Chinstrap air Dam

Hi I'm new I have a 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD sport and I was just wondering how about the chinstrap air dam I just removed and it looks a lot better but there is an edge on the upper part that is exposing some stuff I was wondering about cutting the spoiler thinner and putting it back on have a TRD skid plate coming which I'm going to install wanted to see it what do you all think

 

Leave it off

 

Let's assume that the Toyota engineers designed it for a useful purpose, e.g. better aerodynamics and mpg's. It probably wasn't designed and the costs incurred in including it for aesthetic reasons.

Then let's assume that the engineers knew what they were doing and it generates an additional one or two mpg's. Who knows? As far as I know, nobody has researched and documented its impact on mpg's. For the sake of our discussion, assume that our trucks on average get around 20 mpg's. Probably a little high, but it makes the math easier. So an additional one or two mpg's is a 5% or 10% increase in fuel efficiency.

Maybe for some owners, that's not a material increase; but for others, it's material. My thought is that, if you accept my premises, it comes down to an aesthetics vs. efficiency tradeoff. I have enough concern about the size of my carbon footprint that I like the air dam.

 

Looks good as long as no one is looking at your Tacoma while lying on the ground.

 

Off looks way better plus the OR and the Pro don’t come with them and the same engineers designed them same as the Sport

 

I actually added one to my OR

 

idk I don't think you'll have a problem but just drive it and see how it does if it's visual then maybe you can just learn to enjoy it if not maybe just put it back on hard to say but it's your truck at the end of the day so whatever you decide is your choice me personally I never had one and would never want it it seems like it would get in the way of some off-road scenarios but then again that's just me idk.

 

TRD skid plate will fill in the space and make it look much better. The official data for mpg Toyota puts out lists the same mpg for a 4wd sport with the dam, and a OR without the dam. I had a sport that I removed the dam from and noticed zero difference in mpg. Admittedly though, I do a very small percentage of my driving at highway speeds (65+) and if there is any difference in mpg, this is where it will show up. Around town with a little freeway driving and I doubt you'll see any difference.

Here's a pic of my now gone Sport with a skid plate.

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If you are going to be adding the TRD skid plate, I don't think you have enough room to also run the air dam.

 

You do. “Dremel” or otherwise cut with a coping saw to make it work. You’ll retain 97% of the thing.

 

thanks everybody for the input I think it will look good with the new TRD skid plate

 

Took mine off the second day I owned it.

 

It looks good the way it is now. If you want to put it back on with the pro skid you're going to have to mod the air dam to make it fit.

 

I took mine off and it is in the attic. I tried to put it back on for a cross country trip but I just couldn't do it.

 

Looks much better without IMO:

 

About a minute in this video, the Toyota engineer talks about the air dam.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FutBBbglZvo&feature=emb_logo

 

I don’t really notice it tbh, on the 17 I do believe at that time there was supposed to be a slight efficiency gain. I hope that it might keep less winter salt chemicals dirt sludge off the undercarriage.

 

I've seen photos where folks have done that with the spoiler and it's okay if you never plan on taking it off-road. If you plan on hitting fire roads that will at least have some ruts in them, I would suggest to leave it off altogether since it'll eventually take some damage of some kind. The TRD skid will fill up that space so it doesn't look so "empty".

 

I say MAKE the trail take it off. Otherwise it’s like removing the insulation on your Honda Civic that never sees a track day.