Doors and roof off economy

[DCPHOENIX]

Slightly boring question.

Doors and roof off = better fuel economy or worse?

Taking them all off removes just short of 300lbs by my calculations. Does the increased drag cancel out any benefits from the weight saving?

I’d imagine it does but I’m not smart enough to work it out haha

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[NachoRuby]

I get much worse with doors and roof off. Especially on the highway. Around town, no noticeable difference.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Slightly boring question.

Doors and roof off = better fuel economy or worse?

Taking them all off removes just short of 300lbs by my calculations. Does the increased drag cancel out any benefits from the weight saving?

I’d imagine it does but I’m not smart enough to work it out haha

Worse, of course. It's a big scoop like the main sail on your sail boat catching wind.
In many vehicles, just driving windows down gets worse MPG than windows up and AC on.
These are a huge wind catcher.

Yes, that's first-hand experience. You can feel it struggling more on the highway, too.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

You bought the wrong vehicle to worry about economy with even when it's buttoned up, let alone topless.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Agreed - switch to a different cluster display and drive it top off and don't think too hard.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Smiles per gallon increase every time my sunrider flips back. I may injure myself if the doors come off.

 

[DCPHOENIX]

Hah I’m not complaining about economy, just an interesting thought experiment.

I know that mythbusters did some cool things years ago such as driving with the tailgate up or down. Up was faaaar more efficient.

The one time I drove “naked” on the highway, I was more concerned about trying to keep my hat on and not being deafened by 18 wheelers!

 

[Medical_Bartender]

Hah I’m not complaining about economy, just an interesting thought experiment.

I know that mythbusters did some cool things years ago such as driving with the tailgate up or down. Up was faaaar more efficient.

The one time I drove “naked” on the highway, I was more concerned about trying to keep my hat on and not being deafened by 18 wheelers!

I've noticed about a 0.5 mpg decrease, if that, in my topless/doorless 2 door JK over the past month or so. Doesn't detract from the fun at all though. That being said, I've learned to keep my hat beneath the e-brake lever and put ear plugs in if I'm driving more than a few miles away.

 

[DBravo]

I get much worse with doors and roof off. Especially on the highway. Around town, no noticeable difference.

agree - speed = increased air pressure pushing on the vehicle and results in an exponential increase in "buffeting" effect when on the highway. The airstream gets trapped by un-even surfaces. Same experience if I get on the highway with my Best-Top sunrider which replaces my Freedom Tops in the summer.

 

[GrubbyBaja]

With top and front doors off, my stock JTR drops from 20 to 18 mpg on 2-lane, 55mph roads. 70mph will drop it to below 17.

 

[Shopshirt]

Freedom Panels off, windows down rear roof on back window open = don't look at the gas guage. I haven't taken the roof and the doors off yet.

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