Ranger Aerodynamics

[RustedRanger]

Some of the newer cars have air extractors on the fenders also....but then so did some of the older cars like the late 70's Z-28's and T/A's. I liked that Mythbusters cause I had always wondered how texture affects drag. I read in an old book that some late 60's NASCARs used vinyl tops to gain some top end. "Smoothing" the underside helps also. I probably wont do anything to my truck unless it's really cheap or next to free lol

 

[88gt]

Check out ecomodder.com there's a LOT of good aerodynamics info on there. One guy on there came up with an angled bed cap that let him get somewhere in the ballpark of 22mpg out of his superduty if remember correctly.

if there is one of these that is clear plexiglass for a ranger i would buy it. would proably put the mpg's up real good...maybe the mid-20's

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

They do make fiberglass front ends for first and second generation Rangers that from the firewall forward makes them look like a new truck... might look for one that doesn't have huge fender flares. Even then though, the newer Ranger's don't get much better milage.

 

[MountainMike]

Boys, boys, boys....

AeroCivic it

http://www.aerocivic.com/

 

[TheTopher]

He's actually one of the guys on that forum I mentioned, and he's not the only guy who's done that.

 

[AllanD]

There really is very little yyou can do to the front, but a few minor touches...

Like on the "angled" part of the hood some "V" shaped vortex generators to help the air go over the sharp edge...

Don't louver the hood, introducing more air into the high pressure area that builds up in fromt of the windshield? Just say no.

Where any real gains are is in setting the truck as low as possible
deepening the chin spoiler, and helping air fill in the low pressure
areas you wind up dragging around.

And as the archer brothers discovered 20-ish years ago back in the days of the short lived SCCA sport trucks. lower the BACK suspension as much as possible

Why?

You'll love this...

The single greatest area that reduces drag that was legal?

Reducing the windshield setback angle.

The more they could tilt the windshield back the faster the trucks would go on the big ovals

AD

 

[racsan]

add a 'glass cap, you also get a little more weight over the rear axle that way, reduces wheelhop on wet roads when cornering. dad once gained fuel milage in winter just by getting rid of wheel slippage, he had a load of wood in the truck for the week and didnt have to fuel up in the middle of the week, after that he put a old iron plow in the bed for winter. areodynamic wise, its a brick pretty much. you could ruin it and do a chopped-top and try to lower it. but id just get a "commuter" vehicle first before ruining a good truck.

 

[EnglishDan]

I often see people driving around with their tailgate down and nothing in the bed, the only reason I can think of is, they are trying to cut the wind resistance that the bed is catching.
However, going over bumps at speed could damage the tailgate.
If your really bothered about mpg - try this for a week to see if it makes any real difference before you spend $300 on a cover!

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I often see people driving around with their tailgate down and nothing in the bed, the only reason I can think of is, they are trying to cut the wind resistance that the bed is catching.
However, going over bumps at speed could damage the tailgate.
If your really bothered about mpg - try this for a week to see if it makes any real difference before you spend $300 on a cover!

It actually makes your mileage worse by leaving the gate down... Mythbusters as well as the wind tunnle have already proved that. The tailgate being up creates a vortex inside the bed and does something and makes the air pass over better. Ever wonder why garbage and leave fly to the front of the bed by the window before they fly away?

 

[RustedRanger]

I saw the show on Mythbusters about the tail gate....but.....I just wished they would have used a regular cab long bed. I know the only accurate way to check mpg's is filling up and checking the mileage and I did that a few times last summer,mine was averaging around 22 mpg with mostly country,highway driving. I been leaving my tailgate down and it seems to use a little less pedal at 55,I don't think it's any worse as far as mpg. From what Allan said maybe air vents on the fenders would do better then hood vents. Trucks really are a different ballgame when it comes to aerodynamics.

 

[chittybangbang]

Boys, boys, boys....

AeroCivic it

http://www.aerocivic.com/

Go down the page and you'll find this.I think that deer was launched 30 feet up in the tree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJ0fJN10YY

 

[Jay FX4]

Go down the page and you'll find this.I think that deer was launched 30 feet up in the tree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJ0fJN10YY

I L'ed OL, but that was so fake.....

 

[GoodOld85BlueBalls]

Boys, boys, boys....

AeroCivic it

http://www.aerocivic.com/

Now why didn't we think of that?

I would rather look gay and get 90 mpg than look cool and get 13 mpg. I am going to start my own aerocivic project. I think I finally found my calling.

 

[EnglishDan]

As the wind passes over the cab a percentage is pulled back causing the 'vortex' Tailgate up or down will make very little difference to this percentage, true. However the rest of the air is trapped by the tailgate. Place a plastic cup near the tailgate and drive, then try again with the tailgate down and see what happens - I personally never drive with the tailgate down.

 

[Hopman]

The only time I drive with the tailgate down is if I'm hauling something long, and even then I make sure it (the load) is strapped down good & tight!