Tailgate Weight vs Air Restriction

[tinygiants]

I saw a thread about accurate weights and removing them for the race benefits. That made me question the weight vs air restriction benefits. Mythbusters proved that the tailgate up was more aerodynamic than down. Does the turbulence from the gate being off outweigh the weight reduction? Does our truck experience this with the wing installed?

Thoughts?

Enjoy the Ride
Dale

 

[Troy's QC SRT]

I don't have any proof or smart explanations but in my hemi I noticed slighty faster et's with it removed......

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

Good to hear from ya Dale! How are ya bud? How's that big tire 10 doing?


Wish BIG NANA was around to put in some wisdom on that! He did wind tunnel testing with the SRT10 wing and the Daytona wing and found great results. I'd imagine he may have tried tailgate on and off. I have never been so sure on the Mythbusters quacks on some subject so maybe I will try my own somehow? Like a bicycle flag mounted in front of the tailgate and see how much it bends backwards with tailgate on and off? As far as turbulence I could put a bunch of paper bags in my truck and see how they move at same speeds? I know it sounds redneck, but I'm from Texas:dontknow::rock:
I think personally from owning trucks for years that it would be way more turbulent with tailgate on? Think about trash you or someone else leaves in the bed of a truck. At speed it basically does a rolling effect starting at the tailgate, swooshing across the length of the bed towards the cab, then up the cab where it catches the airstream again and is pushed back into the tailgate where it repeats the cycle time after time. Know what I'm sayin? Tailgate off it blows right out the back of the bed immediately!! I will retry these test since they are based off memory of past experience and see if it holds true.
Do these test make sense, although not using meters, or any expensive wind testing?

 

[Trainman]

I run without the tailgate and have the highest NA speeds on the forum. Current NA speed record is 118.15 mph at Sacramento Raceway.

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

And there you have it folks

 

[Slitherbeast]

The added benefit of the tailgate up that mythbusters tested was just arodynamics . Bigger benefit in drag racing is the weight reduction. Trainmen needs to try a run or two with the gate on and test the theory! Added weight for traction and aerodynamics with gate up might surprise you

 

[05srt10carson]

This is howi wa told with the tailgate up it makes a bubble in the back of the bed and the airstrem come across the the top of the hood up the window and across the roof of the truck hits the air bubble inthectruck of the bed now if you have a wing on your truck this is where it will work the airstrem hits the wing and puts downforce witch will give you better grip

 

[tinygiants]

Thanks for the input.

Trainman, I am very aware of your great results. It is your results that have convinced me to remove my spare this year. While I understand that the spare is free weight, I thought that the tailgate may increase the drag if removed thereby negating the weight reduction.

I am doing well. My truck is in the shop as my tranny went out a few weeks ago. It should be back and installed next week. I went with HTS. After that I need to do a few data logged runs and get Sean Roe to verify my tune. Then we will see about getting to the track for a few fun runs. I hope to break into the 11's this year.

Enjoy the Ride,
Dale