Truck undersides smoothing idea

[Blu3Z3rg]

I was looking at some of the best places to improve on my aerodynamics cheaply, and I found a couple places that note the space between the framerail and the body panels of a truck.

I have some foamboard available (2" X 8' X 4' X as many as i want) and was thinking of filling this big void.
Do you guys think this stuff is road worthy? I don't know how I would secure it up there. Any ideas on that?
Any other ideas to do with this foamboard?

[t vago]

You could make an aerocap out of that foam. I wouldn't place it on the underside of your truck, because of its flammability and nearness to the exhaust.

[mcrews]

If you do a search for 'underbelly pans' there are probably 5-8 different completed vehicles that you could look at and get some really great ideas............

oh look, there's a link right in my signature box......

[BamZipPow]

My T-100 truck under belly pan...

[BeatUpRanger]

Originally Posted by BamZipPow

My T-100 truck under belly pan...

I looked at your thread. Real nice. Do you have any problems with speed bumps in regard to your side skirts?

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by BeatUpRanger

I looked at your thread. Real nice. Do you have any problems with speed bumps in regard to your side skirts?

Only if the truck is loaded down and the speed bump is one of those new/tall ones. On steep driveways it will scrape when I'm high centered...but that's why I used Coroplast.

I'm looking to move to the conveyor belt material. Just have to git motivated to buy some and have it shipped.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Blu3Z3rg

I was looking at some of the best places to improve on my aerodynamics cheaply, and I found a couple places that note the space between the framerail and the body panels of a truck.

I have some foamboard available (2" X 8' X 4' X as many as i want) and was thinking of filling this big void.
Do you guys think this stuff is road worthy? I don't know how I would secure it up there. Any ideas on that?
Any other ideas to do with this foamboard?

This image gets posted somewhat regularly on here:


GMC Truck Division found three areas to tweak that netted a combined 2+mpg increase. So, I think filling this void is certainly a worthwhile endeavor.

I used corrugated plastic on a frame made of steel strapping (see thread in sig). I planned on covering the voids on the frame rails with the same construction, I just haven't gotten to it yet.

[busypaws]

Has anyone thought about getting a plastic bed liner from the junk yard to make underbody, wheel spats, fairings ...

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by busypaws

Has anyone thought about getting a plastic bed liner from the junk yard to make underbody, wheel spats, fairings ...

Yes, it's been done by ngrimm - possibly others as well.

Old bed liner for belly pan

[graydonengineering]

This is my work in progress thread. So far I have the front 2/3 of the underbody covered as well as boxed in the front wheel wells. It has been a lot of work but the reasuls have been amazing! The drag reduction is like adding 20hp to my truck and actually spending less on gas at the same time.

Frontier pickup belly pan project