T-100 belly pan and side skirts...

[theholycow]

Nice! Quieter is an advantage I never considered.

[BamZipPow]

Took off the main belly pan so I could work on my next design. It should be simpler and easier to remove/install.

The side skirt support beams are now attached on the cab cushion support bolts. This allowed me to make them independent of the belly pan itself. There's just enough thread to put an angle support and nut on there. This will allow me to remove my custom rail brackets and reduce the number of brackets to a minimal amount.

The new design will go from the left/right side skirt support beams. The main belly pan will be in 2 sections. The span between the two support beams is 5' 3". I have four 1"x2" wood beams that will attach to the side skirt support beams. This will allow me to make a standard box frame that will support the belly pan material.

I've already cut the support beams and will need to coat them in polyurethane to make them more resilient and weather-proof. I'm not sure if I will stick to luan fer the belly pan or not. I've already sourced some 4mm black coroplast fer the side skirts and maybe fer the belly pan. Either way I'll have the option of using one or the other. The first luan panel I used (no protective coating) started to weather and peel...which was expected.

I will eventually replace the side skirt support beams with some better pieces and coated with polyurethane.

[BamZipPow]

Doing a quick trip so I decided to put on the back half of the main belly pan. Supports haven't be coated yet but it should still work fine.

[BamZipPow]

Even though you see my custom bracket...I've pulled all the brackets and other support sections out except fer the following:

Main support bar...


Front support...


Rear support...

[bowtieguy]

that's precision fab!

[BamZipPow]

Updated the side skirts and belly pan. Still needs work but it's coming together...

I still have to redo the panels under the engine near the cross member...

Side view...


Underneath...front to back (no side skirts on at the time)...


Underneath...back to front (side skirts on)...


The entire belly pan...


I still have to taper the side skirts to the rear wheels...and taper the side skirts after the front wheels, too.

[Project84]

Man, I really can appreciate the craftsmanship you've put into that bellypan. Looks great and I bet it's really improved the aero/mpg capabilities of the truck.

What if you put some deflectors on the rear panel to push wind inward away from the wheels and added some airtab type diffusers to the flat section on the back end as well? Like this...

[pgfpro]

Nice looking project!!! Can't wait to see what your fuel mileage improvements will be?

[BamZipPow]

Thanks fer the suggestions and complements!

The wood panel (luan) is actually the front...the black coroplast is the rear. The coroplast extends to about 3" from the rear axle and is attached in the middle to the differential by zipties fer the moment. This will allow the coroplast to follow the differential as it bobs up and down on the road and not let the drive shaft contact the coroplast. I'm not sure I would be able to support any AirTab diffusers on there at the moment...we'll have to see how I would incorporate something like that in the future.

If I divert most/all of the air away from the rear wheels...my brakes won't git the cooling they need...I have drums back there.

I will be tapering the air flow past the all the mud flaps as time goes on as well as the air flow to the rear tires.

[BamZipPow]

Engine bay pan is in place...


I can easily remove the engine bay pan fer maintenance access...