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34.2 mpg drafting a semi, anyone else do this?

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Old 06-09-2008, 10:27 AM
  #21  
NickRaine78
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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.

Old 06-09-2008, 10:27 AM
  #22  
sir captian
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You're asking for trouble riding behind a truck.
Old 06-09-2008, 10:28 AM
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stylett9
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 10:31 AM
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davidv
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 10:33 AM
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DVFlyer
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 10:33 AM
  #26  
iStan
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 12:11 PM
  #27  
gotime242
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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...
Old 06-09-2008, 12:19 PM
  #28  
Brrcats
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 01:18 PM
  #29  
PerfZ
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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
Old 06-09-2008, 01:40 PM
  #30  
gotime242
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What is tire feathering? How do i know if i have it?

























































jk.
Old 06-09-2008, 02:00 PM
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Z04
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Originally Posted by PerfZ
Ya know, I'm thinking these gas saving threads could outdo the feathering threads from 4 years ago. lol
+1
Old 06-09-2008, 02:13 PM
  #32  
shinkuu
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 02:34 PM
  #33  
Dozzi94
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 02:39 PM
  #34  
j1234
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ive seen 34mpg and ive never drafted trucks
i use 0w-30 amsoil and i tested @60mph btw
Old 06-09-2008, 03:49 PM
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i have, but i prefer larger vans... safer kinda...
Old 06-09-2008, 03:57 PM
  #36  
bigcloud
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 04:56 PM
  #37  
Zmazing03
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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.
Old 06-09-2008, 04:59 PM
  #38  
y_b_lamron
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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
Old 06-09-2008, 05:19 PM
  #39  
Squirrel82
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I found myself drafting people on the highway after playing GT5 prologue.Weird.
Old 06-09-2008, 06:19 PM
  #40  
gotime242
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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.


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