LED Bar Install - Air Deflector Discard

So mounted a behind-the-grill LED bar. Great mod but a little concerned about impacts of removing air dams/deflectors. Used Cali Raised brackets and find their products to be top notch however they require removal of deflectors.

Anyone been down this path?
- MPG hit on highway (assuming air pushes off radiator into fender cavities.
- Cooling issue with less 'focused' air on fins

Just looking for opinions, obviously time will tell anyway.

 

I have the exact same LB. Yanked the deflectors and watched the temps (up to about 105F ambient outside) and haven't seen any issues. Saved 'em, natch. If I do see a problem I'll just trim them and slap them back in. MPG didn't change.

 

I didn’t remove mine, I just cut out a notch each side with some tin snips.

edit: I had to remove them to install but reinstalled after I made the cutout clearance slots. I don’t think you were supposed leave them out completely

 

Where did you put your switch?

 

Cali's install vid says leave them out. I'll probably follow suit and notch/replace. Gotta imagine all that air resistance in fender cavities is going to be a hard hit on MPG

 

Weird. I did mine in 2017 and the videos then showed to cut out the notch and put them back in.
I don’t think mpg will have a hit? however, that air dam does help direct some airflow towards the radiator

 

I cut out the notch’s around the bracket and put them back in.

 

Tossed the janky adhesive back switch that came with it and ran wiring to the left side panel (through the big firewall pass-through the hood release cable goes through) to an OEM style switch.

 

Me too, didn't want to go through routing wires and yanking out the center panel.

 

Actually I guess same amount of air flow and resistance regardless so agree that MPG should not be impacted.

 

I left them out.
No difference in mpg I can see.
Truck hasn’t overheated and the AC is still cold so that seems ok…..
I’m not overly happy with the light output of the bar there compared to what it likely is if it was mounted externally, but it is nice having it tucked away.

 

What bar did you buy? I only got the brackets from Cali Raised, bar from Race Sport and def happy with the output.

 

The air dams/deflectors are there more to reduce road noise, high speed stability and a tiny gain in mpg. I'd be more concerned about blocking cooling with the bar on a hot environment and why I prefer roof mount.

 

Any chance you have a pic of that notch? I took mine out but what to put them back in "just in case".

 

Best picture I could get.

 

Thx - I'm going to put mine back in too.

 

Good call. My are notched too for all the misc stuff I added.

 

The bar I have is a cheapo from EBay. It must be 6-7 years old, I took it off my car, which it worked great on. But not as good on the truck, imo. It’s more to the sides it seems to lack, and that’s where the moose hide.

 

Took mine off for the SpartanX lower valance light. I walk past them every day in my garage. I think tomorrow I will dremel them and put them back in.