Chassis Skirts

Best ones I have had were on my old pete, that had a sidebox under the stairs.

 

In the winter I find they fill withsnow and ice. Summer fill with dirt and mud.


You can not get behind the skirts toremove the snow or better yet try to wash the salt off your truck inthe spring.


I hate the huge chucks of ice and snowpack that falls off the bottom of my truck when traveling south.


Hitting your own 30 pound ice ball withyou duals is not fun, but what about when a car hits them? I knowit's a liability issue for someone.


How much better is the drag when theyare first built?


Have they ever taken trucks off theroad that have been used to see how well they did when tested? I'msure after a few good chunks of rubber hitting them going 62 miles anhour will change the geometry.

 

Trucks do not look complete without full skirts. The idea is to keep the air from hitting that speed brake called a quarter fender, not to mention all the other rough edges along the side of truck to catch air. After about 18 inches, air will tuck in. That is another reason why the tractor to trailer gap is so crucial.

Ever notice how a nice new chrome fender becomes beatup in a short time. That is from air and road trash hitting it, which is equates to parasitic drag. A lot on a cross wind....

Also, why do FL and Volvo build square flat surfaces into the skirting. To me, the old Volvo skirtings were more aerodynamic. Kw does a great job.....

 

A couple of an alternative style from holland, aluminium skirts with access hatches for toolboxes , spare wheels etc

http://www.toprun.ch/truck/2010-10/nh/content/Scania_R730_106_large.html

http://www.toprun.ch/truck/2011-07/Nog_Harder/content/Scania_Ceusters_R620_100_large.html

 

Maybe a kit to put an extended air dam under the front bumper. I jury rigged one on an old 4x4 pickup I had, keeping the air out of the undercarriage improved milage a bit.

 

Just tossing this out there, I've been thinking of ground effects to pull air from below the truck, probably stiff mudflap like material running at about a 30° angle under the fuel tanks,battery boxes,etc. about 1" or 2" ground clearance,use the air passing by to pull air out from under the truck, and helping to pull the hot air from around the engine, allowing air to come through the radiator easier. Should also help clear the path for the drive tires, and reduce the amount of spray they toss up, in turn reducing the accumulation of snow/ice in cold weather. Ramblin' on, might be nonsense, just figured I'd submit it for your consideration.

 

Another suggestion I would like would be some built in smaller storage boxes for light items (aka bungy chords, warning triangles) etc. They dont have to be able to store a ton of weight, just be nice to have so storage that is really out of the way for the stuff I only use a few times a year.

 

our 2008 and newer trailers all have skirts
older ones dont
i consistently get better mileage with the newer trailers
but i suppose better bearings and staighter tandems is at least half of that
aren'y there studies now show skirts allow more heat to the tandems?
another system has a cone under middle of trailer and around DOT bar
would elimanate heat

 

I could be wrong, but I think those studies were performed or commissioned by the company that makes the cone system. I believe skirts would cause less heat build-up than a double drop trailer or tool boxes in front of the duals. Just my opinion

 

If heat build-up is an issue, you could develop a fresh air ducting kit.