does taking off your tailgate really help.and if so how much difference have you seen

 

First time to the track with my 02 I had no choice but to go through the water(on radials)so I tried to clean the water off with a slow rpm powerbrake.A little smoke and 3 or 4 wheel hop's later and I was the idiot who had to get out and put his tailgate back on before he could finish his run <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="gr_emb.gif" /> New roll pan,fixed rear quater panel and the gate stay's home when the truck goes to the track.
Weighs about 50 or 55 pounds, little bit of a weight reduction never hurts. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" />

 

What do you want to gain by taking the tailgate off? I think the fact that P/U's are front heavy you would want the weight on the rear. From an Aero perspective p/u's are actaully more aerodynamic with the tailgate installed. the hot set aero wise is a cover over the bed.
I you want to do an aero package that route would be an extended front airdam, neprene or foam closing out the gap between the bed and the cab and covering the bed. or at least the last 18 inches of the bed at the tailgate end.

 

My tailgate handle is shaved so I'm sure that my tailgate weighs more than most of yours. I took my tailgate and tonneau cover off and consistantly run 1-3 tenths quicker with it off.

 

LOTSOFN, so your tailgate actually vibrated off! That sucks. That's a pretty go reason right there to not run one at the track, if you wheel hope.

 

Yep,only thing that stopped it from hitting the ground was the cables(lucky me it swung back into the truck)

 

You are already pushing a brick through the wind, so there really is no point in trying to improve the aero of the truck, lightening the load would help out more than trying to increase the aerodynamics of it. they are too unaerodynamic for it to help, if you are on the freeway then that is a different story. The traction thing could be an issue, but just get some slicks then that problem will be taken care of.

 

Mine kept coming off when I would lift it to close it, so I put a hose clamp around the hinge on the right side, and now I can drive with it down and not worry about it falling off. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />