What is this small front mudflap for?

No on the tailgate thing, it's been proven (more than once) a truck gets better mileage with a tailgate, than without.

 

really? ! wow, did not see that coming, interesting. how does that work?

 

Winner winner chicken dinner!!!

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_you_ge...f_you_drive_your_truck_with_the_tailgate_down

 

What...!! Don't you guys buy my idea.??? I knew you'd look for something really technical that took engineers a few years to develope.

He, He....

 

When I first read it, I understood that he could pull more MPG right out of his ass.

 

Damn.....seems so counterintuitive, but hey, you learn something everyday

thanks!I don't feel so bad now doing long trips w it up as I usually do.

 

They are for rubbing in reverse when you have big tires, that way if you bought a pre built truck you get to remove them and feel like you are part of the Tacoma world.

 

No way, you??

 

How does that saying go? "Chris4x4 is never wrong. If he ever is, the world just shifts until he is right"

 

Haha If only

 

Spoiler you mean

 

This only refers to Tacos and she knows it.

He can but only uses that superpower when the gas light comes on and he's too far from a gas station.

 

I think Chris4x4 may have also unearthed another function of these small leading front "mudflaps". Looking at his reference and tracing it back to Part 1, you'll find a nice pointer to another article on how the air flow around and under a vehicle contributes to better engine bay cooling. Here's the reference:

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_2159/article.html

Here's the leading quote:

"There is a strong relationship between the aerodynamic flows under a car and the cooling performance of radiators, condensers, oil coolers and intercoolers. To gain greatest airflow through these coolers, there must be a high pressure differential across them – the air pressure in front must be greater than the air pressure behind, so that flow will occur through the heat exchanger. Since in nearly all cases the exit air path is under the car, the undercar pressure must be kept low if cooling system flow is to be good."

Looking at the air exits from the engine compartment of my 2012 DCSB, I see a large opening on each side just aft of the rearmost radiator (I have 3 stacked radiators/coolers!), and these inner fender openings exit right behind these small mudflaps in question, leading me to think that they act like an air dam to create a vacuum in the airstream that sucks the hot air out of the rather enclosed engine bay.

Just another theory from the same place Chris4x4 got his!

N. Fowler