Putting rear wing on Honda truck
 

I am making four mods to a 2009 Honda Ridgeline truck to improve mpg; one is done - adding a tonneau cover. I would like a rear wing on the tailgate to direct air downward at a 45 degree angle, but don't think I can afford to have a metal fabrication shop make this for me, and it is beyond my skill level. So is there any other type of material that I could use? I plan to do a smoke test at highway speed and videotape it, but that is a different post.

What are the measurements that yer trying fer? Entire width of the tail gate? Width of the rear of the truck? How big will the wing be? Where will it attach to? ;)

If you make yer pattern from cardboard, you can git a good idea on yer dimensions. Making it yerself is possible with a simple bolt together system. Have you looked at other wing designs yet? There are tons of designs out there that you could copy from. Post up some of those designs that might work fer you. ;)

My current material of choice lately has been aluminum diamond plate, aluminum angle, and slotted angle. ;)

Reply
 

It would be the width of the tailgate; perhaps 6" high, depending upon the results of the smoke test. It will attach to the tailgate. Good idea re cardboard template. I see the leading edge being 3-to-4"; ditto for the downward edge. Bolt together works for me. Where can I get any of the three materials that you mention? I live in a major Midwestern city, so there is no shortage of suppliers, but if you have mail order suppliers, that works also. Thanks!

Something like this? ;)
http://www.355nation.net/forum/attac...-dscn2580t.jpg

If you have a metal supply shop, that would be yer best bet fer the materials. If not, yer gonna pay a hefty markup from yer hardware box stores. :(

Or something like this? ;)
http://speedhunters-wp-production.s3...2-1200x800.jpg

Neither is applicable, but they give me ideas. I will check with local stores, probably later this summer. Dealing with a lot of **** right now.

A couple of links you may find useful:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...s10-35043.html
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...e_wspoiler.png

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...1-a-19525.html
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...WING-ABOVE.jpg

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post373765
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...5201-28i9d.jpg

The thing that struck me in the last graph is how well the cab wing and tonneau cover perform when combined.
Don't look for a wing on your tailgate; put one on the roof!

This is not a wing, but you can call it a diverter.

You have proposed taking a form well known for having a light rear end, and making it even lighter - dangerously so in my opinion.

And I suspect that a plate/wing/foil angled down or up has about equal drag.

The proposed 45 degrees is a massive angle of attack, and will result in high drag.

What to do next:
On a nice day take a long ride down the highway. Roll down the window and stick your arm straight out. Outstretch and flatten your hand like you are waving Hitler style.

Now experiment with different angles of attack, if you are not familiar with this term please look it up. Closing your eyes and taking a peak at the angle can be part of this game/exercise.

Just be careful of passing cars and your own speed. Having some print-outs on your passenger seat on the topic of aerodynamics may help you explain it to a cop if you get pulled over. Use a paper weight or they will fly around, and do not reach for them unannounced or you might get shot in the face.

Yes, hand flat out at 180 degrees will be the least amount of drag. I just want you to get in touch with your intuitive side, your inner child before attempting to fill your brain with technical mumbo jumbo.

wing
 

So far,nothing has been published with respect to actual pickup wings and mpg.Only caps,tonneaus,half-tonneaus,and cab-rear deflectors.
Research on deflectors which directed air into the wake on van-type vehicles all ended with increased drag.:(