S-10 Front Bumper

[graver555]

Originally Posted by Sporty Modder

Yes the potential is there... If you look at the front of your trucks front in respect to air flow you will notice everything is radiused or rounded, even my 84 toyota(described as boxy) has rounded/radiused edges. For aero the worst thing you can do is add square leading edge's( actually square trailing edge's). I am sure aerohead has a chart. The problem is turbulance , instead of pushing/splitting the air gently the square edges shove it aside. The least impact on aero would be the Black Venom bar you linked to. In my experience with deer impacts they are usually quartering, meaning you hit with one corner of the car.

So do you think round tubing while harder to work with, would be less aero detrimental then the square?

I have been wanting to use the 3inch 3/16 square tube, because it will fit the frame nicely where I plan on mounting it, and I wanted to use the same for everything.

Howabout just a nice thick steel tube running the width of the front of the truck, just under the indicator light, or over the chevy symbol curved to match the front and wrap around about 2 inches back.

Would this have minimal aero effect, and would it be a high enough strike point to avoid flipping anything?

[kach22i]

Or you could go real low?

Check out this deer and race car gif.

Deer gets hit by race car | Best Funny Gifs and Animated Gifs Updated Daily - Gif Bin

I think for safety, perhaps a roll bar down the center of your windshield to prevent the deer from coming into the cabin is best.

Perhaps another bar or two protecting your radiator so that you can get home from out in the boonies.

The front corners are going to have to be sacrificial for aerodynamics sake, that is unless you can find some foil shaped or shallow elliptical (oval) shaped tubing.

Square and round tubing causes huge drag profiles.

[graver555]

I laughed way way to hard at that gif....

This may seem like a dumb idea, but what about welding angle iron onto the trailing edge of the tube, so that it forms a makeshift teardrop? With the extra support I could go with 1/8instead of 3/16.
I don't think I quite need a bar across the windshield. Yes I do see deer and I drive at night a lot but that might be overkill.

It's a craigslist special truck and is going to the scrapers when it's dead. So a deer strike wouldn't be worth it to repair and that's one of the reasons I want the protection along with the safety aspect.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by graver555

It would really have the potential to hurt that bad? I find that difficult to understand how it would hurt that bad.

The square tubing could disrupt the air as if you had squared-off leading edges.Flow would separate,you'd have permanent attached vortices requiring continuous energy input,and you'd rob the aft-body of quality onset flow,compromising the boundary layer's ability to stick,as well as produce useful pressure recovery.
Here is Lay's 'box' on wheels.You can see that the square edges almost double the drag.VW got almost identical results.Fiat got exactly the same numbers,others too!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by graver555

Black Venom Bull Bar - Bull Bar Manufacturer and Wholesale Supplier from Spyder Industries, Usa
What about something like this, with the bottom widened to the width of the truck, and the top just above the Chevy symbol on my truck.

What protection vs drag would this design offer?

The tubing has a drag coefficient of Cd 0.1.15,round tubing would knock it down to Cd 0.30.You need 80 mm of radius for flow attachment.That would be 6.3-inch diameter round tubing,utilizing only it's edge,the rest closed in with skin.

[graver555]

So it sounds like I either can put the effort into skinning it, take the mpg hit and make something that has maximum protection, or go buy a stock bumper.

Sound about right unless I can find some oval tubing or make some?

Was the round tube + angle idea a dumb one?

[Sporty Modder]

NO such thing as a dumb idea...
Practical on the other hand. I don't think so. I have an idea in my head using aeroheads dimensions.
6.5" 1\8"-1\4" thick depending on how heavy you want the tube, for a main tube angle/pie cut at 30° or so, center is pushed out. Then weld some angle from the A frame to the bumper
in a nice gentle angle making the flat portion flush w/ the bumper and skin it with easily replaceable sheet metal, or your choice of flat material.

[graver555]

Originally Posted by Sporty Modder

NO such thing as a dumb idea...
Practical on the other hand. I don't think so. I have an idea in my head using aeroheads dimensions.
6.5" 1\8"-1\4" thick depending on how heavy you want the tube, for a main tube angle/pie cut at 30° or so, center is pushed out. Then weld some angle from the A frame to the bumper
in a nice gentle angle making the flat portion flush w/ the bumper and skin it with easily replaceable sheet metal, or your choice of flat material.

What part is the A frame?

And so mayby something like this? sorry I am not great with drawing with a track pad.

I could either go with an airdamn comeing off of it or angle back like a skid plate. Or would the underside not require much attention.

[Sporty Modder]

This is more of what I had in mind... Just larger tubing, shallower angle on the skid and wider too.

No need for a airdam, because you should have smooth flow to to under the suspension/aka the lowest part of the truck. Tire spats should be beneficial though.

[kach22i]

When you get done with the front, then you can look at the all important back.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ell-15862.html

FYI: below is the design I mentioned earlier (deflection plate).

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...red-27976.html


From that thread (not confirmed - just reposting)

Originally Posted by chefdave

strangley enough the bull bars are known for decreasing front drag. i picked up 1-mpg or 6.5% improvement. also the angle of the board defects air upwards and leaves a dead spot of air on bonnet ..........