i've searched and couldn't find anything on this in particular.

we all know we need the air dam. my question is when do i know mine should be replaced?

mine is not cracked but does curl back a little on the bottom. i've never considered replacing it because it keeps the motor fairly cool on the highway, but now that i'm running AC on real hot days she starts to heat up beyond my comfort level, even on the highway. i'm wondering if a new air dam would help a bit.

also, does anyone know why Modern Day Muscle's air dam is so much cheaper than Hawks? is it a safe buy? thanks.

 

The air dams are cheap enough to replace if needed. If you are thinking about replacing it, you may want to remove it, check it out and then decide. Both air dams on my `88 Iroc are original, the only problem I have found is that over the years before I bought the car, mechanics replaced parts on the car that required the air dams be removed or loosened and both were ready to fall off. I replaced most of the fasteners and they are good to go. I have bought parts from both Hawks and Modern Day Muscle and have no complaints with either. Some suppliers have certain parts cheaper than others, does`nt mean the parts are inferior, just cheaper. I keep a list of about a dozen suppliers and compare prices on like items and there is usually a difference in prices so I go with the best price. Some suppliers get a better price on some items they buy and some pass the savings on to us. If you are heating up on the freeway, check the tech archives under cooling and you will get enough information to keep you busy reading for months. Check the area between the radiator and condenser if you have air cond., sometimes this area is full of leaves and other debris blocking air flow. Check to make sure your fans are working properly along with your fan switch, radiator cap and coolant is up to par. Our cars were engineered to run hotter than we think they should run and with the weather as hot as it has been, they run hotter still. There are ways to get the temps down.

 

If your are having problems, or starting to have problems with the air dam than by all means replace it. They are easy and they are very important.

From all the third gens that I had and have worked on the air dam needs to sit either straight down with a slight tilt towards the front of the car, or its tilted even further (but not too much). If they are bending back to where the air might start flowing under the car than its probably something you don't want.

 

guys, my email notification on this thread wasn't working properly, so i just read these posts. Thank you for your responses. i bought a new one and it is making a small difference. for 30 bux it was worth the swap.