RacerJJ Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Any ideas besides the obvious (cam, heads, FI, etc.)? I don't have time or the money for those right now. E-fans are going in soon so that may help. TIA... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSThunder Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Any ideas besides the obvious (cam, heads, FI, etc.)? I don't have time or the money for those right now. E-fans are going in soon so that may help. TIA... Can you drop some weight from the SS? Maybe playing around with your tune could help drop some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) I assume you've removed the spare & other excess weight. Things I've wanted to try to cut drag but have no idea their worth, but could really help in the last 1/2 of the race - Have you already got a ram-air tube on your CAI? I was thinking of taking sheet aluminum and boxing in the whole lower-central grill opening as well as the right-hand brake duct to capture more air at speed A belly pan Stuff a piece of cardboard into the unused left-hand brake duct block off all holes through the front grill not essential for radiator I know a ton of air leaks between the top of the headlights & the hood (it's why the hood wants to fly off above 100+) seal that off somehow Cobble-on a Tahoe front air dam to cut more air out from under the truck Box-in underneath bed, the rear bumper (or roll pan) is acting like a drogue chute Light-weight bed cover, even a fabric one to keep the air from entering the bed and cut drag Mr. P. Edited February 16, 2007 by misterp (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black2003SS Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Well... 3 tenths is alot and then again its not...it will take about 40-50hp or almost 300lbs in weight savings to accomplish. You already have one of the best converters there is for racing, doubtful you could pick up 3 tenths with a different converter, maybe a tenth (thats another $500+ for a new converter too) You are already running a 4.10 right? Gear change wont help and can be extensive on awd. Efans are good for 10hp maybe. So we need to find you 30hp. Some obvious answers would be just go with nitrous, but that would cost at least $500 even for a 50hp shot. So...Why not just drop the $800 for a cam and cam install and be done with it? That will net you 3-5 tenths right there. The other question is, can you get the truck down 300lbs in weight? Do you really want to start removing door panels, seats, etc? You can get these pigs down 300lbs even after removing the spare tire and obvious, but its not easy. I vote go for the cam now and get the heads when you can. You should be able to get a cam in there for 800-900 and guaranteed to reach your goal. Playing with a custom tune may be able to yield 3-5hp at best, on the flip side though it could reverse the effects and lose power. The point of a custom tune is to be at the absolute best already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black2003SS Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) Light-weight bed cover, even a fabric one to keep the air from entering the bed and cut drag Better than that is to just remove the tailgate (tailgate weighs what? 50-75lbs? 100lbs?) Air entering the bed will flow right out the back. Adding a fabric bed cover will add at least 15-20 lbs and not have much more of an aerodynamic effect. Thinking about some of the things Mr. P said, you could lower the truck and install stiffer springs, etc. This would prevent the truck from rocking back so much on its rear at take off. Weight transfer takes time and if you can reduce the time it takes for the truck to transfer its weight from the launch (by lowering the truck, reducing the travel, and increasing the spring rate and replacing the shocks) you can gain possibly up to 2 tenths. But then again...springs, etc are going to be just as expensive as a cam install...im really for the cam install... Edited February 16, 2007 by Black2003SS (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) Light-weight bed cover, even a fabric one to keep the air from entering the bed and cut drag Better than that is to just remove the tailgate (tailgate weighs what? 50-75lbs? 100lbs?) Air entering the bed will flow right out the back. Adding a fabric bed cover will add at least 15-20 lbs and not have much more of an aerodynamic effect. It is fact adding a tonneau cover improves mileage 6%, and removing the tailgate hurts mileage 6% - however I agree in this case removing the 75-100 lbs far outweighs the aero benefits, I'd do it. Mr. P. Edited February 16, 2007 by misterp (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortec MAX Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) Run a set of smaller diameter tires. This effectively lowers your gear ratio. I am not sure if that would drop you 3 tenths or not, but it would help. Or...you could install a Radix. The others have suggested weight reduction. Make sure your spare is out, you don't have things like a rubber bedmat, or underseat storage. Clean out your console and glove box. Run an 1/8 tank of gas. And skip a few meals buddy! If you had a Nissan Titan, I would also suggest draining the coolant, engine oil, and front and rear diff lube. There is a potential weight savings there . But since I want your SS to last more than a single 1/4 mile pass, I would advise against that. Mike Edited February 16, 2007 by Vortec MAX (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black2003SS Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 It is fact adding a tonneau cover improves mileage 6%, and removing the tailgate hurts mileage 6% I'd love to see that study. You are saying that by removing the tailgate on the pickup truck will reduce gas mileage by 6% compared to a stock open bed with tailgate closed? I wouldnt argue that a bed cover may increase gas mileage better than removing the tailgate, but I'm having a hard time believing removing the tailgate reduces gas mileage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black2003SS Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 I'll be damn'd Mr. P. You were right. I did some rsearch and here is what I found... http://www.realtruck.com/shared/pdf/manufa...egassavings.pdf Pace-Edwards Truck Bed Cover Gas Mileage Savings The Roll-Top-Cover ®, BedLocker ®, and JackRabbit™ retractable tonneaus offer an increase of over 11% in fuel economy. Pace Edwards’ tonneau covers roll up automatically into a canister housing at the front of the truck bed allowing instant access to your cargo without the hassle of snaps or gas shocks, and does something that canopies cannot do, reduce your fuel bill. Based upon a study performed at Western New England College School of Engineering, reducing drag due to air flow in the truck bed with a tonneau cover will result in an 11.81% decrease in drag as compared to a truck bed without a cover. The study revealed a canopy actually increases drag and fuel consumption. These results will vary depending on the make and model of the vehicle. At Western New England College, Todd Ortolani and Vanwijak Ewosakul, under the leadership of Dr. Alan Karplus, performed an in-depth study on the effect of airflow once it passes the truck’s cab. The flow separates behind the cab and enters the truck bed resulting in a drag coefficient (Cd) of Cd = .432 if the bed is not covered. When a square truck cap is added, the drag coefficient increases to Cd =.480, or an 11.11% increase in drag. When a tonneau cover is used, the drag coefficient decreases to Cd =.381, or an 11.81% decrease in drag. Additional comparisons were made in the study by changing the tailgate. Replacing the tailgate with a cargo net resulted in Cd =.461, a 6.71% increase in drag compared to removing the tailgate which resulted in a C d=.447, a 3.47% increase in drag. Also, lowering the tailgate resulted in Cd =.414, a 4.17% decrease in drag. The results of this study concluded that the best method of decreasing the drag coefficient, thus increasing fuel economy, is to install a tonneau cover over the truck bed. For years, users of Pace Edwards’ truck bed covers have testified at seeing improved gas mileage after installing a Roll-Top-Cover ® retractable tonneau. With the addition of the BedLocker ® electric retractable hard tonneau cover and the new aerodynamic, flush mounted JackRabbit™, there are now more options available from Pace Edwards for consumers to improve mileage while adding security and style. Studies show the average truck owner drives 18,000 miles per year. At 15 mpg that comes to 1,200 gallons of gas. At a minimum 10% savings you would save around 120 gallons a year… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Yeah I saw the same on Mythbusters (love that show). But if you want REAL insight, take a look at what the Craftsman Truck Series guys do. Mr. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8R Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Myth Busters did the Tailgate off/ tailgate on/ bed cover/tail gate mesh. The winner was the tailgate mesh. They had all kinds of scientific data to prove it. So Judging from that I would say take the Tailgate off and put a mesh net up in its place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Myth Busters did the Tailgate off/ tailgate on/ bed cover/tail gate mesh. The winner was the tailgate mesh. They had all kinds of scientific data to prove it. So Judging from that I would say take the Tailgate off and put a mesh net up in its place. Woah are you sure? I thought I saw them say the cargo net was the worst as it did not allow creation of the separated bubble... Don't get me wrong not bagging on you, did I miss that part of the show? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WI_Dave Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 No on the second episode of truck mpg cargo net was best by far. I wouldn't have believed it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortec MAX Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 When a square truck cap is added, the drag coefficient increases to Cd =.480, or an 11.11% increase in drag. When a tonneau cover is used, the drag coefficient decreases to Cd =.381, or an 11.81% decrease in drag. What the heck is a "square truck cap?" Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krambo Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 No tailgate Take out the rear seat Take off the bumper and hitch Do you have access to tuning software? Get some shorter wheels and tires (less weight is ideal) and adjust the tune for the "gearing" change. I run 29.1". You can run the shorter wheels with out tuning changes but it will mess up some parameters and you will not get the total benefit. Race gas and increased timing. Get some 100 Octane and bump the timing table by 2-5*. CHECK for KR! I'll bet on .3 with those addons. Do you deep stage or shallow? Just tickling the pre stage lights is good for .05 in theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.