Okay... so I was out in the backwoods and ripped off the air deflector that is mounted on the bottom of the front bumper.
Does it really serve any purpose, other than appearance?

 

Wouldn't it help keep rocks from hitting the intercooler, radiator, or whatever else is up there? I know when I had my plow put on, they took it off because of where the mount sits.

 

It's my understanding that the front spoiler is there to reduce the amount of air that can flow under the very unstreamlined underside of the truck. It is there to reduce drag and improve mileage esp. at highway speeds. I've heard people say that they removed them and they couldn't tell any difference but I doubt that they measured the change in an objective way.

 

I removed mine after being damaged by a slightly higher than normal curb.
Haven't noticed any difference in fuel economy or engine cooling.

MikeyB

 

its a towing thing. The air dam creates low pressure under the engine bay for a better air flow through the radiator and on out the the bottom of the engine bay. Without it air can "pack up" ,in the engine bay, at interstate speeds when towing heavy and makes the engine run hot. For off road they are useless. Older trucks had a large flat front end and that made for plenty of low pressure under the engine bay for cooler runnin' while towin'. As the frontal area got smaller, better aerodynamics, we had to use a air dam to help cool the engine while towing.........JIM