Suvs With Parasitic Drag Devices

[PETERTHEEATER]

When I bought my new car I ordered the petrol (gasoline) version with which I am well pleased. However, many of my Thai friends, and indeed, some farang friends who own similar SUVs constantly chide me about the perceived benefits – cheaper fuel and better fuel consumption – of diesel cars.

I point out to them that I have an aerodynamically clean car whereas their cars have Parasitic Drag Devices (PDDs) installed. These induce considerable drag at cruising speed and require a larger throttle opening to maintain a set speed. Plus, the money spent by the owner to purchase them could have been used instead to buy quite a few tanks of fuel.

Whether a driver or a passenger, you will have seen SUVs with these devices installed. The preferred item is a pair of longitudinal metal bars with three or four vertical spacers known as a ‘rack’. This is installed onto the roof of the vehicle. They are frequently decorated with decals such as ‘CARRYBOY’ and ‘THULE LAPLANDER’. The latter would seem to be the most efficient since the vertical spacer bars are quite deep and induce more aerodynamic drag than the CARRYBOY. An added benefit is increased wind noise that makes the driver think that he is going faster than he really is.

Other PDDs include a curious smoked plastic device that attaches to the front of the hood and large diameter tubes bent into strange shapes and attached to the front of the vehicle seemingly to interfere with the airflow through the radiator.

One farang friend told me that the roof mounted PDD was a luggage carrier! Of course, I told him not to be stupid since in my last 50k of inter-provincial driving I have seen thousands of SUVs equipped with PDDs and have never seen any luggage carried on them!

Can anyone out there settle this argument? Have you got an SUV with a PDD, if so, why? If it is the roof-mounted device, do you ever use it to carry luggage?

[terdsak_12]

Eh!!!!!

[billd766]

Other PDDs include a curious smoked plastic device that attaches to the front of the hood and large diameter tubes bent into strange shapes and attached to the front of the vehicle seemingly to interfere with the airflow through the radiator.

The smoked plastic device on the hood? (bonnet) of the vehicle is basically a poor quality bug deflector at least on my pickup its as the windscreen still gets splattered.

The large diameter tubes are simply designed to kill and more pedestrian and other assorted road users more quickly and with more pain and less damage to the vehicle.

As for the rest you should know by now that the more bolt on goodies, large exhaust pipes, badly designed wind spoilers are simply in the inverse ratio of brain cells and penis (can I say that word?) sizes. The more and the bigger they are the smaller is the brain and penis size.

I have recently returned from Pakistan where the roof racks on buses and pickup carriers are actually used to double the carrying capacity of the already overloaded vehicles.

Edited October 7, 2005 by billd766

[Donnyboy]

Other PDDs include a curious smoked plastic device that attaches to the front of the hood and large diameter tubes bent into strange shapes and attached to the front of the vehicle seemingly to interfere with the airflow through the radiator.

The smoked plastic device on the hood? (bonnet) of the vehicle is basically a poor quality bug deflector at least on my pickup its as the windscreen still gets splattered.

The large diameter tubes are simply designed to kill and more pedestrian and other assorted road users more quickly and with more pain and less damage to the vehicle.

As for the rest you should know by now that the more bolt on goodies, large exhaust pipes, badly designed wind spoilers are simply in the inverse ratio of brain cells and penis (can I say that word?) sizes. The more and the bigger they are the smaller is the brain and penis size.

I have recently returned from Pakistan where the roof racks on buses and pickup carriers are actually used to double the carrying capacity of the already overloaded vehicles.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I drive a standard sedan with none of the bolt ons (ive got brains and a big pecker!). But IMHO might I suggest the bolt ons that some SUV owners add is to enhance their vehicals appearance. Its the 'keeping up with the Jones- plain and simple' and making their cars/trucks stand out from the crowd. They look ok but I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

[taxexile]

i have a small "bull bar" on the front of my pick up truck.

i fitted it purely because it looks good ,( therefore it should be considered as a piece of performance art , giving visual pleasure to all those that see it ) although in minor collisions with other vehicles it may protect the bodywork of my truck.

i am happy to report that i have not noticed any reduction in size of my alarmingly huge organ since fitting the bull bar.

[mijan24]

My LUV(life) is now wrecked thanks to TV posters as my "Pecker" has gotten smaller.

I read the post and naturally assumed the reverse would work:

Removed roof rack and bull bars - No increase in size

Removed bonnet and boot lid and bumper bars - No increase in size

Cut off the roof(oxy) -No increase in size

My wife read the OP called me a pea brain - Percy shrivelled I'm a ruined man.

Edited October 7, 2005 by mijan24

[RDN]

The smoked plastic device on the hood? (bonnet) of the vehicle is basically a poor quality bug deflector ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought the plastic bonnet thingy was to deflect the stones dripping off the backs of all the f*cking trucks racing around Phuket's roads.

i have a small "bull bar" on the front of my pick up truck.

i fitted it purely because it looks good ,( therefore it should be considered as a piece of performance art , giving visual pleasure to all those that see it ) although in minor collisions with other vehicles it may protect the bodywork of my truck.

i am happy to report that i have not noticed any reduction in size of my alarmingly huge organ since fitting the bull bar. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My small piece of performance art has yet to be christened by any bulls, pedestrians or moto-cy's, although it's come very close in Phuket Town especially around 6 pm.

I've also got PDDs around all four windows, supposedly to keep the pick-up cooler (by providing more wind resistance?) and a net on the roof to catch any bulls, pedestrians or motocy's deflected by the bull-bar and bug catcher onto the roof. Hasn't happened yet though. I must drive faster.

[ZZZ]

Can anyone out there settle this argument? Have you got an SUV with a PDD, if so, why? If it is the roof-mounted device, do you ever use it to carry luggage?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not sure what the problem is? An SUV is a DD (drag device) in it self, compared to a normal car.

If you have taken the step from a normal car to an SUV the addition of a few bits and pieces will not make a difference in the big picture of things.

Some of the additions will actually create a turbulence that will lessen the drag and enhance the performance.