Ford Ranger wheel well nightmare

[Plush1992]

I've gone ahead and installed a wheel well arch gap filler. My question is how effective is it and could it possibly be causing more drag due to it's inherit design?

I'm worried that the rear part of the arch gap filler is causing turbalance of the air by not letting it roll off effectively and stay attached to the body of the truck. Screenshot is related to what I mean by a softening of the radius edge, the complete opposite of what I've done

Also how could I improve the wheel wells of this truck?

[Plush1992]

Another picture

[freebeard]

The whole fender below the body crease is just in the way. Consider Time Attack racers as an extreme.


frontstreet.media/2017/05/30/race-against-time-global-time-attack-breaks-records-in-atlanta/

If you don't want to go that far, remove the lip and cut some speed holes.

[M_a_t_t]

I would probably just start with adding a panel (coroplast maybe, doesn't really matter) across the top of the arch as low as you can without rubbing over bumps.

Your wheels stick out from the bed right? A little hard to tell how far in the pictures you posted. You could then try and make deflectors to guide the air to the face of the tire instead of the tread.

A tuft test would be a good way to check for improvements. When I tufted the my car the front didn't have much turbulence behind the front wheel, but it doesn't stick out like yours.

[Plush1992]

Originally Posted by freebeard

If you don't want to go that far, remove the lip and cut some speed holes.

I'm really wanting to get a tubular rear bumper over my stock parachute bumper as I call it. I figured that would be equivalent to some speed holes for the rear. I'd love to go that extreme but with having a tail gate I don't know if I could duplicate that race car and if I could make that work the same.

I just know that the rear of that truck is where allot of gains can be made

[freebeard]

I just know that the rear of that truck is where allot of gains can be made

Do you have a rear half-tonneau yet? This would be even better.

[aerohead]

I recommend that you inspect the wheelhouses of modern passenger cars.
Those features would be your Go NoGo for the Ranger project.
Aerodynamic streamlining involves a 'system'.
Not to be insensitive, but, the wheel arch seals, in light of the full-turbulence environment their embedded within, aerodynamically, would constitute 'lipstick on a pig.'
1) You'd need to run the front wheels full their full range of motion to establish needed wheel clearance.
2) Fabricate full inner fender wells, just like in 'cars.'
3) The inner walls need to drop as low as the wells.
4) The OEM cooling system, down-stream flow from the radiator needs to be understood, and respected in the new additions.
5) The wheel arch gap-fillers need to be as 'tight' as you can make them.
6) Ford Motor Company says that full front skirts ( like Probe-IV, Probe-V, Aero 2002A, AEROCIVIC ) offer the highest drag reduction )