Tailgate, Up or down?
- Thread starter chris88
- Start date
Saw a '91 Ranger in the curb lane yesterday with a car behind him. Looked like he was helping little old lady with her tire. As I got closer, he was trying to get his tool box from under her car after it slid out of the bed 'with the tailgate down'.
So much for that savings on fuel.
So much for that savings on fuel.
Freight_Train
Traitor to the brotherhood
I saw one do just this.The guy hit a bump and the tail gate came loose and the cables didn't hold.Luckly it just slid down the road a ways.Also,granted this was a lower quality CHEVY but it is very possible.It wouldn't take that much of a bump to raise a tailgate since there is NO give in the rear suspention with no load back there.Everything is transmitted up to the body and the tailgate being farther back moves more(Lever principle.).
Joe Mc
Registered User
With my old truck up or down didn't matter, same mileage either way. It was a 73 and the only way to get the tailgate off was with a wrench.
With this truck I consistently get better mileage when I keep the tailgate in the shed.
Maybe it is because I don't haul anything without the gate, but then to, I usually run empty.
With this truck I consistently get better mileage when I keep the tailgate in the shed.
Maybe it is because I don't haul anything without the gate, but then to, I usually run empty.
chris88
Full Access Member
krawlr said:
Yea she aint bad lookin but she is too hippyish for me. Bein a vegetarian and all.
Thanks for all the replys I figured it was better tailgate up.
Chris
NapaBavarian
Dually driver 6.9
Agnem said:
When I got my truck it had a broken cable
and the gate was a wee bit tweaked, but not bad. Truck had a lot of little stuff, but it took more TLC than $$$ to make it right, probably $150 to cover everything, thanks pick-n-pull :Sly
Diezel_Cowboy
It's not like a real ***!
firemedicmonkey
Erie Surf and Ski
I have to agree with the diesel cowboy, this thread really has outlived, its usefullness. So let me try to put a period on it. For you guys.
1st Let me just say that those net things are worthless, when I was in high school and was driving around in my dad's old truck for my landscaping bussiness, I got cut off and had to slam on the brakes and such, I lost my tool box out the back and by the time I turned around to get it some one had picked it up and made off with my tools. The net was worthless.
I have been driving trucks since I got my D.L. and I have always wondered about this topic.I have done it both ways and done various experiments.
The mythbuster, all though they can be idiots, that are correct on this topic. But if you don't believe them then I submit the following to you.
It is in fact better, to keep the tailgate up. Even though I did not believe when I was first told this, it is true both in theory and practice. The thought behind it is that when the gate is up a bubble of air is formed in the bed that allows the air to pass over the bed with less resistence. The the drag coeficent between air and air is much much less than betweeon air and the rusty or even smooth painted surface of the bed. As well the air when it flows into and then out of the bed through the down tailgate has a longer path and is in contact with the vehicle longer, producing a higher drag coeficcient. And also what every one has said about keeping the tailgates up being better for the structural integrity of the bed, just look at some one that has had it off for a long time when the go to put it back on, I bet the gaps on the either side of the gate are bigger.
I have almost never had a truck with a working tailgate when I bought it, But I would rather strap the **** out of the gate than drive with it down or missing. The only time i take it off is if I have to load a jetski in the back and it is too long. I dont want the gate bouncing and hitting the hull of the ski.
I am new here to this site and I don't know much about diesels. But incase you are wondering where I got this info. Before deciding that I wanted to be a firefighter I spent 3 years as a mechanical engineer major, and specialized in aerospace and automotive, fields. Being a pickup driver I decided to test this topic in the scale model wind tunnels at school as well as do a research paper on the topic.
My dad has work for NASA here in Cleveland, for over 25 yrs, he currently is a Computer Scientist, but before that he was an electronics technician, he spent over 10 years working in the Wind Tunnels here at Nasa in Cleveland. He been present and helped with hundreds of wind tunnel tests and works with engineers that do wind tunnel tests all day long on everything from Stadiums to the Space Shuttle. I picked both his brain and that of the engineers at nasa for my research project and even was able todo some testing in the wind tunnels to gather data for the project.
And if you still don't believe me. My bestfriends, father in law is the engineer in charge of
GM's wind tunnel in detriot. He has tested ever, vehicle design and every vehicle produced by GM as well as vehicle from other makes. He has don considerble testing with olympic skiers and athelets on how to reduce drag and friction. He exact answer was tailgate up is the best the option. He had about 200 page paper to support his statement. (He is a very exacting man who is a perfectionist, I alway wonder why he works for Chevy instead of Ford!) To further prove his point he was willing to put my truck into the wind tunnel for actuall results testing. I tested my 1990 F-250 4x4 Single Cab Long Bed, Gas engine Anyways it the resulting drag and friction equation showed that it was infact better to leave the gate up.
However it was not a drastic performance, leap. Like it was said earlier it equaled out to a few dollars a year at most. Based on that, and the added safety and security of having the tailgate up at all times, It is defenatly better to leave it up, rather than down, and if it has to be down, its better IMO to take it off. :draw
1st Let me just say that those net things are worthless, when I was in high school and was driving around in my dad's old truck for my landscaping bussiness, I got cut off and had to slam on the brakes and such, I lost my tool box out the back and by the time I turned around to get it some one had picked it up and made off with my tools. The net was worthless.
I have been driving trucks since I got my D.L. and I have always wondered about this topic.I have done it both ways and done various experiments.
The mythbuster, all though they can be idiots, that are correct on this topic. But if you don't believe them then I submit the following to you.
It is in fact better, to keep the tailgate up. Even though I did not believe when I was first told this, it is true both in theory and practice. The thought behind it is that when the gate is up a bubble of air is formed in the bed that allows the air to pass over the bed with less resistence. The the drag coeficent between air and air is much much less than betweeon air and the rusty or even smooth painted surface of the bed. As well the air when it flows into and then out of the bed through the down tailgate has a longer path and is in contact with the vehicle longer, producing a higher drag coeficcient. And also what every one has said about keeping the tailgates up being better for the structural integrity of the bed, just look at some one that has had it off for a long time when the go to put it back on, I bet the gaps on the either side of the gate are bigger.
I have almost never had a truck with a working tailgate when I bought it, But I would rather strap the **** out of the gate than drive with it down or missing. The only time i take it off is if I have to load a jetski in the back and it is too long. I dont want the gate bouncing and hitting the hull of the ski.
I am new here to this site and I don't know much about diesels. But incase you are wondering where I got this info. Before deciding that I wanted to be a firefighter I spent 3 years as a mechanical engineer major, and specialized in aerospace and automotive, fields. Being a pickup driver I decided to test this topic in the scale model wind tunnels at school as well as do a research paper on the topic.
My dad has work for NASA here in Cleveland, for over 25 yrs, he currently is a Computer Scientist, but before that he was an electronics technician, he spent over 10 years working in the Wind Tunnels here at Nasa in Cleveland. He been present and helped with hundreds of wind tunnel tests and works with engineers that do wind tunnel tests all day long on everything from Stadiums to the Space Shuttle. I picked both his brain and that of the engineers at nasa for my research project and even was able todo some testing in the wind tunnels to gather data for the project.
And if you still don't believe me. My bestfriends, father in law is the engineer in charge of
GM's wind tunnel in detriot. He has tested ever, vehicle design and every vehicle produced by GM as well as vehicle from other makes. He has don considerble testing with olympic skiers and athelets on how to reduce drag and friction. He exact answer was tailgate up is the best the option. He had about 200 page paper to support his statement. (He is a very exacting man who is a perfectionist, I alway wonder why he works for Chevy instead of Ford!) To further prove his point he was willing to put my truck into the wind tunnel for actuall results testing. I tested my 1990 F-250 4x4 Single Cab Long Bed, Gas engine Anyways it the resulting drag and friction equation showed that it was infact better to leave the gate up.However it was not a drastic performance, leap. Like it was said earlier it equaled out to a few dollars a year at most. Based on that, and the added safety and security of having the tailgate up at all times, It is defenatly better to leave it up, rather than down, and if it has to be down, its better IMO to take it off. :draw
93turbo_animal
Registered User
how in the world did you loose your tool box out the back by slamming on your brakes
Diezel_Cowboy
It's not like a real ***!
93turbo_animal said:
Yep I smell
too! 
LUCKY_LARUE60
Full Access Member
Well Firemedicmonkey, you sure went off on this subject for trying to put this subject to rest. You posted the longest winded post yet which I always get suspicious when people have to stress there point by too much details as to try make people believe what they are saying.
" And if you still don't believe me. My bestfriends, father in law is the engineer in charge of GM's wind tunnel in detriot. He has tested ever, vehicle design and every vehicle produced by GM as well as vehicle from other makes. He has don considerble testing with olympic skiers and athelets on how to reduce drag and friction. He exact answer was tailgate up is the best the option. He had about 200 page paper to support his statement. (He is a very exacting man who is a perfectionist, I alway wonder why he works for Chevy instead of Ford!) To further prove his point he was willing to put my truck into the wind tunnel for actuall results testing. I tested my 1990 F-250 4x4 Single Cab Long Bed, Gas engine Anyways it the resulting drag and friction equation showed that it was infact better to leave the gate up."
The one thing that really threw a suspicious light is the fact you lost a tool box when you slammed on the brakes. HHHHHmmmmm if science serves me right if you are traveling forward and your tool box is in the bed and you try to stop would not the tool box try to keep moving forward as the truck slows down and not go thru the net gate unless you were going backwards. But then again why would anyone run backwars down the highway, what are we missing here. HHHHHmmmmmmm........... Jim
" And if you still don't believe me. My bestfriends, father in law is the engineer in charge of GM's wind tunnel in detriot. He has tested ever, vehicle design and every vehicle produced by GM as well as vehicle from other makes. He has don considerble testing with olympic skiers and athelets on how to reduce drag and friction. He exact answer was tailgate up is the best the option. He had about 200 page paper to support his statement. (He is a very exacting man who is a perfectionist, I alway wonder why he works for Chevy instead of Ford!) To further prove his point he was willing to put my truck into the wind tunnel for actuall results testing. I tested my 1990 F-250 4x4 Single Cab Long Bed, Gas engine Anyways it the resulting drag and friction equation showed that it was infact better to leave the gate up."
The one thing that really threw a suspicious light is the fact you lost a tool box when you slammed on the brakes. HHHHHmmmmm if science serves me right if you are traveling forward and your tool box is in the bed and you try to stop would not the tool box try to keep moving forward as the truck slows down and not go thru the net gate unless you were going backwards. But then again why would anyone run backwars down the highway, what are we missing here. HHHHHmmmmmmm........... Jim
Diezel_Cowboy
It's not like a real ***!
Lucky Larue,
The part you are missing is that when he slammed on the brakes the tool box slammed through the cab and out the windshield, then onto the road!
Dont know what that has to do with tailgates though?
The part you are missing is that when he slammed on the brakes the tool box slammed through the cab and out the windshield, then onto the road!
Dont know what that has to do with tailgates though?
Diezel_Cowboy
It's not like a real ***!
Hey firemedicmonkey,
I could tell you knew what you were talking about just by the number of smilies in your signature! I knew after counting all 11 of them that you mean business!
I could tell you knew what you were talking about just by the number of smilies in your signature! I knew after counting all 11 of them that you mean business!
LUCKY_LARUE60
Full Access Member
Diezel_Cowboy said:Lucky Larue,
The part you are missing is that when he slammed on the brakes the tool box slammed through the cab and out the windshield, then onto the road!
Dont know what that has to do with tailgates though?
HHHHmmmmmmmmm that one got pasted me, thanks for clearing that up......
Diezel_Cowboy
It's not like a real ***!
LUCKY_LARUE60 said:
I was being sarcastic.......you knew that right?
