so this is a "air dam"?

[95astrovan]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

most other passenger cars dont have air dams because most cars have this nifty little invention called a "grille". This tricky little device allows an opening in the front of the vehicle for air to flow in...ours really dont amount to much as far as air flow, so we got those nifty, and in my opinion pretty cool lookin little air dams...

bunches of vehicles have em, theyre just hidden by the front fascia, or blend into the fascia...my Dad's Caddy has a grille big enough to facilitate a Southern Baptist Church homecoming, yet it too has an air dam...

Air Dams FTW!!!:rock: i wish we had a smiley of a guy playin a lil guitar :naughty:

[Blue02]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

Since you mention it, I know a guy that has had his off for over two months, driving an '02 Camaro. It is winter here... and No, since I've been educated about it now, I wouldn't advise running without it in the summer.
As far as Jumpinthefire's problem goes, I seriously doubt that is it.
I'll remind Tim to put his back on too as I agree with Smoke in that I wouldn't expect the Fans to do All of the cooling under harsh conditions.

[zlexiss]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

It's all about air pressure.

Aside from from the direct effect of pushing air up to the radiator, even some cars that take in air from the grill have them. The dam, by blocking air, creates an area of low pressure behind the radiator which helps suck air through.

[Den69RS96]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

If your car doesn't overheat without the air dam, then most likely your fans are running constantly. In older cars and some trucks today, they used a clutch fan to draw air in through the grill. They most likely had a fan shroud behind the radiator so it would pull the air through the radiator. The clutches were designed to disengage at highway speeds to reduce the hp draw. When idling there is not enough air flow, so they were spinning, but as rpms increase the fans spin less and less. Most cars today don't use clutch fans as electric ones are more efficient, use less hp, and control temps better for emissions etc. Still electric fans can not compare to air flow from the air damn.

[nightrider2]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

cause our cars don't have large grills like most cars...and with out the air dam you WILL have problems...my 94 ran at 205 with the fan hot wired. it WILL break you car

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

i dont know, but i'm kinda with blue02. i didn't have my air dam in for two weeks or so and didn't notice a difference at all. i dont race or anything so it's not like i push my car to it's limits soooo...

Well now that I think of it, I did do an unfair comparison. The cars I was talking about were all 3rd gens, V8's and located in Florida. But in all fairness, without it, transmissions died...

[JumpInTheFire.com]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

i went and took the air dam off of my 97 camaro (since i'm not driving it right now)..and i went to put it on my 98 firebird. and i noticed theres screws already in the holes. so i kept looking and looking.. and it already has a air dam.. but its upside down. the rough scratched up part is pointing up. i already knew it was wrecked in the front..so i guess the person put it on backwards..without knowing. so i gotta reverse the 98 firebird air dam and put my 97 camaro air dam back on.

[97rs4life]

Re: so this is a "air dam"?

i went and took the air dam off of my 97 camaro (since i'm not driving it right now)..and i went to put it on my 98 firebird. and i noticed theres screws already in the holes. so i kept looking and looking.. and it already has a air dam.. but its upside down. the rough scratched up part is pointing up. i already knew it was wrecked in the front..so i guess the person put it on backwards..without knowing. so i gotta reverse the 98 firebird air dam and put my 97 camaro air dam back on.

lol, what a tool to put it on upside down, :)