Active Air Dam - Does it really increase MPG? Can I add it to my AS ORG

[DanSkan]

I have the Air Suspension with the Off Road Group which deleted the Active Air Dam because the truck lowers to Aero mode to reduce air resistance and increase mpg.

The problem is with the ORG the Normal and Aero mode levels are 1" higher than the non ORG levels. The ORG Aero mode that is the lowest height we can drive in is 1/2" higher than the standard truck height and it doesn't have the active air dam to go lower. If the active air dam drops down another 1 1/2" to 2" then without it, my fixed air dam is riding 2" to 2 1/2" higher defeating the purpose of reducing air resistance for better MPGs.

If the Aero mode could be reprogramed to lower the Aero mode down another 1" then all would be good and the fixed air dam would probably do its job but since we haven't found a way to reprogram the Aero mode height without changing the Normal mode height through the WiTech program or with different links I would like to consider adding the Active Air Dam.

I wonder how much difference the lower 2" to 2 1/2" air dam really makes?

 

[Gondul]

Unless the two options were tested the answer is 'we don't know' how much of a difference it makes... but this article claims a 1 to 1 correlation on air drag reduction and mpg.

"For a full-size truck, a change in drag coefficient of 0.01 is approximately equal to an improvement in fuel economy of 0.1 mpg on the combined city/highway driving cycle "

Improving Aerodynamics to Boost Fuel Economy

 

[Edwards]

From looking under the front bumper, the mounting points are there to add it. The bigger issues then become:
1. Could a dealer even program your truck to recognize it?
2. Is the logic still valid and not overwritten within the existing code to deploy/retract the air dam on a truck with air suspension, & ORG (which includes the "raised ride height"?

We'd need a guinea pig and a very willing dealer to dig into that one.

 

[DanSkan]

Unless the two options were tested the answer is 'we don't know' how much of a difference it makes... but this article claims a 1 to 1 correlation on air drag reduction and mpg.

"For a full-size truck, a change in drag coefficient of 0.01 is approximately equal to an improvement in fuel economy of 0.1 mpg on the combined city/highway driving cycle "

Improving Aerodynamics to Boost Fuel Economy

Great article - Thanks for the link.

I put the tonneau cover on so that added to the drag reduction.

The combination of the lowering of the vehicle and lowered air dam contributes to reducing drag but the small amount of drag reduction may not be worth the effort for the little additional mpg - to gain a small fraction of a mile per gallon is not worth the cost and effort of adding an active air dam.

I'm not ready to give up on trying to figure out how the air suspension Aero mode height can be adjusted/reprogramed to drop down that additional inch to match the non ORG truck height.

 

[Edwards]

Great article - Thanks for the link.

I put the tonneau cover on so that added to the drag reduction.

The combination of the lowering of the vehicle and lowered air dam contributes to reducing drag but the small amount of drag reduction may not be worth the effort for the little additional mpg - to gain a small fraction of a mile per gallon is not worth the cost and effort of adding an active air dam.

I'm not ready to give up on trying to figure out how the air suspension Aero mode height can be adjusted/reprogramed to drop down that additional inch to match the non ORG truck height.

I will mail you a 12 pack if you figure out how to adjust Aero height!

 

[j517]

What is org sorry I has a f250 before I bought my ram 1500 limited

Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

What is org sorry I has a f250 before I bought my ram 1500 limited

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ORG = Off Road Group
4x4 with extra skid plates, different shocks, and s 1" lift.

 

[AnthroMoto]

Here is an interesting add-on to the air dam effect. Is the air dam function rendered null when the truck is leveled/lifted? Does it still improve the drag coefficient in lifted/leveled form?

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

I will mail you a 12 pack if you figure out how to adjust Aero height!

That's a Witech terminal (dealer diagnostic software) setting and I doubt many techs know how to set those values. It sure would be nice if they would publish that info and offer it through dealers.

I'm using DIY air susprnsion links to level mine. I can't get the back perfectly level before I trip a diagnostic limit. I lifted the front and dropped the rear a bit. It's about 1/2" high in the rear.

I've been studying the sensors (a rotary encoder with an arm) and I think I can elongate one of the two mounting holes so I can twist it. This will allow the back to go lower without thinking it's too low.

Pic is in Aero mode.

 

[Ramit392]

Here is an interesting add-on to the air dam effect. Is the air dam function rendered null when the truck is leveled/lifted? Does it still improve the drag coefficient in lifted/leveled form?

Not sure if this helps or not but Rams with AS does not have the air dams.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

Not sure if this helps or not but Rams with AS does not have the air dams.

I think he wants to add the active air dam and possibly recalibrate the Aero height to the non-Off Road Group height. Not sure it's worth the trouble for the small gain but people love to tinker!

 

[Ramit392]

I think he wants to add the active air dam and possibly recalibrate the Aero height to the non-Off Road Group height. Not sure it's worth the trouble for the small gain but people love to tinker!

Oh....I would have to agree its not worth it....And that AS for the 5th Gens is very picky and can go astray so easy ....but I would not be knocking it as I appreciate the AS on last truck and this new one.

 

[stevj]

I don't have the Active Air Dam, but at 65MPH, switching between Normal and Aero modes on long level roads and giving time to stabilize, the fuel mileage difference must be so much less than 1 that the display doesn't register a change. Might need a wind tunnel....

Steve

 

[AnthroMoto]

Not sure if this helps or not but Rams with AS does not have the air dams.

The reason the AS versions do not have it is because the same aerodynamic effect is achieved by the air suspension physically lowering the front end to get the same drag coefficient as the trucks with the active air dam. I was wondering if the efficiency effect is achieved by physically being low to the ground or just by rerouting the air flow so that the undercarriage components create less drag.

 

[Edwards]

The reason the AS versions do not have it is because the same aerodynamic effect is achieved by the air suspension physically lowering the front end to get the same drag coefficient as the trucks with the active air dam. I was wondering if the efficiency effect is achieved by physically being low to the ground or just by rerouting the air flow so that the undercarriage components create less drag.

I'm with you but when Ram decided to make the ORG Aero mode 1" higher than trucks without ORG, there's no way they are aerodynamically identical.
I'm still working to see if there's a way to reprogram Aero height to match non-ORG trucks and if not, adding this might be interesting.

 

[SpeedyV]

The reason the AS versions do not have it is because the same aerodynamic effect is achieved by the air suspension physically lowering the front end to get the same drag coefficient as the trucks with the active air dam. I was wondering if the efficiency effect is achieved by physically being low to the ground or just by rerouting the air flow so that the undercarriage components create less drag.

It actually lowers the whole truck, not just the front end. This functions to reduce the vehicle’s coefficient of drag.

 

[riccnick]

I remember reading that one of the engineers mentioned that going too low also hurts mpg. There's a point of diminishing returns. Also, has anyone measured an ORG truck in aero mode? Do we know it doesn't lower down 1.6" instead of the .6" that a regular truck lowers in Aero mode?

 

[Edwards]

I remember reading that one of the engineers mentioned that going too low also hurts mpg. There's a point of diminishing returns. Also, has anyone measured an ORG truck in aero mode? Do we know it doesn't lower down 1.6" instead of the .6" that a regular truck lowers in Aero mode?

Yes, I've measured it. It lowers the same amount from Normal that a non-ORG truck does meaning it is still 1" higher than a non-ORG truck in Aero mode. It's a long way down to E/E from Aero in ORG, relatively speaking.

 

[riccnick]

I'd say the best bet then is finding out if the ORG truck's ride height is just an option code and can be programmed back to non ORG setting

 

[Edwards]

I'd say the best bet then is finding out if the ORG truck's ride height is just an option code and can be programmed back to non ORG setting

That's what I suspect but there has been talk by others that the air springs and shocks are taller too. I've just been unable to incent any dealer into really looking into the Witech settings to see if we can drop Aero mode via software.