Ford F150 - myth busted!

ok so i was just watching mythbusters on the discovery channel and they were doing a test on the tailgate up or down. they were running this test on the new model 150's and they found out that with the tailgate up they got 30 more miles out of a tank of gas. The tailgate up makes a locked vortex which is similar to a topper or a cover in diverting the air flow. But it looks to me like in the winter durring icy conditions it would be a great idea to leave your tailgate down because the air actually pushes down on your tailgate maybe giving you more traction.

LOL third times the chram this has been brought up twice before

my bad, I was excited

no problem just letting you know

how about ginger pills prevent sea sickness? but that isn't in any way ford related. That applies more to jap vehix being they had to be boated over here. Anyways that is something else I just learned on it

Yea there was an all day special going on today. I watched the shark week episode. That exploding dive (assisted by C4) tank was really cool and loud.

Yeah, I caught that episode too.

Yet more people that agree with what I've been saying for years and years.

Of course, about every other thing mythbusters has tested was way off base and had just about zero scientific control.

Like when they compared windows down to A/C.....going 45 mph.

Yeah. I saw that one. They should have done it in city driving or at least on the highway to replicate normal driving.

I usually don't drive endlessly around a racetrack.

they did end up driving on the highway. they redid it using 2 new F-150's

For the A/C vs windows down?

I thought they just did it for the tailgate up/down thing.

My bad. I didn't know they used F-150s.

I was that episode too with the tailgates... my question is this.... the only reason it truck with the tailgate down was losing mileage was because of the air pushing down on it... so if you just take the tailgate off theres no air to push down on the tailgate and less weight.... better mileage???

No... the air is pushing down on the bottom of the bed, not just the tailgate. Removing it won't help you any.

The tailgate up creates a small vortec, between the cab and tailgate, of air which causes the greater amount of air mass to flow over the tailgate. The vortec created is like a smooth air deflector. Thus the air is deflected smoothly over the tailgate. The air pushing gives you more down force and better traction. Again better efficiency.

do you think the way the air is flowing over the truck has anything to do with it? i wonder if the tests work on other model trucks like dodge and chevy?