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gas mileage after lowering

jc1804

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just got mine aligned after lowering & was thinking. will you get better mileage with a lowered car?

I know the area will not have been changed, but being an inch lower will give less air under the car.

anyone think about this at all or am i overthinking this
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TunaFish15

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This a serious question? I'm sure the gas pedal will be the culprit to mileage.
 

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NightmareMoon

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You're still pushing the same amount of mustang through the same amount of air.
 

Dominant1

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Google the supplements you take daily, one or two of them may have been recalled...lol
 

Todd15Fastback

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GT Jeff

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chadr0

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just got mine aligned after lowering & was thinking. will you get better mileage with a lowered car?

I know the area will not have been changed, but being an inch lower will give less air under the car.

anyone think about this at all or am i overthinking this
Aeronautical engineer here:

It's not the amount of air going under the car, it's the amount of lift that's being generated, because more lift equals more drag (called induced drag). Basically, induced drag is like a parachute of air being pulled behind the car.

The amount of mustang being pushed through the air doesn't affect the above, since the drag generated by the body is parasitic drag, or drag created by the body hitting the air around it.

Long story short, there MIGHT be a change in MPGs from lowering your car, but it depends on how the airflow underneath the car changed. If it's less lift, than you'll get better MPGs, if it's more lift, you'll get worse.

Either way, the difference is most likely EXTREMELY miniscule and you won't be able to tell the difference.

I will now step down from my soap box.
 
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Varekai

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Smarz1018

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smiles per gallon > miles per gallon :headbang:
 

HappySquirrel

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Aeronautical engineer here:

It's not the amount of air going under the car, it's the amount of lift that's being generated, because more lift equals more drag (called induced drag). Basically, induced drag is like a parachute of air being pulled behind the car.

The amount of mustang being pushed through the air doesn't affect the above, since the drag generated by the body is parasitic drag, or drag created by the body hitting the air around it.

Long story short, there MIGHT be a change in MPGs from lowering your car, but it depends on how the airflow underneath the car changed. If it's less lift, than you'll get better MPGs, if it's more lift, you'll get worse.

Either way, the difference is most likely EXTREMELY miniscule and you won't be able to tell the difference.

I will now step down from my soap box.
It's nice to see someone actually giving a serious, informed answer instead of laughing at the OP's question.
 

66sprint6

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Over on Ecomodder one of the big mods to do to help MPG is to a) lower the car or b) put a front lip that essentially lowers the front of the car. Lift your truck and watch the MPGs suffer (slightly) due to more of the underside/suspension etc being exposed to the air. The difference you will see in lowering the Mustang will probably be ever so slight but technically you COULD see a difference.

Matt
 

Dominant1

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It's nice to see someone actually giving a serious, informed answer instead of laughing at the OP's question.
We all know that if there is any increase its so minuscule its not worth mentioning or even starting a thread about it. That's where the laughs come in. Gas mileage is the least of most mustang owners concerns especially with a with a V-8...Its like me starting a thread about how my gt/cs front spoiler makes 20lbs more downforce then the stock gt thread. Does it really matter?
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