How Much Does This Little Known Aero Device Really Affect a Truck's Fuel Economy- Let’s Find Out!

[@treewino]

The most surprising thing was you actually had a 10mm socket.

[@williamhadley1580]

Don't kid yourself they just bought it.

[@joesrvhome]

Bought a new one specifically to replace the lost one out of every set.... ha!

[@MrSGL21]

Haha I was thinking that too!

[@gunlover1955]

lol

[@DeltaSierra426]

Come on, who doesn't have a 10-20mm 8 or 10-piece socket set these days? 20 years ago, yeah, I'd pop off the line, but today? Nah. Even most domestics in the past 10 years or so are about 50/50 or even more metric than imperial.

[@running_rich]

Chin spoilers can easily be deleted by driving through an icy snowbank the plow leaves at the end of your driveway. I've removed them ever since.

[@Jeremiah_Johnson139]

Nathan and Andre doing videos again! It's like old-school TFL!

[@christianalex3696]

I have a 2015 f150 with a 5.0, stock suspension. I had removed that spoiler during hunting season and instantly noticed my mpgs dropping 3 or 4. Put it back on and they went back up.

[@Mannievh]

Wow. I have the same truck and tow daily an enclosed trailer. Averaging 11.4 mpg with it. I’m trying to maximize my fuel efficiency as much as possible.

[@fl_atv_riders4455]

My 15 silverado dropped 4 mpg with a leveling kit 33s and removing the spoiler

[@ronniegillaspy]

@@Mannievh Get an f250

[@JO3BID3N-is-a-P3D0]

11.4 mpg 😂😂😂😂

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

'17 F150 5.0.... 19 mpg city... 22, 23 mpg strictly highway. Calculated at the pump. Gotta drive like I drive boys... like a little old lady! (Not the one from Pasadena btw) 👵

[@UnkleAL1962]

in 1989 I bought a brand new Dodge Dakota. I drove it for a while and then put on a bug deflector - in those days they stood straight up with no curves - with this seemingly harmless addition, I lost 2mpg. My uncle didn't believe it - so he tested his own truck with one on, and off, and had the same result.

[@OldSinclair]

Do those things even work?🤨

[@ryanhessler8966]

@@OldSinclair not sure about the straight old school style, but I would say the weather tech one i have for my 2019 f-150 made a difference. I drive country roads every day to work and back at 55mph. It has definitely cut down on how often I have to clean the windshield. Big bugs still hit, but my windshield constantly looks better than my wife's does on her car

[@OldSinclair]

@@ryanhessler8966 thank youuuu, I live by a river and the gulf so bugs are bothering me on the freeway 😂

[@UnkleAL1962]

@@ryanhessler8966 I have a new one on my SUV since 2021 - mainly I have it as it pokes up just enough at the end of the hood to give a reference point to where the hood ends which I like for some reason, but it also helps with the small bugs like you say. Big ones can still hit mainly the top portion of windshield.

[@johnwebster9312]

I drive a 2001 Dodge Dakota V6, fantastic truck

[@wilmarbarrick3194]

Not surprising. I (like everyone else) complain about engineers and bean counters but they really aren't clueless. A $50 dollar part on a product run of 100K units is 5M. Now multiply over all other products produced that year... Now multiply by the number of years a product was in production. Numbers get big fast. They don't put things on frivolously.

[@sfcjerryharris]

F150's has a huge chin spoiler

[@Kenneth_R]

Also why they nickle and dime suppliers even on key parts and then we are stuck with a cheap truck that cost a lot of money. Manufacturers always push the limit... down.

[@clarkstonguy1065]

@ Wilmar Barrik This for sure, it was a foregone conclusion. However, they can't do a head to head towing test on the Ike Gauntlet every day and if a little contrived drama on these puff pieces draws in views that help finance the hard core evaluations I am mostly ok with it. Importantly, they did come to correct conclusion in the end.

[@wutang80oc39]

Engineers arent clueless, customers are, they want all these high tech additions but a cheaper car, so engineers figure out how to give the customers a cheaper more high tech car, but at the cost of reliability, you cant have a high tech high performance car, that is reliable, gets great MPGs and is cheap. People dont realize that a 25K car in 1995 is a 48K car today, a 1997 camaro SS started at 24K in 97 but starts at 37K for a 2021 so cars are cheaper today for the most part

[@slomotrainwreck]

I'm old enough to remember Dodge trucks stock OEM exhaust systems would be doing really good if it lasted 2 years before they completely rusted off of the truck. Somebody saved the company a fortune by sourcing the cheapest exhaust system materials.

[@sha6mm]

My two favorite Reviewers ! I value there opinions highly. My last three pickup trucks I took it off just for ground clearance for off road. Guess I should of put it back on in the summer.

[@MrRGiller]

Me too. I like these two as my favorite reviewers.

[@Dsmpunk59]

Yep., And The Tommy and Andre Duo is good too. Anything to keep Roman from in front of the camera.

[@scarhart53]

Where opinions??? Should of???

[@andrewrivera3748]

I love these real world tests. Please keep these tests going!

[@basket1734]

had a Tacoma with the spoiler removed... hit some 50 mph quartering wind gusts at about 10 O'clock, killed the handling on the truck. Kept blowing me out of the lane when i was over 70mph; put the spoiler back on, and the truck felt much more planted and safe going highway speeds into a quartering wind. With a straight head wind, the handing wasn't effected nearly as MUST

[@willb1242]

it’s a good point. It does make a difference to highway stability.

[@paulhunter9613]

Wow, I'm surprised a 4” wide piece of plastic air damn upsets the handling of a 4000+ truck

[@5G4R]

Being sponsored by a gas company is probably one of the best sponsors you could want. Its free gas!

[@stampede230]

I use to work a lot with Sinclair and only got a free Dino stuffed animal. Lol. They were a great customer though.

[@qo2rj]

Always great to see Nathan! -And great video, a real world test of a common question.

[@SteveH98264]

Years ago I owned an 84 Chevrolet C20. I added the chin spoiler from a K10 (it was larger than the C10 spoiler) and picked up nearly 2 MPG.

[@mendonesiac]

I've been driving my '98 Chevy 1500 for 15 years, and I've kept that crappy air dam on there because I know the engineers were trying to save me $$$ and this truck needs all the help it can get for better mileage. I'm glad to know my thinking was correct!

[@TheCamper83]

Andre's humility always comes shining through! So pleasing to see how he is always the most humble!!!!

[@jasoncheeseman8154]

I put a 2 inch lift on and removed chin spoiler on 12 ram with a hemi lost 3 mpg

[@BrookerDynamics]

Great test. Everyone complains about these and removes them, but it provides a major improvement for drag, like you've shown here.

[@MoparG_73]

I have a '21 Laramie hemi with 3.92 gears. Was getting around 18mpg. Removed the chin and active chin for about a month because of some off roading we were doing. Went down to around 16mpg. I thought that was huge but 4mpg!?! Dang! Great video as always Andre and Nathan!

[@gagelight6939]

18-16=2

[@BeatonLS6]

@@gagelight6939 A+ for math skills, D- for reading comprehension. He was saying he thought the 2mpg drop was a lot, but the 4mpg drop in the video (22-18 for you math wizards) was huge.

[@acdii]

About the same percentage wise though. 18 -16 is about a 12% drop, 22-18 is about an 18% drop, so about a 5% difference. However, take note that he did say the wind picked up during the second test, which can add at least a 2-3% increase.

[@rohinhans7819]

@@acdiihe original commenter probably had some city driving as well. In this video only highway driving was tested. I’d assume that’s where the difference comes from, and from being a v8

[@ronedelenbos272]

I'd love to see a test where the front airdam or spoiler is lowered. Maybe add another 2" extention to the existing spoiler Love this stuff. Every extra mpg pays your back.

[@JacobWinkle]

That's what I was thinking also. Longer air dam to see if it improves or not.

[@peterlarson8932]

I agree with the result, total is surprising. Wind will have a big effect. An old thought experiment: A 100 mph airplane on a round trip without stopping, 50 miles each way, one hour without wind. Same trip the next day with a 50 mph tailwind out bound and same 50 mph straight on the nose headwind on return. How much time? 1 hour and 20 minutes.

[@mitchwinder1204]

I have a 2014. A deer hit me several years back. I had to go without my spoiler for about a week while the body shop was waiting for some parts. My average was down a good 2-3 MPGs as well.

[@charlesortega7435]

Was the deer driving recklessly?

[@mitchwinder1204]

@@charlesortega7435 Yes. I watched him fly off the front of a Toyota sedan in the opposing lane, and into ME. Didn’t even try to avoid me.

[@AdventureRocks]

Thank you for running this. Very surprising, didn't expect that big of a difference.

[@wheelerdealer2105]

Idea for you: Find out if anyone makes a quick steering for a pick-up. If not why not. To me that wold be the biggest improvement to be made for a truck. Three turns or so lock to lock is just too slow... Good work on the videos.

[@JustinKingOffroad]

i took the chin spoiler off the power wagon and saw zero fuel economy change. but picked up a ton of approach angle lol!

[@TrueNewb]

That's because the Power Wagon DON'T CARE.......(about gas mileage)

[@JustinKingOffroad]

@@TrueNewb haha fact!!

[@PokyPops]

I agree, MUCH bigger difference than I would have thought. Keep 'em comin'!

[@jadoriffic]

Whoa! I would not have guessed a 4 mpg difference! Good to know

[@lanedexter6303]

Not buying 5 mpg, more testing needed. But automakers wouldn’t have been hanging these things on light trucks for years if they didn’t get at least a fraction of an mpg boost to their CAFE. I recall pulling the chin spoiler of my 1995 Bronco work rig, recently pulled a spoiler off my 1992 S-10 Blazer to make room to fabricate a front receiver. My old Saab 99 Turbo (only sold in America in 1978) had a big front air dam, and there were even lower aftermarket replacements available. If most of your driving is 50 mph two lane blacktop or slower, don’t worry much about aerodynamics. If you spend long miles at 75-80 mph, then aero drag matters.

[@trevormangus7832]

You need to do 3 loops of each and do an average 😊

[@dalejones4322]

Wow. I never would have imagined that it would have been that big a difference. I've never seen anyone try this either. This was a great idea for a test. Thanks guys

[@philliproscher5817]

Wind had to play a big factor here. I would buy 1-2 mpg, but i had no idea that little air dam could make a 4 mpg difference. That’s an 18% improvement! Love the videos of the everyday tests that make the difference for people looking for real world info . Love this series! Next truck should be a Chevy Custom trail boss. Great value truck!

[@clay282]

I wouldn't call it a fluke. There's a reason why RAM, Ford and other companies, spend the time money to design active air dams that drop down and deploy at speed.

[@dodgeguyz]

Yes those do help with mileage. On my 16 Ram I installed a small lift, 2” front and 1” rear. I lost approx 1.5mpg highway. The reason is air turbulence under the truck. The manuf go through a lot of trouble to make these trucks as efficient as possible. The newer model DT Rams have a motorized air dam that drops down at higher speeds, I think 40-45mph.

[@JesseLJohnson]

I thought it was more highway speeds. The air ride lowers the trucks at those speeds too doesn't it?

[@dodgeguyz]

@@JesseLJohnson I’d have to check my notes, but I think it deploys around 35-40mph. And yes, the suspension lowers around 50 or 55.

[@willb1242]

Doesn’t surprise me! :D I’m glad you took suggestions to test things (or planned it out), but in my experience the chin spoiler is the biggest aero mod you can do. I did a lot of work trying to get my 2nd gen CVR (…the most truck-shaped one…) to hit 30mpg and found this is the place to start.

[@smileyguyz]

Do you mean CRV? I have a Honda Element which is on the same platform and I can get almost 25mpg just by driving nice. I wonder if I could hit 30mpg, but that would basically require taking all of the pros of the Element and throwing them out the window.

[@larrybe2900]

My surprise at your 25 mpg modest driving is I get that same mpg with my two ton F 150 EcoBoost 2.7. This number was in line with my Escape 4 cyl it replaced. If I drive reasonable I sacrificed little with the bigger PU.

[@willb1242]

@@smileyguyz yup. Was a 2004 4wd MT model. Great car. But I could never hit 30mpg highway unless by drafting a semi (not recommended). A chin spoiler, grill block and undertray are the cheapest mods that will do something. With the element you are starting in an even worse aero position, EXCEPT that you already have a slightly less ground clearance.

[@willb1242]

@@smileyguyz it is possible to add a 6th gear to a MT element or crv. From a TSX. Get the top gear rpms down. There is space inside the trans. But it wasn't worth the effort for me, or most ppl.

[@smileyguyz]

@@willb1242 I've always been jealous of the 6 speed mod. I have an automatic, so I don't really have any options for that. But it does run at a lower RPM on the highway than the manuals at least.

[@terrynewell4749]

Dropped my chin spoiler on my 2020 Tacoma Sport. Reduced MPG by .5. Then put bigger tires on it, never mind😅. I’m fairly sure that a big dinner would lower my MPGs in that truck.

[@billsmotrilla6215]

Great Test. I would love to see you add a factory leveling kit (spring puck spacers) to the front suspension and see how that changes MPG.

[@jimbro5223]

I owned a '88 ford van that I fabricated an air dam for and later installed lower profile tires. Despite the fact that the tires were smaller in diameter and the engine was spinning a bit faster my mpg's improved about 12-15% and it reached highway speeds a bit quicker as well.

[@bbyng7316]

Wowee.

[@eatdafat7101]

I cut down the air dam on my super duty. I just couldn’t stand how it looked, and it got easily scraped when camping.

[@machfive916]

Those engineers know a thing or 2. Like seeing their engineering knowledge presented to "us" in a user friendly/practical format.

[@regsparkes6507]

What do I think? I say WOW too,. .I'd leave that spoiler attached. It looks like Engineers know exactly what they're doing! I carried an extension ladder on my pickup truck, ( like a lot of folks do ) over the highway once and returned without it,.. now you want to see how much that cost? It was amazing to me.

[@slmjake]

We really enjoy this practical content guys! Many years ago Wally, the Airstream founder, realized smooth laminar flow underneath his trailers was also important.

[@disophisis]

You should try a leveling kit now to get rid of the factory rake and see how big a difference that makes. Lots of people lift the front of their trucks.

[@Jackmerius_Tacktheretrix]

Lifting the front would decrease fuel economy the same way a suspension lift does. The air dam reduces the front height and helps manage the airflow underneath to decrease drag.

[@ohioguy4326]

@@working_country___8973 They also increase wear and tear on the front end components.

[@AlexVassiosOfficial]

I did this and lost a few mpgs. Took off the valence and added a 2 inch level

[@turkfebruary5836]

Yes. I have a 2016 F150 5.0 with a leveling kit and 35” tires. I removed the air dam thinking maybe just maybe my mpg would drop .5 mpg but it dropped about 3.5 mpg.

[@meadowsmydog]

Glad they told us about the wind on the run back. Even my wife's Camry Hybrid uses 10% more gas on the highway running into the wind.

[@andyharman3022]

One thing I liked about trucking out west was Sinclair gas stations. TFL is cool for getting a sponsorship from Sinclair. I hope they got a stuffed Dino along with the sponsorship.

[@lakeforkwiring]

Thanks for your work guys... Even though you're sponsored you seem to give honest reviews in spite of your biases...Really enjoy the shows .

[@MWILSON7]

I’m not sure why anyone is surprised by this as OEMs have been putting these on all the trucks for years.

[@mardamek3]

I don’t think they are surprised or did not know it before doing this test. The guys just need content for the channel. Perhaps, the only thing they didn’t know before the test is just how much difference the chin spoiler makes.

[@bryanmatson4042]

I wish you would do this test. Using a different grades of gasoline. To see if that would make a difference in your miles per gallon!

[@ALMX5DP]

@@mardamek3 agree, lots of people immediately remove them thinking the difference is negligible, so nice to see at least one test to show what effect it could have.

[@sfcjerryharris]

@@bryanmatson4042 good point

[@nathankoroush7918]

My 1987 Nissan Hardbody, has a factory chin spoiler.

[@josemanuelruiz2036]

Wao! That’s a lot! A difference of 4 mpg! I really love these videos because this is great info. Keep them coming! Now do tires!!

[@MultiPartizan1]

Great video as always i think you should do more than one test for better evaluation.

[@elementalbioremediationinc21]

That’s correct “science” everyones new favourite word apparently, dictates at least 3 trials with with less then 5% deviation to confirm a result.

[@NBSV1]

Was easy to see about 10-15 years ago when they started doing hybrid big SUV’s. The hybrid doesn’t really help with highway mileage, but people expect a hybrid to get better mileage. So, a hybrid Suburban had a chin spoiler and other aero touches to help it get better mileage. Now they’ve just applied most of that to everything as they need better mileage across the range.

[@Julian-do7bv]

I think maybe should do a homemade the gets really close to the road to see if MPG improves anymore for just one test would be really neat to see

[@1cesaraparicio]

I was thinking of taking it off my 2021 F150. I have been averaging 20 MPG. 5.0 crew cab. Nevermind on that. Thanks TFL team.

[@alexorcas1]

have you guys tried taking the same truck on the same loop with zero changes two or three times to get a rough idea of how much error there is? I'm curious if that 20.999 would have been within +/- 1/2 mpg or maybe it would have been +/- 2 mpg. Might be worth a video to test the test and see how repeatable these numbers are. Keep up the good vids guys, love it!

[@johnhoover7869]

Yes these tests need to be repeated numerous times to attain a scientific sample. The vagaries of the wind could well influence these one offs.

[@MADDOG100ful]

Or even how much they have eaten for lunch ;)

[@gogofastful]

@@johnhoover7869 or traffic.

[@dposcuro]

@@johnhoover7869 That's the problem, you will _never_ get a "scientific sample" with real world testing. The more runs they make, the more variables they insert into the comparison. Each loop is 1 hour, so the entire test takes 2 hours. If they want to take 2 loops with the spoiler, and 2 without? That's 4 hours. Over the course of 4 hours, conditions are going to change (especially in the winter). Temperature is going to change, air pressure will change, but likely the biggest change is going to be: Traffic. If they start at nine in the morning, temperatures will rise as they make their loops, skewing the data. Also, the first two runs would likely be fine comparison points to each other, but then you get into the 11 and 12 runs, and you get into lunch traffic. You invite greater wind disruption.

[@mikezobl9602]

I grew up in the Detroit area and went to college on the west side of the state, so I'd visit my family on the weekends and drive back to school Sunday night. I remember always seeing a convoy of 4 or 5 identical Ford vehicles with Manufacturer plates going down I-94 very late on Sunday nights when there was very little traffic. I imagine that's a very similar test to this, but probably going all night long and using 300+ mile routes with multiple vehicles to ensure their data has a much larger sample size.

[@workisfun...2438]

Great comparison! Show one going the speed limit, then going 5 under the limit. The drag coefficient is exponential once you are above a certain speed and the savings can add up.

[@H8onG]

Another good test is how leveling your truck effects your mpg. A lot of people do not add bigger tires right away but they will level there truck as soon as they get it. But does it effect anything?

[@josephhacker5358]

I noticed roughly 1mpg drop. I didn’t do a “scientific” before and after tho.

[@collinbradford8866]

I think I remember a video of them leveling the f150 lightning? Or was that someone else?

[@acdii]

Yes it will. EPA testing is done on an out the factory floor truck, no mods, and with basic driver/passenger weights. Any deviation from this configuration will impact the results. Wonder why OEM tires have crappy traction and wear? They are used for least rolling resistance to gain the highest EPA rating it can. When leveling, it changes the angle of attack into the wind, which changes its Coefficient of drag as designed, so, yep, it affects the MPG.

[@WoodrowWoods2007]

It affects how dumb those "leveled" trucks look when they are towing or hauling LOL

[@acdii]

@@WoodrowWoods2007 Lighting the way for Aliens, or comets.

[@kjrehberg]

The Honda Ridgeline has an air dam and the front suspension is lowered a couple inches more than the rear to get better MPG. People have levelled the suspension and lost almost 1 MPG. I haven't seen anyone remove the air dam and measure it yet.

[@AndrewBaker924]

You guys mentioned about the Jeep Gladiators. Most of the lower trims of the Gladiators have an air dam underneath the plastic bumper. My Overland had one. The Rubicon and Mojave have a steel skid plate and some have a steel bumper. I put on the Rubicon steel bumper and skid plate to upgrade my look of my Jeep, but also someone backed into me cracked my plastic bumper in half. I might have lost 1-2mpg, but I also put on Rubicon Falcon Wildpeak Ats on my Jeep before this happen.

[@ALMX5DP]

Oh interesting, didnt know they had something for the underbody, i always thought it was just the fender gap fillers that were on the lower trims. Will have to take a closer look at one someday.

[@backwoodstherapy]

@@ALMX5DP yeah my JLU Sport had a plastic air dam over the skid plate down there until I took it off.

[@bret9741]

I believe the air dams also reduce wind noise a little. I drive off road audits a lot, even in my AWD Transit. I’ve torn off the Transit and the one on my F-150 looks terrible. I think the 2 mpg is probably closer to 1.2-1.3. I’d like to see this re run on several trucks over time

[@kennethwilliamson6565]

Love these two together more videos with Nathan and Andre!

[@gregkocher5352]

In the late 70s and early 80s air dams were a common aftermarket add on for econoboxes. Every little bit helped.

[@JB-wm4fk]

Would be interesting to see a test where you add and optimize aerodynamic components. Add another 2+ inches of chin spoiler and add plates underneath to reduce wind drag.

[@johnhoover7869]

Should analyze the Toyota Sienna hybrid for aero treatment ideas.

[@anthonygreco1130]

The front air dam is a proven race car mod to reduce under vehicle air turbulence and increase fuel mileage. Kudos to you for actually proving this point. Want to see fuel mileage really drop? Do a comparison between stock vehicle height as compared to a lifted vehicle!! What a difference! 😮

[@Ram14250]

They don't add chin spoilers on vehicles for nothing! Lots of Wind Tunnel Testing! Some are also used to make sure more air is directed through the radiator too, highly useful when towing a trailer!

[@scottyellis3442]

WOW, I knew it would help being on the truck because the designer's squeeze every thing they can out of MPG. Love these types of videos, thanks for all you guys do.

[@dakotabrown1960]

I can confirm similar results on a 98 k1500. didn't do any scientific tests but got an average of 2 mpg better mileage after reinstalling the stock chin spoiler.

[@jnmaher1967]

Nice, Andre and Nathan side by side in the Ram Stuby. Looks roomy

[@MecanicaForte]

Dude Love the two of you making videos! I miss Mister Truck. He is funny !

[@29madmangaud29]

I've done a lot of testing like this, back when I owned my several Geo Metro's. Yes, the little things DO ADD UP! I am surprised that you've got such a large increase/decrease though for just the air dam. Good luck

[@gnfnrs1186]

Ford had terrible mpg on the power strokes several years ago.. They added a couple inches to the spoiler and and it actually helped

[@chriscon8463]

Wow! That’s impressive! I wonder how much those little air deflectors between the bumper & fenders on my Wrangler Sport actually help my mpg?

[@jmichaelpruitt]

I figured there would be a pretty big difference. I remembered watching q TFL video of Andre interviewing a Toyota engineer about the new Tundra. The engineer said they didn't add tow hooks ot the tundra because the front air dam was so important to aero. I think he said it was something like a 15-20% difference in MPG. Which makes me think, every model is effected by the chin spoiler differently. I am curious which models get the biggest MPG gains from the chin spoiler.

[@acdii]

Which sounds right considering thats roughly the difference in their test here!

[@metalted6128]

Any thing to help aerodynamics of a brick going down the road. Makes a difference. Back in the day, had 4 off lights on a roll bar, above the cab. That hurt mpg. But looked cool, in the 90’s Lol Great video!!

[@iamn360]

I know it's quite a bit of money to do all the testing but if you could show if a truck cap could increase mpg or not. Not soft top but a smooth hard top

[@wildbill23c]

My 87 Ranger gets the same fuel economy with or without the camper shell. Gets the same fuel economy with the tailgate up or down too. Gets better snow/ice traction with the camper shell installed LOL.

[@davep4610]

A while back they did that comparison -- with and without a "cap" or "shell" that was cab-high. Did it on an F-150 from around 2004 with a small V8. Conclusion was a tie - identical MPG either way. But their recent tonneau cover testing showed better MPG with that cover than with an open bed.

[@jefffagans5798]

There already a video of that Andre did it with 05 F150 XL single cab long bed.

[@proudamerican5518]

Agreed! Especially while towing an enclosed or travel trailer!

[@oneninerniner3427]

Nope hurts mpg. I read a collage study some years ago and that was their conclusion anyway. They found the tonneau cover the best to actually increase mpg. They found the bed open tailgate up to be better than a cab high truck cap as well.

[@russellmcknight7226]

I have a 2014 Ram with the 5.7 I put mine back on after selling my plow,and yes I do notice a difference.

[@jerryodom7358]

I had a brake issue that caused me to only get 10 mpg in my truck…I took it to a gateway tire center and they found the problem…it cost 1800 to replace both front brake rotors, calipers, and pads..I now get 13 mpg…and at 29 gal. Fill up, that adds up to about 87 mpg further down the road…and it glides up hills and I brake more often even going down small grades…thank you gateway tires…

[@jeffmockus5400]

Dang dude. $1800-$400 in parts is $1400. If you're thanking them, I hate to see how your enemies treat you. If it takes a shop 3 hours to do front brakes, they ain't mechanics. Sorry guy, but you got took.

[@samuelsanchez6140]

@@jeffmockus5400 considering they essentially doubled his fuel economy I doubt he cares.

[@Eric-zs6rd]

Brakes are about the easiest thing to work on in the world. You could have done it yourself in a couple hours for 600

[@Eric-zs6rd]

@@samuelsanchez6140 13 is not double of 10. It's 30% more. If he drives 10k miles per year and gas is 3 dollars, it would take more than 3 years of driving to make up for what he got took for.

[@samuelsanchez6140]

@Eric my bad for some reason I saw 18 lmao. But if you can find gas at 3 dollars consider yourself lucky

[@ruffmutt5789]

I put a airdam on my Zero turn mower … I can cut yards for days now

[@NHDude]

Less efficient to push the grass lower to the ground instead of into the blades, no wonder you're mowing for days

[@1mlb704]

I took the chin spoiler off my '18 Colorado Z71 probably a month after I bought it. I noticed less than 1 MPG difference, though I also installed the ZR2 skid plates so idk if that made up for it at all. What did make a huge difference in MPG was going from Goodyear All-Terrain Adventure tires to Duratracs. Much better in the snow but a good 2-3 MPG decline

[@drayray4009]

More Nathan! Great job guys!

[@terrymcknight4167]

This test would need to be repeated. 4 mpg difference seems too large. If you had a head wind on the second run the results would be affected. I would expect some increased mpg with the spoiler but 4 mpg is suspect.

[@firefly9838]

Agreed

[@tdub25]

What you don’t think it makes a 20-25% difference…… yea that’s more likely other factors coming into play…

[@rohinhans7819]

Well it does and it doesn’t make sense. It does because this is all highway driving, so aero would make a very large difference. Though 4mpg is a lot, look how much space was created under the truck, this would not only cause turbulent air, but also would create uplift. Overall for a more exact difference it would need to be done multiple times, but that 4mpg difference does seem pretty right. Maybe a bit on the high side, but definitely in the ball park

[@emilonanian7364]

I took off the chin spoiler off of my Tacoma a couple years back to allow for better ground clearance on a small trail I planned to hit. I couldn’t believe it when I actually lost close to 4 mpg on the highway. Seems accurate to me.

[@anotherrandomtexan25]

These things are made SPECIFICALLY to increase mpg due to fuel regs... yes there prolly were some other factors too, but it just goes to show the difference something as simple as a chin spoiler can make in terms of fuel efficiency!

[@ShaneEstabrooks]

Daaaaaammmmmm.. I always thought there's a difference, but wow.. that's an impressive difference

[@jessevoshell1192]

Fifth Gen RAM has a motorized air dam extension that lowers at around 30-35 mph.

[@chrishill6788]

Not applicable to the classic series of trucks though even though they have lots of similarities to the new gen in parallel. They have a fixed old fashioned air dam

[@jessevoshell1192]

@@chrishill6788 the classic is the fourth Gen RAM. I said the fifth Gen RAM does. Perhaps you should go back and reread my comment.

[@ajbcool]

@@jessevoshell1192 I’m pretty sure he thought the classic was a part of the 5th gen because they are still produced. But go off I guess

[@jessevoshell1192]

@@ajbcool it would seem that you have fragile emotions.

[@ajbcool]

@@jessevoshell1192 Says the one that got triggered over someone misidentifying a pickup. ❄️

[@lifeat10mph7]

Holy moly I have a 2011 Chrysler Town & Country with a 2015 Charger RIPP performance treated motor with 345 hp/ 297 tq at the wheels and I get 26+ mpg and the is with 800 lbs of Bicycle touring gear, car camping gear, fishing & tackle plus a month of food.

[@marcm8209]

Great video review. My last F150 I really did not notice a fuel difference ( was tuned though ) my new F150 Tremor does not have a chin spoiler to compare. They should make it easy to remove and re-install. Ford manual on my 2014 F150 said to take it off in winter and when off-roading. I had taken it off and threw it away :)

[@robmd3851]

I’ve got a 22 F150, and the gen14 trucks even have a secondary spoiler the deploys about 2inches lower that the one you see when it’s parked, they don’t advertise it but it’s there, comes down at about 50mph. Maybe why my 5.0 gets 20-21 mpg not even broken in yet

[@javaman2883]

How bad is it really? On Chevy it's a row of 8 bolts, which if you have a battery powered impact wrench should take you under 10 minutes to pull it off or put on.

[@JesseLJohnson]

The one on my old truck just deleted itself a month or 2 ago lol. I was hauling garbage to the recycle center and noticed a strange noise coming from under the truck. I was like a half mile away so I just drove on in. When I got to the yard waste bins I crawled under the truck and there it was being held on by one bolt. Assuming it was from when the radiator got replaced. I didn't want to do it so had my neighbor who has a Napa garage do the work and I am assuming they took it off when they replaced the radiator had them replace both belts and tension pully while they were at it since its right there might as well. I guess I should buy a replacement for the truck but I bought a brand new Denali Ultimate since so it hasn't exactly been a priority lol. I still have both trucks. Mom told me I had to give my old one to my brother but he didn't seem interested in coming down to SC to get it so when we went up to the house we are at now mom drove my old truck and I drove my new one and he still doesn't seem interested in it lol. I could have sold it to one of my neighbors that wanted it back home in SC or I could just keep it so I have another truck that I don't worry so much about. I don't want to scratch or ding my $85k truck not as worried about this one lol. I have an old 06 crew cab long bed 3/4 ton too though I keep around for hauling junk that I really don't care about so I guess I still have that if my brother finally takes this truck. Only has 60k miles on it pretty nice LTZ that I took really good care of just put new rotors and pads on the front too and brand new tires the day before we left SC

[@clay282]

Now try leveling the truck. That would probably be one of the most popular appearance upgrades besides tires.

[@adventuristnw2321]

I came here to write that very comment. Be interesting to see what a level kit with and without air dam would show.

[@omardevonlittle3817]

Yea dont do that. Jus put some all terrains on it and leave it at the ranch.

[@adventuristnw2321]

@@omardevonlittle3817 🤣

[@newscoulomb3705]

That front lip is referred to as an air dam, and when designed properly, they offer significant efficiency gains.

[@ALMX5DP]

I’m a big advocate for keeping the airdam on (kept my F-150 and even added a factory one to my prior Tacoma). But that result is a bit too large for me to be convinced it was just from the difference.

[@rubicondickweed]

Totally agree. Not nearly enough miles covered to be accurate. Their silly 2 pump method of calculating mileage throws everything out as well. The tripometer is probably more accurate. They need to stop presenting these tests as factual.

[@BrookerDynamics]

It can lower drag by about 10-15%. Truck underbodies are terrible for Aerodynamics. And the drag at highway speeds is significant. It's a well-researched feature and this is why you see them on body on frame truck/suv.

[@CanadianDerwood]

Tail wind on the second loop?

[@johnr75]

If you had windy conditions on the 2nd loop - it could have been all wind related - the test is therefore invalid and I think you need to do it over again on a non-windy day...

[@ExaltedDuck]

Some modern engines are able adjust timing to avoid knocking with lower octane fuels. The thing is, it reduces power and efficiency to do so. I'm not sure if this engine is one of them, so it might be interesting to see if a higher octane fuel leads to better fuel economy. I've noticed that seems to be the case on my gen iii hemi, and to a significant enough degree that 91 (highest available here) costs less per mile than lower grades. Might be an interesting test since the pentastar is newer than the hemi. Might also give you a little more low and mid-range grunt if it runs with a little more spark advancement.

[@donleamon8653]

You don't need the higher octane at higher elevations on a NA engine. Might help in summer months, but for sure not now. 85 at 5k feet is marginal however. (I'm from Flagstaff, 7k feet and 87 is the lowest we get in AZ)

[@jmc6000]

@@donleamon8653 you do need to run at minimum 87 on a modern engine e even in high elevation areas

[@smileyguyz]

@@jmc6000 My 2006 Honda Element doesn't care and I live in Denver. 87 or 85 it runs exactly the same and gets exactly the same MPG. I've checked with a bluetooth OBD scanner and it runs with exactly the same timing.

[@johnhoover7869]

Interesting, any manual I've looked at says 87 minimum.

[@donleamon8653]

@@johnhoover7869 - What is the percentage of the North American pop that lives above a 5k' elevation? Not much, hence why it is not covered. I doubt car mfg. want to specify all possible driving conditions. Besides, 300 pages of safety warnings are more important to the lawyers than octane levels. 🙂

[@jamesalexander958]

If there was a wind difference like was mentioned, it could easily account for the mpg loss. You'd almost have to do this run many times back and forth with the dam and do an average

[@nathanielmoore87]

I know the Mythbusters did it a few years ago, but I'd love to see the TFL take on tailgate up vs tailgate down.

[@ArizonaHotSauce]

I remember. Tailgate up was actually and surprisingly better MPG.

[@93sundance]

@@ArizonaHotSauce but a tailgate net was even better.

[@autobotavengerfireballxl5339]

​@@93sundance tailgate net only worked because of the weight loss

[@stevematthews684]

I submit the chin spoiler is more for cooling efficiency than MPG...when at speed, it creates low pressure below/behind the radiator. I removed the chin spoiler on a 4x4 SUV for approach angle and saw a difference in engine temp on the highway.

[@stevematthews684]

But, yeah the chin spoiler does help improve MPG too.

[@harindersaini4873]

Great video, I was just wondering if the Truck with Tow Mirrors take more gas then the one without them.They are bigger and stick out more.

[@TFLtruck]

Please stay tuned

[@gord7025]

mirrors up or down test. Maybe one up and one down is optimal? :)

[@davidheckart639]

Yes they certainly do. I converted my F150 to big factory tow mirrors after a year of ownership and my average highway MPG dropped 0.25.

[@mf25053]

Never quite put numbers to it, but you're right that the air dam makes a difference... I know it did on my 2011 when I removed it and my 2018 that never had one (Rebel).

[@bo4130]

You guys must drove against wind on the way back. 4 mpg is too good to be true. Probably have to do the test again if you guys are serious about it.

[@RobertJohnson-wm4fj]

They drive the exact same route, filling up at the exact same pump. Half way out, turn around, come back. The do it again

[@Jackmerius_Tacktheretrix]

I lost quite a bit in my truck when I swapped the stock bumper for an aftermarket one. About 2-3 mpg hwy.

[@nastythomashobbs]

I took mine of my Canyon AT4 and have hardly noticed any difference in MPG.

[@donvoll2580]

Good day from Ontario I have 2013 sierra, my son drove in neighbour's lane & broke bottom part off> I truly think that part being off should give better milage. There is still a part on , like 2 parts. Thanks Good video. I would not have believe that.

[@ML-lg4ky]

Thanks for getting stait to the point near the end there.

[@photomasterstudios9495]

I bought a factory option chin spoiler (AKA lower valance) for my '97 Chevy pickup because i liked the heavy duty look it added, i guess I'm keeping it for the added fuel economy.

[@dpl2617]

How about airing up the tires over recommend, and see if there is any mpg savings?

[@wrench8149]

I think it helps in summer. Doesn’t make a noticeable difference in cold weather even if you keep the tires “topped off” as the temperatures drop and the psi’s come down naturally. I usually only stay one or two above the door jam sticker, there’s only a 6 psi variance between the door sticker and the max pressure listed on the tire itself anyway.

[@dpl2617]

@@wrench8149 I run about 3-lbs over recommend regardless of outside temp. I think it does help a bit, but never worked the numbers.

[@BigBirdNest]

@working_country ___ I agree! I’m a commercial truck driver and have seen way too many blow outs and the damage they cause. In some of my safety courses, it’s a full day on tires and #1 cause of a blow out is over/under inflated tires. It just causes too much heat. And yes definitely extra cost in tire wear

[@javaman2883]

@working_country ___ Staying at 5-lbs over pressure won't affect the tire wear. You are right about the importance of picking the tire. Trying to get good MPG with mud tires on a pavement princess is like watering plants in a dust storm. I had all-terrains on my van for years and got 10MPG, switched to street tires because we hadn't been camping in years, and the MPG went up to 14.

[@javaman2883]

@@BigBirdNest On the 3/4 ton Suburban, the door jam sticker shows 45 front 50PSI rear for "passenger comfort", but 50PSI front 65PSI rear for hauling a load or towing. The proper inflation pressure as far as minimizing wear and heat actually changes due to load. Some load range E tires have a max working pressure of 90PSI. So a blanket statement of staying at stock pressure, the "passenger comfort" pressure, isn't always the best. I know that the lower tire pressure can help absorb some shock and road rumble, but I prefer the 5PSI over that to help increase MPG. After years of doing this, had no problems of baloon tire wear which would indicate over pressure. Being under proper pressure is definately a bad thing. The extra flex of the tire on each rotation causes heat to build up quickly and can ruin tires.

[@Jbennyho]

That chin spoiler in its proper place also creates a low pressure area in the engine compartment and thus behind the radiator. With it removed air is pressurized behind the radiator thereby decreasing airflow through the radiator. This air pressure buildup in the engine compartment also creates air turbulence, lift, and aerodynamic drag as that air has to find a way to exit the engine compartment.

[@Budweiser-jh9uj]

U should see if unleaded gas. Or premium gas makes a difference in MPH another video option

[@clarkstonguy1065]

Pretty sure the speed limiter won't know the difference! (Sorry couldn't help it - lol)

[@noneyabizz8337]

...it's all unleaded

[@DeltaSierra426]

MIND BLOWN!!! I was expected 2 mpg, especially on modern Ram 1500's as they don't have the stupid-big chins that Silverados have had since early-mid 2010's. Speaking of which, never seen a broken Ram chin spoiler but PLENTY of broken Silverado chins, so the engineers really balanced size and performance really well! The rake angle isn't so flat, either, so maybe that helps us push over curbs and things better? Awesome video. Thanks guys!

[@alexreinhardt6971]

I would love to know if the Aero X camper shell makes an mpg difference

[@lonremlinger1439]

Jaray's work suggests that an AeroX without the louvres would improve mpg. I'm not sure how much the louvres would affect the flow to diminish or nullify the gains.

[@oneninerniner3427]

I read an article years ago about a collage that did a study on pickup truck aero. Think I still have it somewhere ha, I'll have to look. Anyway their conclusions were box open with the tailgate off & camper shell/topper hurt over box open with tailgate shut. The tonneau cover actually increased milage.

[@LebronPhoto1]

I expected this result. It's good to see it confirmed.

[@rjs2005]

I knew it would help, but didn't really expect that much of a difference. The wind Andre mentioned on the 2nd loop had to play a significant factor.

[@wade7959]

Taking the chin spoiler off also increases the effect of wind on vehicle handling. It probably just felt like more wind.

[@rjs2005]

@@wade7959 entirely possible, hadn't considered that.

[@robsouthoz]

Well, if it's a loop they are running then half could be into the wind, and half with the wind at their tail (in very over simplified terms), lessening but not eliminating the impact. Having said that - it would have been good to do a second run with the chin spoiler on to 'normalise' the result.