jeep aero mod ideas

[johnpr]

ok ive been mulling over some ideas for my wrangler, i have mentioned an idea for a slant back top, and have been wanting to do a grill block etc etc. so here is a list and a (somewhat cruddy) drawing of my ideas.

*grill block
*add a fuel door
*belly pan
*close gap between front fender and bumper
*possible rear wheel skirt (still not sold on the idea)
*make a hard top,

ok the top is really the biggest thing, many people dont like doing aeromods because they have to permanently change the vehicle, possibly killing resale, well the jeep has a removable top so no harm, no fowl. what i am curious about, what should i use for angles A and B and i know that the longer i make it the better, but i think i am only willing to add an extra 3 ft to the end of my jeep (dimension c)

*removable "windshield extension" - light blue region

i am going to be towing the beast across country this summer and i think that having this would help with FE but not sure, i will be towing it behind my 2007 4 dr wrangler which i hope to also do a top for.

so any other ideas i should try or any other advice?

also, there are a few things i wont/ cant do they are

*lower vehicle
*narrower tires
*air dam (i feel this would increase the front area too much and i plan on a belly pan so...)

other than those i am pretty willing to entertain other ideas, and yes radical ideas are good, for instance i entertained folding the windshield down and making a top that would cover my seats thus drastically reducing frontal area but alas i need the room for cargo. also when i tow the vehicle i will have the tires aired up to max safe amount.

john

[johnpr]

also not that it matters but this specific jeep (in the picture) is not mine, i have steel rims a brush guard and a winch on mine, to most people thats not a big difference but to some it is, also, i was thinking of making disks to cover my rims but not sure yet

[Red]

How far do your tires stick out beyond the flares? Even with the OEM Goodyears, I had enough sidewall out side to prevent a good rear wheel cover.

Any belly ideas? Dragging the front axle around has to add a fair amount of drag. Same with our open engine bays. Been toying with the idea of getting some mud flaps or rubber sheet or something and extending the factory splash guards down to where my engine skid mounts, sealing the engine compartment and ideally smoothing out that area.

We mainly need a new windshield.....

[Cd]

I had to ask : Why ?

Actually since you are starting with just about the most un-aerodynamic vehicle on the road, you could see some real improvements from aero. mods whereas we folks with our jelly bean cars will really have to get radical with our changes to see any difference.
Also, Jeeps are such 'rough ' vehicles that you could have a clear PVC boattail and it wouldn't look all that out of place. ( But the whole pile of junk would come crashing to the ground once you hit one pot hole . )

Do you have a 2WD or a 4WD ?

[johnpr]

im thinking of doing a full belly pan, the axles are the only problem that ive seen so far, my wheels dont stick out from the wheel wells at (surprising seeing as it originally had 215 width tires and now has 235's).

as for why.... well i love jeeps, its how i ended up with a brick on 4 wheels, the only thing i dont like is the impact on the environment, hence the reasoning for wanting to do some aeromods (gas prices dont really bother me if that where the case i would just convert it to electric lol) as for the boattail, i plan on making it a little sturdier than pvc, i will be making a full top with the tail integrated in so as to make it one structural "self supporting" piece, it will definately be fiberglass (with plexi windows) and probably have a foam core and a wood frame, i have experience working with fiberglass so this isnt tat huge of a project for me.

and for reference it is 4WD

john

[Cd]

Originally Posted by johnpr

as for why.... well i love jeeps, its how i ended up with a brick on 4 wheels, the only thing i dont like is the impact on the environment, hence the reasoning for wanting to do some aeromods
john

Funny you should say that because I just ran across an electric Jeep much like yours. The guy claims it climbs over stuff no problem.
I 'll have to find the link.

As far as modding a Jeep because that is what you love, more power to ya !

And as you know ... going with a 2WD setup would result in better fuel economy .... but why ? It's a Jeep and Jeeps almost need 4WD !

[Red]

All real jeeps have 4WD Its only on the recent generation, the JKs that 2WD is offered.

I've seen an electric ZJ, but never seen an electric TJ. Any links .Cd? Would be cool an EV TJ.

Another hang up on the belly pan is the LCA. Although it would only affect your TJ since they hang below the frame, the JKs are almost parallel.

[DifferentPointofView]

All real jeeps have 4WD Its only on the recent generation, the JKs that 2WD is offered.

hey!

Your boat tail will not do anything if there is no air flow attachment. Jeeps have such a high windshield angle, that the air doesn't re-attach to the roof of your jeep, and just whooshes upward into the sky, as you can tell during the rain .

Have you ever thought of a moon/sun visor? they go on top of the roof at the windshield, and the air hits the visor, and re-directs the air to the top. AndLund moon/sun visors have a patented air flow design for improved aerodynamics. Although what makes it patented I don't know, but it definitely isn't solid and lets air through.


It's mounted on what i *think* is a ZJ. I of course, wouldn't pay the money for one, and I'd just home brew my own. Might not look the best but, it would0 save quite a bit of cash. I'd extend it more rearward, it looks to not redirect the air enough.

I'd make one if I were you, only i wouldn't make it permanent. I'd make the most out of your boat-tail.

[Red]

Way back when I had brought a bug shield for my TJ, in its current form it sends all airflow straight to the moon, but I wonder, if it was recut to a less drastic deflection angle, then paired with a windshield visor, could the two of them act as a bypass for half of the front end? The bug shield shifts the air flow towards the top of the windshield, then the visor shunts it back over the top?

Some pictures what it looks like





And some simulated "air flow" testing with a hose.

[DifferentPointofView]

Original link

(from JCW) Extended approx. 6" to 8" from windshield (depending on vehicle) to improve aerodynamics and reduce glare. Can be used with bug deflectors.

I don't know, but I think I read somewhere that with the use of a bug deflector, they can be used in unison.