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silly looking air deflector(Update: Easily Removable)

381 Views 11 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  tacosupreme, 
WrenchMonkey
The first change I will make to my new Tacoma is removing this silly air deflector:
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mikemp71
:sick: it's probably to help eke out an extra 0.2 MPG on the freeway
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T
That sucker is huge and do we know exactly why it is so big?

Is that only on some trims? That could help me pick which model I get.

Edit: a quick check shows that it is not on the TRD Pro or Trailhunter but is on the TRD Sport.

Maybe this is Toyota's way to "encourage" to toward an upper trim. lol
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TacoTuesday
Confirming that it's definitely removable. I've seen two first-look videos that specifically mention you can take it off with something like nine bolts -- all of which are easily accessible
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TacoGuy
TacoTuesday said:
Confirming that it's definitely removable. I've seen two first-look videos that specifically mention you can take it off with something like nine bolts -- all of which are easily accessible
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Sweet that's nice and easy to deal with. That's something I'd remove immediately.

www.thedrive.com

Why the 2024 Toyota Tacoma Has Such a Huge Air Dam

It’s a necessary evil to make sure that the new Tacoma gets good fuel economy while retaining ground clearance.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com

"The air dam is part of the aerodynamic package. These trucks, we've lifted them pretty tall, they got wider, they got a little bit taller, that means our coefficient of drag x area increased which means the drag on the truck increased” said Brown.

Basically, the air dam redirects air around the extremely draggy front wheels and gives the truck much better aerodynamics. Most of the concern surrounding the air dam was concerning ground clearance, but Brown also addressed this and revealed that the air dam can be easily removed in the field if need be.
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T
That also explains why the more hard core offroad versions do not come with the air dam, since it would no doubt reduce approach angles. It is probably primarily there to increase fleet fuel mileage and taking that off will be one of the first mods many owners do.
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TacoFreak said:
That also explains why the more hard core offroad versions do not come with the air dam, since it would no doubt reduce approach angles. It is probably primarily there to increase fleet fuel mileage and taking that off will be one of the first mods many owners do.
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Yup, good for fuel economy if you drive on-road. Chevy does this a LOT... and quite aggressively.
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TacoTuesday
Am I weird for kinda liking the look of the air dam? I think especially on the blue TRD Sport and gray PreRunner, it looks kinda cool.
For sure, I'd take it off if I were headed off-road, but for street driving I don't mind it at all.
Maybe it'll look terrible in person, but I'm open.
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T
I think that it is hard to determine how the air dam actually looks just from photos. I also think it looks fine on some of the trucks, particularly the TRD Sport. I have had a Sport and an OffRoad and they are two of my top choices.

It might look fine when we actually get to see a truck, and if not I will just have to buy a TRD Pro. I have had worse choices!
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tacosupreme
TacoTuesday said:
Am I weird for kinda liking the look of the air dam? I think especially on the blue TRD Sport and gray PreRunner, it looks kinda cool.
For sure, I'd take it off if I were headed off-road, but for street driving I don't mind it at all.
Maybe it'll look terrible in person, but I'm open.
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My thoughts exactly, I don't get the outrage. The vast majority of these Tacomas drive on paved local roads and freeways. Definitely going to keep the air deflector, it probably helps that the body color my Taco will be black.
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T
The outrage photos are all shot from a very low perspective, which greatly exaggerates the air dam. When you see these truck on the road or a trail I bet they will look good and make sense.

I would be interested in seeing what the approach angle for the TRD Off-Road is compared to the TRD Pro, which does not have an air dam. The Off-Road has always been a good value and very capable off the pavement and this new one can be upgraded with many of the same TRD parts as the Pro. So I would not expect its approach angle to be a lot less than the Pro.

Maybe they are trying to make more space between those models, moving the TRD Off-Road down a bit and the TRD Pro up to be their true off roading champ.
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tacosupreme
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TacoFreak said:
The outrage photos are all shot from a very low perspective, which greatly exaggerates the air dam. When you see these truck on the road or a trail I bet they will look good and make sense.

I would be interested in seeing what the approach angle for the TRD Off-Road is compared to the TRD Pro, which does not have an air dam. The Off-Road has always been a good value and very capable off the pavement and this new one can be upgraded with many of the same TRD parts as the Pro. So I would not expect its approach angle to be a lot less than the Pro.

Maybe they are trying to make more space between those models, moving the TRD Off-Road down a bit and the TRD Pro up to be their true off roading champ.
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Seeing it in other photos, videos and ultimately in person should help.
It doesn't look too bad on this Limited.
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