Jeep Comanche (pickup) aero bed cover
This little rusty Jeep is going to be converted into a race car...no joke. I will be making many enhancements to it, many of which will be aerodynamic. Its gonna be raced in 24hr Le Mons, so the budget is very restricted. As such PVC and chloroplast to the rescue. This is what I have so far.
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good start
I'd not thought of PVC for a frame--I like it. My thought is that the back seems to slope too quickly for attachment (although that may just be an illusion).
I'll be following with great interest in both the build and the race.:thumbup: |
What are you planning on covering it with? The Stewart aircraft process is a good one latex rather than oil based. Smells way better.
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How can you do that to a Comanche? They're pretty rare. Certainly a cool project, but I'd hate to see it die that way :(
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Good start. Like the general shape.
Minor quibble: You are too steep. Mine was. I went from the top of the cab to 1 inch above the tail gate. That was about 17 degrees. I had separation, so I ditched that cover and am moving to something different. The best aerolids keep the angle to 12 degrees or less. That's about a 1-in-5 pitch. Raise your "tailgate" pipes up til you get a 1-in-5. |
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But I might change that very end like you suggest, because I accidentally deviated from my original design, after realizing my mistake I decided to keep it to provide a pressure relief via that square portion at the end of the taper for any air that might sneak up in there as well as if I have the bedside window open. |
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With much trepidation I am thinking of drilling into the cab and screwing in hinges that way I can lift the whole assembly up and not lose total function of the bed should I need it. I'll be installing a latch at the rear and possible some guide pins on the bed side tops. Eventually this thing will also be getting some gurney flaps at the trailing edge as well as a proper wing to keep the extremely light weight rear end planted. |
Man you need my Comanche, original paint 1991 Sportruck, 4.0L H.O., 5 speed, 2wd. Ironically I will be converting it to 4x4, where as you want to convert yours to 2wd.
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If you have not already done so you can overlay Phil's streamline template. In side view it indicates if the top taper might be too soon using ground reflection symmetry based on max height. In top view it can indicate how quickly (if at all) you can round and taper the sides using the vertical symmetry plane of the truck for reflection based on max width. You just need good pix of your truck (long view and centered to minimize camera distortion) and some image overlay software (like GIMP - possibly). Best of luck on the build and race. I look forward to following both. :thumbup: |
It's going to need a little more bracing to withstand the wind. I think you can arch some pieces in the middle.
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Ok, did some refining and attached the frame to the Jeep. Next step will be covering it in cholorplast.
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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. |
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. |
Wind kicking up hard to do this alone...took more pics of progress.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._5037116_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._4370320_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._3257804_n.jpg You can see how far gone the body is. Luckily we have a flawless bed to replace this one. |
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. |
Looking good. :thumbup: Great progress. I'm having a vicarious ball following your posts. :D
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. |
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. |
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. |
I dig the bumpersticker
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OK, sounds good then! I'm on NAXJA too but I don't look at their forum often these days.
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Ha, you can put a sheet on the side to hide the rust holes and cover the wheel opening. It's looking real aero. Tarp tape works well with coroplast. If your just racing it, why not just remove the bed and make an light weight whole tail.
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^ Because that would be butchering a rare Jeep.
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Actually when I picked it up, they previous owner had duct taped aluminum sheets covering all the holes....looked worse than the holes and one rainy day everything started to come lose on the highway....not good.
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Here are some updates. I had to install a window since I was totally blind on the passenger side. Used some spare plexi I had lying around, it has scratches but will do the job.
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Looking good, about how much does it weigh all together?
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Dunno Joe, but to be honest its not a big concern. Those Jeeps are so light weight especially in the rear, that I might actually have to add ballast. I will be taking it off soon to finish up and will get the approximate weight.
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Spent most of the day trying to shape panels to fit the rear section ...ended up frustrated and ruining one piece. Will resume at another time. I did add another window to center panel (not pictured) and additional bracing since I now figured out I will need to section the rear portion due to the shape.
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Glad you're still using the XJGuy name . . took me back to a 173-cid question I asked you about must be a dozen years ago now.
Lot's of good reading around here as you've noticed. Please continue with pics and ideas made solid. |
Did some hauling yesterday.
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Okay its been a while but I got this thing done finally a week ago. I get the most astonished looks. One guy asked me if my Jeep mated with the Space Shuttle...LOL.
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I like it.
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Thanks. I would say the whole thing weighs in at about 15-20lbs.
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Rock on! |
I like it! And nice SRT8 in the background :D The one kind of Jeep that gets worse mpg than mine...
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It does kinda look like the spaceship. I think an old coffee can painted silver out the very back would be a fun way to mess with tailgaters. A sticker (STAY BACK, AFTERBURNER HOT) would be the icing.
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Very tidy! Good job.
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