Notices
2003-2009 Nissan 350Z

34.2 mpg drafting a semi, anyone else do this?

Old Jun 9, 2008 | 10:27 AM
  #21  
NickRaine78's Avatar
NickRaine78
Registered User
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,007
Likes: 0
From: Ginger Projects
Default

Originally Posted by gotime242
Yeah, thats all i was really doing...


About it locking up its brakes, with good reaction im sure a sports car will be able to stop a lot quicker than that thing will.

Its all the same really.... i spend almost 2 hours every day on the highway going to and from work. There are so many things (other drivers, driving in front, in back, to the side of semi's) that are so equally dangerous, being almost 2 car lenghts behind a semi is no different. Traffic sucks here...it is what it is.

I am so bored at work, i drew a picture in dedication of this thread.

Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 10:27 AM
  #22  
sir captian's Avatar
sir captian
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
From: Burke VA
Default

You're asking for trouble riding behind a truck.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 10:28 AM
  #23  
stylett9's Avatar
stylett9
Registered User
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,626
Likes: 1
From: Anaheim Ca
Default

lol, could you imagine the day gas is so expensive that people are fighting for lane positions behind semi's?

anyhow, interesting, i'm ganna have to try this sometime.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 10:31 AM
  #24  
davidv's Avatar
davidv
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 42,753
Likes: 11
From: Tucson, AZ
Default

Originally Posted by gotime242
Good god...i forgot i joined "internet car forum world" when i posted the thread. Just some stupid thing i did on the way to work out of curiosity, its not a "i live my life one semi at a time" sort of thing. lol
I think a hug is in order.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 10:33 AM
  #25  
DVFlyer's Avatar
DVFlyer
Speed of White
Premier Member
iTrader: (18)
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,568
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
Default

The hypermillers use a "one second" rule.... thinking they could stop in time.

There is no way anyone short of Michael Schumacher would be able to react fast enough to avoid an accident using that number/distance. By the time you see the brake lights of the truck, you'd be tasting that funky powder they pack the airbags in.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 10:33 AM
  #26  
iStan's Avatar
iStan
ZR
Premier Member
iTrader: (29)
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,444
Likes: 3
From: Las Vegas
Default

I was driving back from CA a few weeks ago. Got bored, found a semi doing 75ish.. Drafted him for about 2 hours on the way back. My gas gauge was reading in the 40s. I was impressed..

As far as rock chips..A new windshield wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, and a new bumper is needed anyway.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 12:11 PM
  #27  
gotime242's Avatar
gotime242
Thread Starter
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,432
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere
Default

Originally Posted by DVFlyer
The hypermillers use a "one second" rule.... thinking they could stop in time.

There is no way anyone short of Michael Schumacher would be able to react fast enough to avoid an accident using that number/distance. By the time you see the brake lights of the truck, you'd be tasting that funky powder they pack the airbags in.



The stig could do it. Some say...he reacts before things actually happen...
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 12:19 PM
  #28  
Brrcats's Avatar
Brrcats
Registered User
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,370
Likes: 0
From: Westerville, OH
Default

I saw that episode of mythbusters yesterday in fact.

you actually see a 60% reduction of drag at 100 ft behind the truck, and it keeps going up the closer you get, I think at 20ft it was something like 80% reduction.

They got as close as 2 ft which gave 96% reduction

pretty awesome episode.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 01:18 PM
  #29  
PerfZ's Avatar
PerfZ
New Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,402
Likes: 14
From: hilliard ohio
Default

I was 30 feet behind a Greyhound bus for 10 minutes yesterday coming back from Chicago, only because he was hogging the left lane and could not pass the semi in the right lane. Gee, if had known I was saving so much gas, I could have saved a few cuss words and not tried to break my hi-beam switch trying to move his a$$ out of the way. Guess I made up for it when he finally got over and I could get back to 90 again.
Ya know, I'm thinking these gas saving threads could outdo the feathering threads from 4 years ago. lol
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 01:40 PM
  #30  
gotime242's Avatar
gotime242
Thread Starter
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,432
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere
Default

What is tire feathering? How do i know if i have it?

























































jk.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 02:00 PM
  #31  
Z04's Avatar
Z04
Registered User
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,612
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville, Tennessee
Default

Originally Posted by PerfZ
Ya know, I'm thinking these gas saving threads could outdo the feathering threads from 4 years ago. lol
+1
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 02:13 PM
  #32  
shinkuu's Avatar
shinkuu
Registered User
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
Default

Originally Posted by DVFlyer
The hypermillers use a "one second" rule.... thinking they could stop in time.

There is no way anyone short of Michael Schumacher would be able to react fast enough to avoid an accident using that number/distance. By the time you see the brake lights of the truck, you'd be tasting that funky powder they pack the airbags in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmolQryHxkM

reaction time doesn't have anything to do with good driving but road awareness does. i'll be driving across country in 2 weeks and will follow as many semi's as i can. i just gotta look ahead and see if theres anything in front of the semi. i'll also be driving a rental truck so rock chips are no concern to me.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 02:34 PM
  #33  
Dozzi94's Avatar
Dozzi94
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 546
Likes: 0
From: Bridgewater, NJ
Default

A lot of you guys are making a big **** about this semi locking up his breaks and you crashing into the back of him.

If you pay even the remotest of attentions to the road, and sit 2-2.5 car lengths back, I'm pretty sure even an '03 base Z (non-brembo) can out-brake it...




The most important thing is to make sure there's not a woman behind you.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 02:39 PM
  #34  
j1234's Avatar
j1234
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,523
Likes: 0
From: NOLA
Default

ive seen 34mpg and ive never drafted trucks
i use 0w-30 amsoil and i tested @60mph btw
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 03:49 PM
  #35  
dsmZ's Avatar
dsmZ
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
From: jersey
Default

i have, but i prefer larger vans... safer kinda...
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 03:57 PM
  #36  
bigcloud's Avatar
bigcloud
New Member
15 Year Member
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,596
Likes: 0
From: Washington, DC
Default

OMG I'm in tears over that pic... I tried this today on the beltway. I'm leaving the city in the morning so there's no traffic. I got behind a semi and just rode for 20 min with very little throttle... Seemed pretty cool, but I won't do it again too many accidents here in the DC metro area.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 04:56 PM
  #37  
Zmazing03's Avatar
Zmazing03
Registered User
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 12,899
Likes: 0
From: Waterbury, CT
Default

34.2 rcpm

34.2 rock chips per mile

I am not going to do that. Not to mention if you rear-end a semi...forget about it.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 04:59 PM
  #38  
y_b_lamron's Avatar
y_b_lamron
Registered User
 
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,858
Likes: 0
From: Tampa, Fl.
Default

Originally Posted by gotime242
Just some stupid thing i did on the way to work out of curiosity, its not a "i live my life one semi at a time" sort of thing. lol


great pic too
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 05:19 PM
  #39  
Squirrel82's Avatar
Squirrel82
Registered User
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
Default

I found myself drafting people on the highway after playing GT5 prologue.Weird.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2008 | 06:19 PM
  #40  
gotime242's Avatar
gotime242
Thread Starter
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,432
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere
Default

Originally Posted by Zmazing03
34.2 rcpm

34.2 rock chips per mile

I am not going to do that. Not to mention if you rear-end a semi...forget about it.

lol



this thread = pass.
Reply

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:25 AM.