Underslung loads

[Dirt Worker]

It sounds good on paper and roof racks create a noticeable amount of drag. MPG dropped on my work truck by 10% in mostly freeway driving. I wouldn't do it though. There is a reason why you don't see it. It's been tried several times. Some end in disastrous catastrophic failure. You don't want to end up on a youtube video.

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[FutureBoy]

I find this whole thread (and the previous thread months ago too) to be curious. As an intellectual thought experiment, I find the idea intriguing. But for some reason, the idea seems to have sparked a serious dispute between two sides that seem way more invested than just as a curious idea.

As a curious idea, I'd want to watch some YouTube videos of someone trying to implement something like this. Perhaps if I had 1 or 2 long (say 20 ft or so) beams that I had to transport I might even consider trying to carry the load under the CT. But the chances of me actually doing it are very, very low. And as an individual, the chances of me needing to carry such a long load are pretty minimal. I would think that anyone who might think about this solution in a more serious way would have the infrastructure (roof rack, trailer, etc) and lifting power (team of workers, forklift, etc) to just use the normal hauling methods.

So I don't really understand why this idea sparks such strong opinions. The idea has now been pursued by a few different people with enough energy to have multiple pages of arguments about how to implement it. And there have been a number of people who have gone beyond simple dismissal to outright hostility to the idea (and toward the supporters of the idea). To each their own I suppose. I'm just surprised that this very niche idea is so important to multiple people. But I guess that, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition."

 

[Ogre]

It sounds good on paper and roof racks create a noticeable amount of drag. MPG dropped on my work truck by 10% in mostly freeway driving. I wouldn't do it though. There is a reason why you don't see it. It's been tried several times. Some end in disastrous catastrophic failure. You don't want to end up on a youtube video.

YouTube is a great source of videos of catastrophic failures putting loads on the top roof of people's cars/ trucks so not sure your point. If something is well engineered, it's not going to be an issue. If it's poorly engineered, it's going to be a mess. Doesn't matter if it's on the roof or under the truck.

 

[JBee]

@FutureBoy

Fear of the unknown combined with an unwillingness to invest some effort into debunking an idea often results in a war of opinions. Opinions and not factual reasoning, with the lowest effort arguement often becoming the loudest without being valid.

Everyones imagination works differently too, so you'll find that there are a lot of assumptions that are wrong to begin with. Like thinking that straping it underneath instead of a sealed engineered box to contain the load is the same thing.

But more than anything is probably people ignoring and not reading and understanding the opposing views arguments that leads to the division. At that point the name calling starts and we loose track of the discussion. Normal forum behaviour sadly, if we'd be talking face to face we wouldn't be so bold with our opinions, and reserve ourselves more to the facts instead of our online egos. But in saying that a bit of banter is entertaining, and natural, and can put things in perspective too, if you're invested enough to learn.

 

[Crissa]

An ICE truck has a drive shaft that hangs down lower than the axle. Which is kinda important and yet...

-Crissa

 

[JBee]

This isn't a steel pipe that can flip a car or damage others. The crazy thing is that it will fail due to wear, unlike the underslung box.

 

[BillyGee]

An ICE truck has a drive shaft that hangs down lower than the axle. Which is kinda important and yet...

-Crissa

What? The axles are made to sit lower than the main transmission and the transmission shafts are angled downwards from the transmission housing with u-joints for flexing if it's a long enough reach. Take a peek under the side of any truck, they're all designed this way.

 

[Crissa]

What?

Yes, take a peek. That part that sticks down in the middle? That's part of the drive shaft. You're being pedantic in a needless way: The entire assembly is the drift shaft while the spinning metal rod inside the assembly is also the drive shaft. The spinning part doesn't exist without the other part to connect to.

-Crissa

 

[BillyGee]

Yes, take a peek. That part that sticks down in the middle? That's part of the drive shaft. You're being pedantic in a needless way: The entire assembly is the drift shaft while the spinning metal rod inside the assembly is also the drive shaft. The spinning part doesn't exist without the other part to connect to.

-Crissa

If I'm understanding you correctly.... You're claiming that the joint connection on a transaxle, which is literally part of it, counts as the transmission sitting lower than the axle...?

Cool.

 

[Crissa]

Yes, because the axle exists independetly.

And a Tesla won't have anything sticking down so far anyhow, so your arbitrary 'you shouldn't stick down farther' line is already down farther than anything sticks on a Tesla.

-Crissa

 

[Newton]

I think the original idea was mounting stuff under like long stuff, pvp, wood, pipes, etc.... Clearly this is a bad idea.

but with a well mounted enclosed container and the tesla knowing its there i dont see a problem. maybe even a thick ish plastic would work.

campers have alot of stuff mounted under, generator, water, waste tanks, etc. but protected from raod debris and not hanging below the lowest point.

 

[Ogre]

but with a well mounted enclosed container and the tesla knowing its there i dont see a problem. maybe even a thick ish plastic would work.

This is the original idea. Save the bit about Tesla knowing which I acknowledged later was likely required for it to be safe.

 

[FullyGrounded]

Do what you want. However, know that if you bolt to the battery box and any damage to the box or its contents results, you may void any and possibly all warranties for said vehicle. Again, do what you want - it's your vehicle. Just be careful, as this isn't a normal vehicle/truck. peace

 

[Red61224]

Where are you getting this idea that the underside is the "Least safe position" to store loads?

Don't tell this to truckers who use it for chains, toolboxes, and spare tires. Fuel tanks are commonly the lowest thing on trucks, hung under the cab. A huge number of vehicles store their spare tire underneath the vehicle.

Top, bottom, side, underside, inside, outside, whatever storage choice you use is as safe as the engineering to support it is.

Well for starters those storage areas were designed into the vehicle when it was initially designed, not by some shade tree mechanic with extra duct tape and baling wire like the famous Canadian Engineer Red Green would do. Large commercial trucks have considerable permanent ground clearance and those loads are placed above the axle plane, NOT below it for a reason.

The Red Green UnderSlung Load:

 

[FutureBoy]

Well for starters those storage areas were designed into the vehicle when it was initially designed, not by some shade tree mechanic with extra duct tape and baling wire like the famous Canadian Engineer Red Green would do. Large commercial trucks have considerable permanent ground clearance and those loads are placed above the axle plane, NOT below it for a reason.

The Red Green UnderSlung Load:

Awesome!! And see all the benefits you get? Sweet! Duct tape wins again.

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