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Petti the Yeti · 06-13-2011, 07:07 PM

Hey everyone. I've been lurking over here for the past couple of months or so, and finally decided to start posting.

I recently replaced my aging '97 Toyota T100 (3.4L V6 auto) with an '06 Ford Ranger (2.3L V4 5 spd) to start working on getting more fuel economy out of my fill ups. Not to mention it will be much easier to find parts for if I manage to break something.

Now, it's going to take me quite a few years to match my purchase (and inevitable upgrade and maintenance) cost to fuel savings as it is, so I'm looking to work on some aero-mods for it to hopefully get it evened out faster, not to mention bragging rights to all my 4x4 buddies who only get 13mpg.

Here are my current plans:

1 - 2 or 3 inch drop
2 - Aero-cap bed cover
3 - Bumpers and side skirts
4 - Full length belly pan
5 - Fender skirts or hub covers
6 - New wheels and lightweight rims

Keep in mind, this is all going to be spaced out over a few years, probably. In the meantime, I will be using the hypermiling tips here to increase what I can without spending money. But I do have a few questions about all of this:

1 - For the suspension drop, has anyone done testing to see what kind of effect this will have on the MPG? I have heard most people say it will help, but no one could seem to agree on HOW MUCH it would help. Anyone have any experience?

2/3 - For fabricating the Aero-cap, bumpers, side skirts, and fender skirts, what is usually the best way to get them started? I have been looking at foam insulation to cut and mold before fiberglassing, but is that the cheapest/most effective way to do something like this? I have practically zero experience with any of this, so is it also noob friendly?

4 - For the belly pan, I was thinking of using some thin aluminum sheeting, similar to what you might find on the side of a shed or something. Has anyone used this type of material in this application before? I would like more input on how easy it is to form, install, what kind of MPG gains I would be looking at after the suspension drop, etc..

5a - For the fender skirts, I am worried about how I would be taking the tires off. Most of the fender skirts I have seen pictures of looked to be mostly permanent, which looks like they made it nearly impossible to get access to the tire to change flats and such. Anyone have some ideas on how I could do these "properly" so to speak?

5b/6 - For the hub covers, in the short run, I would probably be doing the pizza pan trick I have seen around these boards, but in the long run, I would like to get some custom rims that are essentially the same thing, except that they would be light weight, and support the tires themselves. In other words, I would be looking to decrease rolling weight and resistance. Sound like a good plan, or is it unnecessary?

Thanks in advance.

06-13-2011, 07:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
Petti the Yeti EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: KY/TN Border Posts: 7 R.I.P. - '06 Ford Ranger XLT 90 day: 15.1 mpg (US) Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Stock Ranger from TN checking in Hey everyone. I've been lurking over here for the past couple of months or so, and finally decided to start posting. I recently replaced my aging '97 Toyota T100 (3.4L V6 auto) with an '06 Ford Ranger (2.3L V4 5 spd) to start working on getting more fuel economy out of my fill ups. Not to mention it will be much easier to find parts for if I manage to break something. Now, it's going to take me quite a few years to match my purchase (and inevitable upgrade and maintenance) cost to fuel savings as it is, so I'm looking to work on some aero-mods for it to hopefully get it evened out faster, not to mention bragging rights to all my 4x4 buddies who only get 13mpg. Here are my current plans: 1 - 2 or 3 inch drop 2 - Aero-cap bed cover 3 - Bumpers and side skirts 4 - Full length belly pan 5 - Fender skirts or hub covers 6 - New wheels and lightweight rims Keep in mind, this is all going to be spaced out over a few years, probably. In the meantime, I will be using the hypermiling tips here to increase what I can without spending money. But I do have a few questions about all of this: 1 - For the suspension drop, has anyone done testing to see what kind of effect this will have on the MPG? I have heard most people say it will help, but no one could seem to agree on HOW MUCH it would help. Anyone have any experience? 2/3 - For fabricating the Aero-cap, bumpers, side skirts, and fender skirts, what is usually the best way to get them started? I have been looking at foam insulation to cut and mold before fiberglassing, but is that the cheapest/most effective way to do something like this? I have practically zero experience with any of this, so is it also noob friendly? 4 - For the belly pan, I was thinking of using some thin aluminum sheeting, similar to what you might find on the side of a shed or something. Has anyone used this type of material in this application before? I would like more input on how easy it is to form, install, what kind of MPG gains I would be looking at after the suspension drop, etc.. 5a - For the fender skirts, I am worried about how I would be taking the tires off. Most of the fender skirts I have seen pictures of looked to be mostly permanent, which looks like they made it nearly impossible to get access to the tire to change flats and such. Anyone have some ideas on how I could do these "properly" so to speak? 5b/6 - For the hub covers, in the short run, I would probably be doing the pizza pan trick I have seen around these boards, but in the long run, I would like to get some custom rims that are essentially the same thing, except that they would be light weight, and support the tires themselves. In other words, I would be looking to decrease rolling weight and resistance. Sound like a good plan, or is it unnecessary? Thanks in advance.