The aerodynamics of tailgate removal

[NITROUS]

This topic is for all you guys that think removing the tailgate is gonna help you out, but does it? I read this in a book about 15 years ago and now here are some of the tests performed. As air goes over the cab and into the bed, a bubble is formed which directs the rest of the air over the tailgate. Once the tailgate is removed you get more drag than with it. Hell, you guys read about it. Take a look at the tailgate, bedcover, spoiler etc........ FYI.

Areodynamics

[Z71sierra7787]

Mythbusters recently did a test with gas mileage with a tailgate down and up, the one with it up won like you said because of the buble that forms pushing the air over, with the tailgate down the air just so happend to hit the tailgate cause more resistance but i think if you had the taligate totally off it might help you because the air would clear the bed because in the test they did the air came down and hit the tailgate, but i dk just my thoughts

[TXsilverado]

awesome post. so...would the saved weight of a removed tailgate outweigh the effects of more wind resistance in the 1/4 mile maybe they will do a controled experiment for us

[NITROUS]

Maybe we can do this test at the track one night. It only takes a second to pull a tailgate off.

[TXsilverado]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NITROUS &#064; Feb 21 2006, 05&#58;39 AM) [snapback]45007[/snapback]</div>

Maybe we can do this test at the track one night. It only takes a second to pull a tailgate off.
[/b]

it would be best to get 3 or 4 trucks with consistant drivers to do it with it up and off. i already tested keeping it up and putting it down and it ran a 10th better with it up

[bulldog5.3]

If you think about it, when it is kinda raining outside and you are driving your truck without stopping your bed never gets wet, the aerodynamics push the rain over the tailgate. The only reason i know is i have had golf clubs in the bed and it started to rain and the bed and bag were still dry when i got to the golf course.