I had a small plastic tray in the bed of my truck one day, wound out 3rd
gear (not on a highway of course.....) and looked in the rearview
mirror...
the tray was "floating" in the middle of the bed, at the rear-view mirror
level, it "floated" there for about 1/2mile, when I got to my destination,
it was laying happily in the bed....
_________________________
Jon Smith--Raleigh, NC
95 318 4x4 CC auto
www4.ncsu.edu/~jdsmith4
fast4x4@digivill.net
Crane 2030 awaiting install
> Matt I have to agree with you big time on this one. My 85 3/4 4X4 Ram I
think
> got a little less mileage with the tailgate down. (And that muther drank
> premium gas like it was water) Realistically it was hard to notice, but
I
> think it was a consistent half a MPG for highway miles. Consumer
reports
did
> a long term test a couple years ago and claimed that it lowered mileage
as
> well with the TG down. And I've heard reports that at highway speeds in
the
> rain with the tailgate down, without the separated air bubble effect you
run a
> much higher risk of having the rear wheels hydroplane on you becaus it
> actually has a lifting effect. Hmmm.. do they run without tailgates in
the
> Nascar Truck series? I'm not sure. Don't watch it much.. Just my .0005
cents
> worth...
>
> --- Matt wrote --
>
> big snip---
> The subject of the tailgate up or down and its effects on fuel mileage
and
> drag has always been a hot topic . Most people are either in one side of
the
> fence or the other. I have had 3 trucks, 84 Ram, 85 F-150, and now the
Dak.
> I have experimented with the tailgate down/up and have never seen any
> increased MPG with it down.
>
> Lockhead Aircraft did wind tunnel testing on trucks in the 90's with
> tailgate up and down and actually found that leaving the gate up created
> less drag than putting the gate down!! A "separated air bubble" forms
in
> the bed of the truck at highway speed which lets the air flow freely
over
> the tailgate.
>
>
>
>
-- Jon Smith Raleigh, NC fast4x4@digivill.net www4.ncsu.edu/~jdsmith4BellSouth SUCKS!!!!
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