Jason,
If your looking for the ultimate aero package check out the Pikes Peak
challenger from Toyota... Looks like they grafted a 65 Barracuda window to
the back of the cab. doesn't even look like a truck anymore... And
seriously, Once the flow has separated off the edge of the truck's cab, your
pretty hosed aerodynamically anyhow, Tonneau or no Tonneau. The separation
layer acts as an additional chunk of cab, effectively making your little Dak
truck look like a Mack truck in the wind tunnel (Just think how big a Mack
truck must look without aerodynamics in the wind tunnel)...You need to
smoothly transition the air over the bed from the cab! The 2/3rds cover
moved to the rear starts sounding like a good initial approach with the
racing Tacoma bubble back being the ultimate for aerodynamic purposes...
.02
BKB
-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Jennings [mailto:jason@spray-tech.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 07, 1999 12:56 PM
To: 'dakota-truck@buffnet.net'
Subject: RE: DML: RE: R/T bedliner
I to agree with the fact that I should only be concerned with the rear
of the bed and truck..... I personally fear the extra weight vs. air
flow on the track. Open high hay runs are more costly in the drag
factor when thinking in terms of gas mileage. I can see the line
between traction and excessive weight. I plan to make a few runs w/ the
bed as is.... And contemplate coving the bed with something after I
have a few ets in the book. Sorry, I hate to disappoint everyone, but I
can't take this one as a truck..... If I wanted a truck in it's name.
I would have kept my '97 Ram and all of its' dents & scratches.
Jason
1/7/99 3:57 PM
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Shook [SMTP:gary.shook@mci.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 07, 1999 2:56 PM
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
Subject: Re: DML: RE: R/T bedliner
I hate to break it to all three of you, but results from 2 of
the big 3
automakers (you guess which 2) showed that covering the bed of a
pickup
truck did little, if anything to improve the aerodynamics.
I know this sounds hard to believe, but with their
experimentation the only
thing found to make a measureable improvement (and still very
marginal) was
to cover the rear 2/3s of the bed with a hard, slick surface and
leave the
front 1/3 UNCOVERED!
The theory is that there is just turbulence behind the cab at
speeds where
it would make a difference, and not smooth airflow- disrupting
turbulence
does nothing, it's already disturbed ;-)
So in theory, your ET's make go UP when adding a lid, unless the
extra
weight gives you more traction that you need. Personally, I'd
take it for
what it is- a TRUCK, and give up on aerodynamics, unless you're
worried
about airflow into the engine!
Just my 2 copper/zinc discs...
Gary Shook
>True...however the lid will ad wait, and with the line, lookout
heavy
>boy. That is one of my biggest concerns. That chute thing
called a
>short bed. Even with the tail gate down or off, it will pull
on the
>truck like a mother. I would slap a lid on it, but the
slapping can
>only start w/ a few dollars from my end..... I was thinking of
a mat
<snip>
> faster you run it. The more potential drag may arise???? The
spray on
> kind is not getting my best thoughts either???? The spray on
has a
> massive rough surface.... My opinion.....Leave it untouched
and just
<snip>
> That is just completely ridiculous, in my opinion of course!
in case you
> didn't know, having an open bed is like a dragging parachute,
if you are
going
> to be eating fords of the road then you need to be installing
a lid. I
drive
> a 98 sports plus with a rhino spray-on and a gaylord lid. once
you have a
lid
> it doesn't matter what surface is in your bed and the real
drag again is
the
> open bed!!!!
<snip>
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