AeroCaps and Cooling Drag
Hey Brett aka Bondo, one thing I noticed - with the wedge caps, aerocaps, and aerolids, we have less drag, but also - less power required to simply drive and so - less heat in the engine: Stock Temp Gauge in my 2008 Dakota with the Aerocap of mine seems to never make it up to the 50% Temp Mark, usually running at about 35 - 40% of Max, no matter the Outside Air Temperature (OAT)!
So - it would seem to me that the required co-related mod would be the front grills intake airflow to be blocked, or cleaned up and reduced, so that the heat engine - actually heats up better! Less cooling drag = leass total drag = warmer running engine, and a cold engine at idle in my pickup runs about 4.2 Litres of fuel per hour (per the ScanGauge) versus about 1.9 LPH or even 1.7 LPH when idling warm (In neutral, with no tranny load, stopped at lights).
I am sure that if we started with the front airflow mod first - and then added the aerocaps of choice - that to get the temps back up to the 50% or mid-point would then require an update on the grill block, and adding a flat belly pan - further reducing drag would again require less power and need the front grill block updated once again. Same for rear wheel pizza covers or smooth hubcaps and the step up of rear wheel skirts.
Robert.
Last edited by electricman; 10-04-2009 at 03:45 PM..
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