Noise after removing air dam

Same here I don’t hear anything

 

My ears probably won’t be able to hear the difference. Too many Van Halen concerts in my youth.

My first of many VH concerts… https://www.vhnd.com/2014/07/01/van-halen-conquers-the-texxas-jam/

 

What is the MPG loss of removing the chin?

 

Anecdotally, 0.5-1mpg. So, 2.5-5%. Not insignificant, but many people are willing to sacrifice far more in the quest to make their rig look like they want it to.

 

I took mine off because it sets so low to the ground that it was a matter of time until I accidentally tore it off. I considered it preventive maintenance.

 

The plugs are in stock at LexusPartsNow for $3 each. $33 with tax/shipping. Worth it? Well, my truck is quiet now. And the ugly air dam is gone.

Now 1 mile less per gallon over projected 150,000-250,000 mile Tacoma lifetime + the cost of my daughter's ire that I didn't buy some awful electric vehicle = how much $...???

https://www.lexuspartsnow.com/parts/lexus-plug-hole~90950-a1021.html

 

I took my air dam off
2024 SR5
It howled pretty loudly, I was quite surprised. Windows down and up, I couldn't not hear it.

The plastic Toyota OEM plugs in the lower suspension arms fixed this. 8 plugs total, 4 in each side.

 

Lotta folks comment/complain about MPG loss after removing the air dam, and I know the guys at TFLTruck on YouTube did a comparison and saw about a 1mpg loss. But honestly in real world day-to-day driving I think my MPG loss is less than that. Quite negligible in my opinion, and the damn dam wasn’t going to survive winter anyway.

I expect upgrading my stock SR5 Toyo tires to something a little more off-road-ish (not KO’s but an all-trail type) will have a way bigger MPG impact.

 

July Baja Factory build, SR5 4x4 DCSB, no plugs.

Got the howl. I’ll be ordering Lexus plugs tomorrow.

 

Why not just put some duct tape over the holes?

 

I guess it could depend on where you live and the elements you're exposed to. I'm in eastern Canada and we get snow, ice, slush and lots of road salt in the winter so I'm not sure duct tape would survive that... Peace of mind in my case. But given the right environment, duct tape would likely do the trick.

 

Hey guys, glad to hear Im not the only one hearing the soft whining sound after removing the air dam/deflector from my 2024 Tacoma. Only hear it from 30-40 mph or so. Cant hear at highway speeds. Curious; are you removing the pointy screws that held the air dam on or removing them and the clips they go in to? I figured I would put those screws back in for safe keeping but maybe they should come out... Also where can I get the plugs for the lower suspension holes that people say fixes the noise? Thanks!

 

Here's the link to where I got the plugs. Somehow they're easier to find on the Lexus side.

I have an SR5 with the felt under panel. I left the screws in place to keep the felt panel from flopping. I'm going to swap the felt panel for a proper skid plate once I figure out which one I want. (Leaning toward the RCI Off-Road, as the've got a nice removable panel to facilitate oil changes, as well as the front cross-member my truck needs to mount it up properly).

 

I put the screws back but I have since noticed that I've lost a couple so I'm not sure this would be the optimal safe keeping location. Others may have different advice though

As for the plugs I got mine from the dealership but there have since been a few posts where folks got different caps which fit from either Amazon or local hardware stores. Links are just below the last message on the this thread. Hope this helps.

 

I got these from Amazon for $6...


They worked perfectly. And yes, remove the air dam, and put the screws back. Not for noise reasons, just to put them back where they belong...

 

Good ideas guys thanks! And yes that felt/plastic panel seems sketchy and may contribute to whining noise. But sounds like plugs are the way to go. May add a little locktite to hold those original screws in there. With my luck, if I dont I will find one stuck in a tire.

 

I have noticed the same wind noise at the same speed. Anyone know what holes to plug so it will go away?

 

you don't need anything fancy, just whatever will cover the hole and stay there. there are a couple inexpensive options linked earlier in this thread:

 

Hey guys- I plugged like 8 forward facing holes in suspension but still get some wind whistle at 34-38 mph. Can anyone show me which holes to plug? Thanks!

 

see the first post i quoted right above yours. those are where the OEM ones would be installed.