87 type air dam on 79 C-20

[bobcooter]

  Has anybody ever put one of those front air dams like on the 87's on the older body style like on my 1979 C-20? I kind of like the look and it would have to help keep some of the air from getting under the truck. There is a lot of exposed frame and suspension.
 I made a short one myself  just goofing around one rainy Saturday a while back about 36' x 5 1/2" and it seemed to smooth out the ride a little. It reminds me of the 69 MACH I's. I know I will probably have to fab up a bracket for support in the center. Thanks in advance.

[Captkaos]

Smooth out the ride with the Air Dam?
The 81-87 air dams bolt to the bumper, and the 73-80's don't have these mounting points.

[VileZambonie]

They make these http://www.octanemotorsports.com/popup_image.php?pID=2354&image=0&osCsid=jdcrvl68jo8e2l389dfaba6575

http://www.octanemotorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=2354&cPath=5248#googlebase

[bobcooter]

Yeah Capt it did smooth out just a little. Are you making fun of me? Squat down and look at a 73-80 from the front and see just how much junk is sticking out in the air below the bumper. If you can keep the air out from under the truck it makes a difference in the ride and helps with fuel economy. That big crossmember and suspension parts just whip up the air under your truck. Just about all the driving I do everyday is on the Interstate. Just cruising along on a two lane road you don't notice it. I know the 73-80's did not have one but I thought I saw a drawing somewhere showing the 81-87's mounting below and behind the bumper with a brace between the core support and the bumper in the center. When you first look at it it looks like it's bolted to the bumper but it's really not. That's why I was thinking about grafting one on. I musta been dreamin'.
 Oh well, thanks and thanks for links Vile. Those are pretty slick looking.

[HAULIN IT]

Bob, Yes this can be done, but as Capt. mentioned, it's not a 10 min. bolt-on deal. I did one on a 4x4 in about '88 or '89 'cause a friend wanted it on his truck. The square corners were rounded off of the flat lip, the holes need drilled in the bottom of the bumper (& from what I remember, new holes needed drilled in the air dam also because it would sit too far back looking dumb from the side) & I used a universal fender brace angled down from the rad support on each rear corner to hold the side in place (yes , the sides looked bolted to the bumper but were really mounted to the rad support). All in all, it looked fine & wasn't that big of a deal, I wouldn't have bothered for my truck, but to each his own. Lorne

[bobcooter]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[got2haul]

They make these http://www.octanemotorsports.com/popup_image.php?pID=2354&image=0&osCsid=jdcrvl68jo8e2l389dfaba6575

http://www.octanemotorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=2354&cPath=5248#googlebase

I always liked these!

[three8six]

Yea those look like their out of an 80's police movie....in a good way

[team39763]

I made a little sheetmetal air dam for my race truck.  I was thinking the same as you...it should reduce the air going under the truck and smooth out the ride and help with aerodynamics.  Mine looked like crap, but it was my first attempt at it.  Mine was more like a chin spoiler I think.

[bobcooter]

  Well I think you just discribed mine too. It's been raining alot down here and I had to do something one Saturday just to get out of the house. I had a little piece of sheetmetal about about 36" long and 1/16" thick and a piece of angle iron. It just bolts to the frame under the bumper. And it does look like a chin spolier, kind of like the ones on the front of the 69 MACH I's but not so rounded off. I really could tell a difference in the ride on the Interstate. It's kind of funky looking but I think I've left it on too long now because I am kind of starting to like it. LOL! I kind of like the look of the black factory ones too. (When their not cracked from dragging them on the pavement)
  Good looks don't always equal good functionality. The BEST bug deflector I ever had was one of those old, ugly, flat ones that just stuck straight up in front of the hood. Hardly anything touched my glass.

[SUX2BU99]

I had one on my truck and I really liked the looks of it, but it got pretty trashed from my steep driveway and my truck being lowered. I think I had a 4x4 one, since it was pretty deep. I see that one company who sells the stock type ones has shorter 2wd ones and deeper 4x4 ones. Mine just bolted to what looked like factory-drilled holes in the bottom of the bumper. No other braces were present.

[team39763]

Mine got messed up too.  It used to scrape everytime I put the truck on or off the trailer.  And then when I broke my driveshaft, the tow truck hooked a chain under the truck and it trashed the spoiler as he pulled me.  I'm gonna hammer mine flat and see if I can throw it on there again.