Missing air dam (2017 Sport)

[MacAttack_14]

So, this truck has good bones and the engine purrs but it's been an enigma since I bought it a month ago. So far I've replaced both front wheel well liners (they were hacked to pieces), the radiator cover (which was completely missing) and cleaned and fluid filmed the undercarriage, doors, etc.
While replacing the wheel liners I spotted a couple of brackets behind the front bumper, just hanging there. So I've done some research and discovered there should be an air dam there.
Could someone please point me to the correct part and a supplier that you trust? I bought the wheel liners at two different times from two different suppliers. The driver's fit like a glove but the passenger's wasn't even close and took me all day to modify. pulling it out, marking it, and putting it back in several times.

On a side note: even though I listened for the Hemi tick before purchase, I found a broken exhaust manifold bolt on the passenger side. And although I didn't measure carefully, I think it may be broken inside the head. If I'm lucky it's a least flush with the head mating surface. But the lucky, although weird thing is, I think the manifold is rusted hard to the bolt because there's still no tick. Even so, I'll eventually get around to replacing the manifolds and bolts.

Sorry for the poor pics but the weather right now isn't conducive to laying under the truck.

 

[alpinegreenneon]

Contact Benny [email protected] for the correct part number and maybe a good deal. I ran into a snow bank a few years ago and it shattered. New one should fit perfectly from any of the Mopar parts online sites. You may need the push pin fasteners as well.

 

[HarryS]

I bought an aftermarket one from Ebay and it wasn't close to a good fit. I threw it away. I'd suggest spending the extra $ and get OEM.

 

[MacAttack_14]

I've contacted allmoparparts.com, good call. I don't want any more parts that aren't even close to fitting.
At least we didn't get the 9-12 inches of snow they were calling for. I don't have the truck ready for that yet, lol.

 

[Dean2]

Your post doesn't say what model you have. No idea what shipping would be but I did send the tow hooks and brackets that were removed at the same time, to New York last year and they are really heavy. That was only $120.



I have the air damn off a 2021 2500 that I removed when I put my winch on the front if that would help. If there is anyone local interested PM me..

 

[David H]

Could someone please point me to the correct part and a supplier that you trust?

You could start by googling this.

Air Dam - Mopar (68033135AA)​

Looks like 80 bucks is a typical price for OE and a number of vendors carry this.

 

[Ocelot]

I believe the air dam is just held on with push pins that go straight up. Those mounts you circled in the photo are for other things. I think the square ones are for a plow mount. I don't know your year, but check this which looks like 2009-2024 and has the diagram of where it goes:

https://store.mopar.com/oem-parts/mopar-air-dam-68033135aa

 

[Dean2]

Agree

I believe the air dam is just held on with push pins that go straight up. Those mounts you circled in the photo are for other things. I think the square ones are for a plow mount. I don't know your year, but check this which looks like 2009-2024 and has the diagram of where it goes:

https://store.mopar.com/oem-parts/mopar-air-dam-68033135aa

Agreed, my 2021, 2500 air damn is all push pins.

 

[MacAttack_14]

Sorry fellas, the year and model were in the post title, 2017 quad cab sport. I did discover that those rectangular mounts were for either a plow or the tow hooks but the flimsy plastic horizontal bars (with the rusty clips) still have me perplexed. I don't think they are for the air dam. And from my research, it appears that the 2017 has mostly push pins but with one or two 10mm bolts on each side.
Thanks for the links and part numbers! Maybe I'm making too much of this but it seems like the air dam would keep the undercarriage cleaner and make the truck a wee bit more aerodynamic. Plus I just want this beast to be complete, ya know?

 

[British Bulldog]

OP, how do you know it had one originally? Some trucks did, some didn’t.
During Covid, my 21 truck had “air dam delete” on the window sticker and I was credited $80.00.
I don’t know if, not having one, it is a simple matter to put one in. How do you get it to work?
Sorry, just questions. I’d hate for you to keep going and get one only to find you weren’t outfitted from new and now need EXTRA stuff to make it operate. Just a thought to dwell on……

 

[MacAttack_14]

OP, how do you know it had one originally? Some trucks did, some didn’t.
During Covid, my 21 truck had “air dam delete” on the window sticker and I was credited $80.00.
I don’t know if, not having one, it is a simple matter to put one in. How do you get it to work?
Sorry, just questions. I’d hate for you to keep going and get one only to find you weren’t outfitted from new and now need EXTRA stuff to make it operate. Just a thought to dwell on……

All good points. I don't know for sure that it had one, just that there's weird, unused brackets under there that look like something was removed. I'll check the bumper for the proper holes. But a couple of things...

1.You might be thinking of the air dam that retracts when not needed (or whatnot) but I think this truck just had a static air dam. More of a front spoiler, if you will. I've seen lots of posts where "mudders" remove them to give them more ground clearance and this truck has definitely seen some mud.

2. My window sticker has no such statement about anything being deleted.

So, I think it's a good bet that this truck had one and that it was removed. Like I said, this truck has good bones and no body rust, with only 67k miles, but she was mistreated, if you ask me, and needs some TLC. I'm retiring in, uhh...two weeks?! so this needs to be my forever truck. Teachers don't get rich teaching and they certainly don't after retiring

 

[alpinegreenneon]

The build sheet should show everything it came with from the factory. Type your VIN (all caps) in the following link:

FCA RAM

fcacommunity.force.com

 

[British Bulldog]

Oops. Yes I was thinking of the auto one. And congratulations! Good luck in Retirement! I hope if you get bored you don’t need go back to (unpaid) volunteer teaching assistant! Hee hee. I’m retired too and it can only occasion get……slow!

 

[MacAttack_14]

Oops. Yes I was thinking of the auto one. And congratulations! Good luck in Retirement! I hope if you get bored you don’t need go back to (unpaid) volunteer teaching assistant! Hee hee. I’m retired too and it can only occasion get……slow!

Uhhh....I'm not allowed to talk about going back for 90 days after retiring. But I've heard that faculty sometimes do that, lol. But not for free! One class a year might be nice. Painting would be my choice. It's fun to teach and the students keep me young

 

[MacAttack_14]

The build sheet should show everything it came with from the factory. Type your VIN (all caps) in the following link:

FCA RAM

fcacommunity.force.com

Thanks for the link. A build sheet is always nice to have. I never did find one for my '71 Cutlass. Not that it matters now. It's pretty much a completely different car with all the mods I've done.

 

[MacAttack_14]

In all the videos I've watched about removing or replacing the air dam, I've not seen these weird brackets (highlighted in yellow). I'll try to get better pics later this week. They are very flimsy and easily can be rocked by hand. There's one on each side.

 

[MacAttack_14]

Update: after watching several videos and getting under the truck again, those brackets are part of the "front bumper energy absorber" and the part highlighted above bolts to the bottom valance (air dam). My understanding is that this is somewhat particular to the Sport model.

 

[MacAttack_14]

This is the absorber with what I thought was two separate brackets.

 

[MacAttack_14]

Sooo.......AllMoparParts.com wants $80 for the valance. Reasonable. But $400 for shipping? Not as reasonable. I'm going to have to go through Amazon
Wish me luck.

 

[Adamcr68]

Sooo.......AllMoparParts.com wants $80 for the valance. Reasonable. But $400 for shipping? Not as reasonable. I'm going to have to go through Amazon
Wish me luck.

I have a 15’ that I removed the valance when I leveled my truck, yours if you want it, not positive it would work for you & not sure I kept the hardware, as I trimmed the edge.
No cracks but a few scrapes/rubs on it, all done before I got the truck of course.
I have it a my MIL’s, could post a pic. next time I’m there, I’ve worked at a moving company for 30 years so packing to ship definitely not a problem & would think shipping it would be less than the 400$ you mentioned.
My MIL is a retired teacher & my SIL is a teacher so I have a ton of respect for your profession.