Jeep Comanche (pickup) aero bed cover

[XJguy]

Ok, did some refining and attached the frame to the Jeep. Next step will be covering it in cholorplast.

[Deezler]

Wow that's pretty great! Perhaps the easiest way to make a properly shaped aero-bed cover! Did you by chance measure the individual pipe lengths? Could almost make it into a DIY kit or at least set of instructions.

The kick-stand prop idea is nice and simple.
Probably a brace across the top somewhere near the middle of the bed, lengthwise, would really help rigidity.

The only thing I wonder about is the excessive side taper towards the rear. Why not keep it closer to the width of the truck bed? If you visualize airflow over the top of the cab, its coming over at full truck width. Yeah, some gains could be had by letting the air along the sides of the truck taper back in... but I just wonder if it would be more effective being wider at the very rear still. Hard to say.

[XJguy]

Thanks.
I tapered the sides since they are very much a part of the aero package as anything else.

The side tapers will be compound.

[XJguy]

Wind kicking up hard to do this alone...took more pics of progress.







You can see how far gone the body is. Luckily we have a flawless bed to replace this one.

[XJguy]

Well I started covering the sides, my intention was to use a single sheet and bend it where needed. Alone that prove too difficult so I cut the sheet in half so that the two sections would overlap at the vertical support. The most difficult thing was matching the contour of the side of the cab, which I did not do to my satisfaction, coupled with the fact that the wind shifted things as I was drilling the holes, so I will have to redo the side. But so far I think its coming out well. Went out for a quick spin and the droplets of water on the top showed attached flow.

I probably should have made the top more narrow so that the 4x8 sheet would be perfectly sized, now I will have to come up with a nice clean solution for that corner. I also could have made the whole structure a bit taller at the cab (it was I chopped it), but I think at least I erred on the safe side, had it been too tall there would be a good chance to catch air under there possibly ripping off the whole cover or at the very least making the Jeep very unstable and light at speed.

[KamperBob]

Looking good. Great progress. I'm having a vicarious ball following your posts.

I'm curious about a few key dimensions: bed length, and heights of cab and tailgate above ground. That would inform profile comparison for flow attachment. (Remember, rain is heavy; with downslope gravity'll help drops run the preferred way.)

Have fun wrestling/twisting those sides on.

[winkosmosis]

Don't convert to 2WD. 4WD Comanches are hard to find. It will make almost no difference to gas mileage.

If you really don't want 4WD, sell it and buy a 2WD one or a Ranger.

[XJguy]

Nah, we actually saved this Jeep, its next stop was going to be a junkyard. We drove 6hrs just to pick this one up in Stowe Vt. I was actually able to speak to all the owners of this Jeep right down to the original owner....he is responsible for letting it get this way....I am guessing it sat for a long time unused, explaining the low miles and new interior. Next owner bought it to restore until he saw just how bad it was, he told me he would be surprised if it lasted one more winter (it actually didnt, holes appeared in the floors, rear brakes were obliterated, front hub nearly fell off, brake lines all fell apart, rear brake cylinder went, CAS fork cracked, and now it needs a new t-case chain, seized lug nuts cracked the wheel studs, original wheels were so rotten they were unbalanceable)...he passed it to the guy we got it from who also wanted to restore it but also felt it was too far gone. My brother and I are very good with cars, and I happen to know a lot about XJ/MJ, also have spare parts from my XJ's and know what to do to fix them. That is the only reason this thing isn't sitting in a bone yard.

We are Jeep guys so racing a Jeep is proper (I have two XJs, my brother has an SRT8, dad has a GC Limited).....NAXJA original members know/hate me well, I was one of the original members and one of the few lifetime members till I had some issues with guys there. The Street and Performance forum there exists because of me.

I would never race a Ranger....no offense to Ranger owners, its just not my bag.

Removing the 4wd system will probably lighten the Jeep by at least 100lbs offsetting the roll-cage that is going to be installed. It will also enable us to lower the Jeep as low as possible.

I have had two offers on the 4wd system by other Comanche owners, so the setup wont be wasted.

While fuel efficiency it always good, my primary goals are stability, top speed, and down force.

[bestclimb]

I dig the bumpersticker

[winkosmosis]

OK, sounds good then! I'm on NAXJA too but I don't look at their forum often these days.