there is no difference in gas mileage.. personal I don't know why they design truck with high ride then and air damns to improve air flow.. didn't build them so high
I have no idea exactly how much fuel the front air dam saves. What I do know is my old 7.3 PSD got 15.3 MPG on its best day at 55MPH on cruise control in the flats. My 2021 6.7 PSD on cruise control in the same flats gets 15MPG when towing at 70MPH and 22 when on cruise, not towing, at 70MPH. Frankly, I don’t care what the front air dam looks like, I’m keeping it when I see mileage like this.
@@jesses1519 the nice thing is that the newer 10 speed transmissions also have a Eco mode which significantly reduces the DEF usage. I go through half a tank of Def every 3,000 miles or so. Now when it’s in tow haul mode, the def definitely gets sucked down at a rate of about half a tank every 1000 miles. And the MPG drops to roughly 13 ish.
I never heard that it was about gas mileage, I heard that those are a safety feature and have to be on the trucks to help prevent smaller car from travelling under the truck in an accident. Awhile back I spoke to insurance and if you modify the front of a vehicle, they will not insure vehicle and if you do, you will not be covered in an accident. I spoke to State DOT and they mentioned that if you modify the front of the vehicle, they will change the title to "Rebuilt" then you will have a hard time selling and insuring the vehicle.
@@justingolden Don't forget that the bumper regs are different for each State and generally follow the 16"-20" Fed regs. Trimming or taking that off would hold you responsible in any accident.
@@justingolden the rectangle things hanging down are not for a crash safety reasons. they are for transport only. they are not on 2wheel drive or the tremors.
Thanks for watching - Share the video.
It does a good job keeping the salt spray off the underside too
meh, I doubt it does much for that. Your wheels are kicking salt everywhere anyway. If it's needed for that, why isn't it on a tremor?
@user-qt5eh9wb7g i was referring to salt spray kicked up by other cars on the highway. It blocks a lot or it from hitting the front suspension parts.
Your video is very well done, I have a 2020 F350 diesel and I pull a 35’ 5th wheel trailer and mine still has the factory air dam. My son-in-law has the exact same truck and he cut 4” off of his air dam because he didn’t like the looks of it. We did a family road trip last year across the USA with him pulling almost the same size 5th wheel trailer and I was able to get 3/4 of a mile more per gallon than he did with trimmed air dam. The air dam definitely works.
I use a 2014 f250 long bed extended cab with the 6.2L gasser as my daily driver. Gas milage is trash but I love my truck!
I just got a 24 f250 and figured out real quick if you're worried about gas mileage, ya got the wrong vehicle, lol. However, it's honestly not much worse than my mustang gt or sasquatch bronco.
@user-qt5eh9wb7g They eat gas fast. Haha!
I own 22 f250. Thanks for taking the time to this test and give us the results. I wonder if anybody ever tried painting it to match the truck?
Yes. That has been done
I did the same on my 22 f350 diesel, took of valence and put on Boss plow and put on the smaller 2020 tremor valence and trimmed it to fit around plow frame. Looks good. Avg 19 to 21mpg.
When you said this is not exact, you are correct. You started the first test reset odometer at 75 mph. The 2nd test the reset was 61 mph, so you had to accelerate 19mph to get up to cruising speed or an additional 14 mph, which is a lot more fuel wasted for the 2nd run. Thus lowering your MPG.
I appreciate your video. I must point out that with the air dam you reset your trip at 75 mph and without the air damn you reset the trip at a much lower speed. I think around 50 mph. It takes a lot of energy to get the truck up to speed and in only a 3 mile test, this difference will have a dramatic impact on your results. It would be interesting to see the results with a longer distance like 50 miles or so.
I was gonna say the same thing.. test was skewed when the lower valance was removed..
Awesome video. For me, a SD truck is a highway vehicle. It is designed to drag and haul heavy things. A front valance is not something that bothers me. If the truck was supposed to be an off road vehicle (where approach angle is important) I could understand people’s annoyance.
Lots of us off road our 4x4 F250 trucks for camping, fishing, hunting, etc. so yes that can be an issue. But to date I have never had any impact on mine. I do have 35" tires and a level so that could be why I am ok l. I'm too smart to do any rock crawling with it
I was considering cutting it down to a depth of 2”. Thanks!!
That's excatly what I did...I saw no difference on fuel. My mpg has remained the same and it looks alot better.
Thanks DS... very interesting results. On my '17 F350 6.7L PS, I did my own mod and made my 4WD valance into a "Tremor" like size. Wonder if I only lost .5 mpg vice a whole 1 mpg since it is not completely removed.
First thing I did on my new 22 F150 was raise the front end 2".
Hated that low front stinkbug look. Didnt make a bit of difference in gas mileage. If anything it made it better!
I like the look of the tremor valance better than the massive ones put on
190 bucks for the tremor one much better look
@@Patriot-pq1ku search for the video of the guy that cut his. Looks exactly the same, free, and took him maybe a half hour total...
I have a 2020 XLT with the 7.3. I track mpg against the computer and have found that reality is consistently about 1 mpg lower than the computer. 14ish vs about 13ish over most driving conditions. 4WD. I’ll keep the air dam for now. Every bit helps 😊
The people that get the bigger tires (90% never see off road) are trashing their MPG anyway and probably dont care.
Maybe they plow
You’re right, I don’t care.
I swapped mine for a tremor valence, the mpg difference is not noticeable.
Yep me too on my 2024 with the 7.3
Great video DS, really enjoy your channel as I also have a 2022 7.3 250 and agree that it is a great truck, definitely going to at least trim my air damn but to each their own!
Bought mine used. I broke it in less than a month driving on snowy roads. I hate having such a garbage approach angle. I guess I'll be removing for winter and putting on in the spring.
Would be interesting to see if you also removed the KIA Catchers and added a 2WD and/or Tremor valance
Aerodynamically the number governing variable for mpg on any vehicle is drag on tires. You'll likely see an ever larger difference in mpg if you redo the test using the same speeds as engineers probably use, which is around 55mph.
I removed my valance because I thought it looked terrible… I definitely noticed a decrease in mileage which surprised me… still not gonna put it back on cuz it looks so much better without it!
Tremor valance?
I put the smaller tremor one on and removed the one that looks like a snow plow!
I cut mine down to 2 inches and saw no difference in mpg at all. I've driven from Nevada to AZ many times 3 hr drive each way with about 300 pounds in the bed and my mpg has always been around 12.5 mpg highway with it left at factory and when I trimmed it down I'm still at 12.5 mpg. I don't think it's there for fuel consumption I believe it's there to stop all the crud from the road and rain from getting underneath just my opinion but I don't know.
While I appreciate the effort...
No scientific test is 3 miles... it would take thousands of miles to prove if it helped or hurt... or hours in a wind tunnel using data on drag and aero.
@@deal492 Lol, got it professor....
You went 80mph with it on, with it off you went 70mph? Whats the point if your not gonna do it right
Some have eluded to the the cooling effects and YES, it does have an effect. More negative pressure behind the radiator the more airflow through the radiator at a given speed. Trailer towing, you need that extra cooling especially in the deserts 100 plus degree temperatures. Some testing for longer range on 1/2 ton trucks have shown up to 4 mpg difference with the air dams complete removal.
No, I’m a certified aerodynamicist. Spent 6 years at ITT to attain that certification. The air dam has nothing to do with air flow to the radiator. Trust me, I’m a certified Aerodynamacist.
Lol, if that were true wouldn't it be on every truck? Yes, it would. Your point is heard, but I find it silly.
@@turkfebruary5836 Not everything works on the road as in the lab. Case in point; 2018 Colorado ZR2 (off-road) has a smaller air-dam than the non off-road truck. The towing capacity is reduced 2000 pounds also over the non off-road truck. I reached out to GM Technical Service and the reply was not as efficient engine cooling with the smaller air-dam. Air-dam's also prevent 'lift' and 'turbulences' from air movement under the vehicle. Watch a race car on the track and you will see air-dam's crapping the ground.
The thing I don’t like about the air dam is how it makes maintenance harder. I have a suspension clunk and when I try to investigate I can hardly fit my head under to diagnose.
I wish the dealer who installs my plows would just notch it out instead of taking it off and throwing it in the bed. I suppose I could do it easy enough but I agree, it does look bad when its not there. Those crash bar things look interesting, I wonder if they need to come off when a plow is installed. I watched your video when Aaron put together your Fisher on the 450 and mine being a 22 450 I hope a Western will fit without modifying anything.
Yes it will. I did a updated video.
th-cam.com/video/xxdaCG0Jptc/w-d-xo.html
I got rid of mine on the 2024 f250 an it didn't make any difference on my gas mileage it's just for high speed stability
You stared the second test at a much lower speed when you reset the computer and had to accelerate more to get it up to speed that is what impacted your mpg the most
I put a 2019 f250 bumper on my on 97f250 and I definitely really a difference
This was a 2k mile trip
Excellent info ds trucks
My 94 Silverado has it. It must do something
I wonder if removing the valance lowers oil temps cause your blowing more air to the oil cooler? Stock truck it looks fine, but a 4" lift on 37's had to remove it and add 2wd valance along without crash bars.
Probably. If more air is hitting the cooler
Took mine off and added Temor spoiler.. didn't notice a difference in gas at all.
I lost mileage on my 92 S10 when I removed it. I can not remember the year but that is what is was added for.
They wouldn’t waste the time research and money to add it if it did not work.
Fold in the mirrors on the Hi-way 70 to 75 mph it makes a diffrence in the MPG more than the valance?
I bet it would🤔
Very interesting video. I never even really bothered to think about that valance. I have a 17 6.7 but I don't drive it enough to pay attention to the mpg. It's mainly for towing my toy hauler. I'm sure my truck wouldn't care if that valance is there or not when towing my toy hauler lol. Anyway, thanks for the video. I want to do my own test now that you got me interested lol.
I noticed while you were driving you had to keep the wheel slightly to the right so I'm thinking you might need a front end alignment. Great video
Crowning road
It also has to do with cooling also..
I just ordered the Tremor valance as well.. I just can’t take the look of all that plastic.
Dude love the channel keep it up. My thought you don’t buy a super duty for the fuel economy, better would 😊
took mine off my '19 F150 and didn't get any worse mileage.
I lost 1 Mpg with my 6.7 when I went to the 2wd valance. I thought I was crazy but obviously I knew my truck.
Does it seem like the truck wonders? I noticed the truck starting to feel like it wanders a little more
@@DS-TRUCKS how fast do you drive?!
@@JeepCherokeeful was going 80
I removed the valance from my GMC canyon .. purchased used .. it was cracked .. the truck looks better and there is no difference in gas mileage.. personal I don't know why they design truck with high ride then and air damns to improve air flow.. didn't build them so high
Hello, which rear end axle do you have?
4.30
good video! I dont notice my front air damn anymore.
I might go down and see some of those mods you getting tomorrow
@@DS-TRUCKS I get a cut ✂️ in the action?
@@Uncle_Fester24 Gordon gets a cut.
@@DS-TRUCKS he always gets a cut!
Cool..
Aerodynamics and fuel economy is my guess
What engine is that truck
7.3 gozilla
@@DS-TRUCKS nice i came from 6.2 to 6.7 power stroke. Your 7.3 similar mpg to 6.2 but 6.2 needs more power my 6.7 23 hwy at 65 70 no need for 80
3.73 gears thanks for the reply
@@royj9241 4.30 gears.
You need to do a pump test not the computer. Tfl already proved this. They went from 23mpg to 17 in a controlled test.
Whoa....truck got better mpg at 70mph than 80 mph? Go figure......
Not a true test. You didn't put am air damn on. A smaller one and left the crash protectors on.
Looks much better with front valance on.
It's just about looks
Two miles to the gallon less if take off
I'm looking for one for my 2016 F250. Anyone want to give me theirs. Lol
I'm on long Island NY
I have no idea exactly how much fuel the front air dam saves. What I do know is my old 7.3 PSD got 15.3 MPG on its best day at 55MPH on cruise control in the flats.
My 2021 6.7 PSD on cruise control in the same flats gets 15MPG when towing at 70MPH and 22 when on cruise, not towing, at 70MPH.
Frankly, I don’t care what the front air dam looks like, I’m keeping it when I see mileage like this.
❤️
Till the DEF kicks in and drops to 12 mpg then your average mpg plummets
@@jesses1519 the nice thing is that the newer 10 speed transmissions also have a Eco mode which significantly reduces the DEF usage.
I go through half a tank of Def every 3,000 miles or so.
Now when it’s in tow haul mode, the def definitely gets sucked down at a rate of about half a tank every 1000 miles. And the MPG drops to roughly 13 ish.
I thought the valence had more to do with engine and tranny cooling than anything else!!!!!
Engine cooling?
Just gonna get this thing caught on a stump in the woods.
Lol.
Amazing maybe not sientic but that’s dramatic!
The reason you get tailgated is you seem to travel in the left lane and only move over when you get to your exit.
I never heard that it was about gas mileage, I heard that those are a safety feature and have to be on the trucks to help prevent smaller car from travelling under the truck in an accident. Awhile back I spoke to insurance and if you modify the front of a vehicle, they will not insure vehicle and if you do, you will not be covered in an accident. I spoke to State DOT and they mentioned that if you modify the front of the vehicle, they will change the title to "Rebuilt" then you will have a hard time selling and insuring the vehicle.
Interesting
the 2 black rectangle crash bars under the bumper after he took off the air dam are there for that reason, not the air dam it's self.
@@justingolden Don't forget that the bumper regs are different for each State and generally follow the 16"-20" Fed regs. Trimming or taking that off would hold you responsible in any accident.
@@justingolden the rectangle things hanging down are not for a crash safety reasons. they are for transport only. they are not on 2wheel drive or the tremors.
The engineers have a reason for the design of their products, those people have studied the aerodynamics trucks , learn from them😊
Then why isn't it on the tremor? The 2wd?
Terrible test. Those are not "crash bars" Those are assembly line connection brackets. Don't quit yur day job.
Ohhhh
Soo that's what they OFFICIALLY are!
My assumption is the Chin Spoiler aids Airflow through Radiator.
🤔 maybe
It does not allow as much airflow under the truck, thus creating turbulence/drag.