Pickup truck aerodynamics

[Frank Lee]

How can the '88 F150 be so much better than the '87? They have the same body.

[nathan01xl]

Originally Posted by lmclosson

Really interested in improving my MPG on my 2006 Dodge Mega Cab. I saw down below that the CD on my truck was .44, I'm assuming that b/c I put 33's on it that it's worse now. I have a 6 ft bed and was thinking of doing the half tonneau cover. If I was to build it, what would be the amount to leave exposed? Any other ideas to improve my whopping 9.3 mpg would greatly appreciated. (with my trailer and loaded, 6.2 mpg's) I'm going to be building a slope on the front of my trailer which should help. Let me know. Thanks.

Instrumentation(ultragauge or scangauge) and adjust driving style. No way anyone should get below 10 mpgs! A half tonneau should cover the back half of the bed...

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by lmclosson

Really interested in improving my MPG on my 2006 Dodge Mega Cab. I saw down below that the CD on my truck was .44, I'm assuming that b/c I put 33's on it that it's worse now. I have a 6 ft bed and was thinking of doing the half tonneau cover. If I was to build it, what would be the amount to leave exposed? Any other ideas to improve my whopping 9.3 mpg would greatly appreciated. (with my trailer and loaded, 6.2 mpg's) I'm going to be building a slope on the front of my trailer which should help. Let me know. Thanks.

Welcome! You should start your own thread to discuss your truck fully.

But, while we are here, there are a few things going against that Mega Cab (coming from a guy that owned three Dodge Trucks, a Durango and a Dakota). The big engine, heavy weight, 4x4 (assuming it's a 4x4), not aerodynamic and an automatic transmission all add up to that 9.3 mpg.

The 33's may be helping some, depending on the truck's gearing. But, if they are all terrain or off road tires, then they are probably hurting. When they wear out, consider getting a set of highway tires and fill them to their sidewall max.

Question...if you are using it to pull a trailer, I am assuming you use it for work?? Have you considered getting a second car (i.e. high mpg beater...) to drive when you don't need the truck? You will use far less gas in a 30-40 mpg car over that 9 mpg truck. Even driving 500 miles a month in the car (30 mpg) instead of the truck (9 mpg) will save $1,600 year in gas. The more you drive the car, the more you will save.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

How can the '88 F150 be so much better than the '87? They have the same body.

Frank,I probably have the date wrong for Ford's all-new pickup introduction.
GM had journalists testing the '88 C-1500 in 1986.
Ford may have come out in '89 with the new F-150.
I'm here at Copy-Pro and will dig in deeper.Apologize for confusion.
Okay,it looks like the 8-gen F-series was from 1987-1991.The truck carried over essentially the same body as the 7th-gen truck,excepting a new rounded front clip,and softened lines around the rear of the bed as well as the fender arches around the wheels.All done for improved aerodynamics.

[Frank Lee]

'87-'91 same...

[Frank Lee]

So 7th Gen are all .473? There must be differences between standard cab and extra-cab, and long and short box, and 2x4 and 4x4...

Do you have 8th Gen Cd?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

So 7th Gen are all .473? There must be differences between standard cab and extra-cab, and long and short box, and 2x4 and 4x4...

Do you have 8th Gen Cd?

I don't have any specifics.I suspect that 0.473 is for a garden variety 4X2,long bed.These are the images shown in articles.
I'm @ pickup truck drag coefficients @GOOGLE and at one site for 2000 Ram pickups,they show Cd 0.44 for 1500 Club Cab short bed,1500 Club Cab long bed,2500 Club Cab long bed ,and 3500 Club Cb long bed.
All the RAM Club Cab 4X4 variants have same Cd 0.48.
The Fords could be likewise.Just don't know.
There's so little published on pickups,we'll have to glean what we can.

[aerohead]

Here's a link to perhaps an April Fool's joke by BMW.You'll have to read it to understand:
Not-So Serious Pickup and Go: The BMW M3 Truck

[aerohead]

I'm on page 15 of GOOGLE @ Search: pickup truck drag coefficients and have added Cds to the table.

[aerohead]

added a few more entries,page-5,#43 permalink.I'll keep digging