in il. the bed will rot out no mater what u do if u drive it in the winter but we just try to keep ahead of it
with this in mind i have seen too many 2000 or older trucks with the rails falling out away from one another and have no reason to think the gate down dosent hurt the bed sides or that the weather we have dosent hurry that along so i always have mine up and will look for another way to get mpg like my focus or a bolt on that has been proven to work

 

I liked the way they tested except for one thing. It's pretty well common knowledge among racers that aerodynamic improvements don't really begin to have an effect until around 75mph. This is the reason many people find those big "wings" installed on street cars so amusing.
Around here, the speed limit on the freeway is 70mph. It's accepted that most patrolmen will let folks slide going 74-5. I get passed pretty regularly by folks who have to be going 80. So with aerodynamic improvement in mind, I would have like to seen the tests performed at at least 70 mph too. Perhaps they would have gotten much the same results but with more marked differences. I would have like to find out anyway.
I like to watch the show, but most of their "tests" are conducted in a terribly unscientific manner. Many contain entirely too many variables to prove anything at all. Still pretty fun to watch, with a grain of salt.
The "Coke" tests are a pretty good example. Coke was found to have no measurable effect on rust when soaking rusty parts in it. But they found that Coke AND some wadded up aluminum foil would remove rust from a chrome bumper. It never occured to them to see if the foil by itself would scrape off the rust. My grandfather used to polish his old Chevy's bumpers with used aluminum foil, no Coke or any other liquid had anything to do with it. It worked well enough (for a Chevy).

 

Aluminum foil and any conductive liquid will remove rust spots from chrome surfaces. I usually use vinegar.

I like to watch Myth Busters at times but it is frustrating to watch them use bogus test methods. But after all, it is TV and does not have to be accurate.

 

I heard that if you put larger wheels on the rear the car will be slanting DOWNHILL all the time. Everyone knows that when your going downhill you can coast and save gas,,,,,Makes logic to me cause look at the pro drag racers, they always got larger tires in the rear dont they?

 

Mythbusters got the best milage with the Pro Net on and the tailgate completely off. I get better milage with a full truck cap than an open bed with tailgate up.

 

The tailgate left down acts like a wind wing puting extra weight due to air pressure on the rear as the speed increases, This hurts the MPG but gives more traction ,How does this sound? Also for better milage you need larger wheels on the rear, That makes the car/truck slanting downhill all the time and everyone knows that going downhill can save gas because you can coast.......simple phycis

 

I have a '92 F-350. The original owner's manual for my truck (which I still have) indicates that you will get BETTER fuel mileage with the tailgate UP and that, in the DOWN position, drag is INCREASED.

 

Does anyone rember the truck advertisments back in the mid 80's or early 90's I rember one that stated that it was reenginered so yo don't have to leave the tail gate down while driving. I ran a trip from VA to FL down tail gate up and on the way home tail gate down didn't notice much diffrence either way. Now on the flip side of that coin my 78 F150 I can feel it bough down whem I am driving into a head wind and without fail put the tail gate dow and truck runs smoth again. Just a thought.

 

as far as the hard tops go those things are so heavy its just more weight...i think weight is a major think but my dad taught me to act like there is a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal now that is a gas saver

 

When you buy a truck, most guys are familiar with the fact that the best way you will incease your everyday MPG is to either drive like and old man, and let the motor slowly climb the gears, keeping the RPM's below 2, or do some basic bolt ons like intake, headers, full exhaust. If gas mileage is always on your mind, then maybe a truck isnt for you. I get 8-10mph with my 460 F350, and the only thing that helps the truck get better MPG is slowly letting the motor climb through the gears, but its very rare i can do that, because there are people behind me.

 

oh i know i rarely take my time i love to feel the power just as much as the next guy but if gas mileage is a person's main worry then that ishow they need to drive.