has anyone documented a mileage difference from having the lower front valance on the truck and removing it? i know a lot of 4x4 guys like the look of it removed but it's there for a reason. anyone know?

 

I'll bet you a beer it's only measurable by the whole "fleet," and not by one individual vehicle. Ever manufacturer has to think in terms of the effect on hundreds of thousands of vehicles, and if it makes a one-tenth difference in their CAFE they'll do it.

 

The lower front valance plays more than one role. By cutting down the amount of air the runs under the vehicle it does cut drag, but it also causes more air to be routed through the radiator; in some cases greatly aiding in the cooling ability of some vehicles. Trucks are no exception, but by the time you raise a vehicle so high in the air, such as the 4WD example you used, the air-dam does very little if anything. On some vehicles with marginally sized cooling systems, removing the air-dam can be just enough to push things over the edge and cause over-heating.

 

Our 4x4s all have it removed at work. We have overheating problems, but they are unrelated to the lower air dam as they all occur at low speeds (5-10mph in the summer when it's over 115 degrees). I don't know the mpg impact but I want to.

 

i didn't figure it would have to big of an effect. well said about effecting a manufactures entire fleet. hadn't really considered the overheating as i'm usually on the highway and the truck sits higher. i may try to do some comparisons. i love the way they look removed.

 

Mine was removed in the great flood of 08 in columbus indiana.. Waste deep water in my house.. pushed the valance right off..

I will say that highway miles on a 2wd is diff when lowered. I got about a mile per gallon savings by lowering my truck.. so i would assume it would be better if i had the valance, been meaning to get a new one but

NO CASH TREES!!!!

 

You might notice a small difference in fuel mileage... It's no guarantee, though...

If you don't have skid plates, you're more likely to notice something... Either wind resistance, fuel mileage, noise, or floating at higher speeds.

The skid plats help smooth the flow of air under the vehicle, as does lowering the truck.

 

got skid plates. i'm going to try and be nice to the truck for half a tank or so after fill up then remove valance refill tank and compare.

 

Good luck

 

thanks. may be a week or 2 but i'll post results.