they were doing a small scale test with a model car that happened to be a red 87/88 turbo coupe. the myth was that you gain mpg tailgating a semi. thought it was really wierd someone on the show had a thunderbird car model.
double posted thread!
link?
Just go into the lounge and look down a few threads :)
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=14258
well fvck! my bad!
Every time a trucker decides to SLOWLY pass another truck on the interstate, I'll hook up close behind him. I figure if he's gonna waste my gas slowin down to his crawl, he could make up for it. Soemtimes they realize it works, but most of the time they don't. Think of it as free gas.
That's one of the most dangerous things you can do Victor. You do realize that a driver can't see you behind him if you can't see his side mirrors, right?
I know for a fact that if you are that close to a truck, you can't see what's in front of it. If they have to hammer the brakes for any reason, you'll eat his ICC bar.
Just because a truck is passing too slowly for your liking, doesn't mean they are doing it just to piss you off. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the speed up on a vehicle weighing 80,000 lbs?
If they have a good speed going, and pull out to pass something going slower than them, a lot of times it is because:
A. They are trying to keep their speed up to climb an oncoming hill.
B. They had a good speed going and someone cut them off or slowed down in front of them causing them to slow down.
Unless you have radio contact with the driver of the truck it is never a good idea to follow so close to a truck that you can't see their side mirrors. It's a very dangerous situation, and could very well get you killed for doing it.
^^^ i've actually noticed there are 3 degrees of tucking in behind a semi. theres the 10 foot mark, 5 foot mark, and 3 foot mark. 3 foot mark your completely in his wake. 5 foot mark your buffered and the wind will make a tbird dance. the 5 foot mark will add a tail if you will, a spoiler to his rig. you heard me right. this might be a superstition mind you, but i feel that our cars can act like spoiler that help big trucks. its somewhere between the 5 foot mark and the 3 foot mark. you have to just find it. and i usally let them know im behind by sticking a fender to the side of the truck several times either driver or passenger, if not both at times. i was in traffic, and this truck was haulin mail (not literally) and i could tell his rig was pinned to the floor. i started out right on him but as he passed someone i backed off when i got to the buffer he gained speed and once i was in the sweet spot he gained 10 mph. i dunno maybe its just me...
btw what did the myth busters come to i didnt get to see this episode. (i'll check the orig post.)
Yeah, it's not a good thing to do. My dad's been in trucking for over 30 years and he's pretty much trained me on everything that I can do to respect their space and not get myself killed.
Besides, it's common sense not to tailgate a truck. Those mud flaps don't catch all the stones and debris they kick up. If that truck runs over something or if it loses a tread, it's coming your way.
Well here is the stint with the TC in it if you missed it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu0uNPFCf68
Did ya see the rest of the episode where they shot a tread though a window? Scary stuff:hick:
The thing I wanna know is, why would a car be perpendicular to the truck at highway speeds?:hick: Now they should fire that tread at a windshield and see if the angle of the windshield and the laminated safety glass keeps the tread from penetrating, or deflects it at all. Eh, maybe it'll still pop the sucker's head off! lol, that was cool though.
Nope, didn't see the episode at all. YouTube is blocked at work, and is just rediculous to load on dialup so I can't watch the one xr7cat posted right now. :(