You guys act as if cardboard melts or something. I have some laying outside that have been in the rain for a few months now. It's still intact and doesn't fall apart when I pick it up. Plus he is in -30C. That's a little below water's freezing point

 

You have a good point, but wouldn't wet cardboard laying against a hot radiator in 70mph winds rip up a bit?

 

It wont be wet with that windchill. If it did get wet it would instantly freeze. And there is enough surface area on the rad fins to keep it from collapsing and falling apart. I've blocked off several rads and driven in the rain here with no problems. Trying to get engine fans to kick on and such.

 

Really? That's good to know. I'd like to know how well a front would work on my truck before actually making one. I was nervous about trying it with cardboard but now maybe I'll give it a shot just to see if it works !

 

I used carboard to block off my rad on my old 71 chevy when I was in wyoming. Tstat was working fine, just was getting enough heat transfer that it would never warm up around town and it would barely make the temp gauge rise going down the freeway. I blocked off about 3/4 of the rad and it actually warmed up to operating temp for the first time in 2 weeks[&:]

 

A winterfront
would be a good candidate for MPG testing 'convoy style'
where either 2 or 3 Ram trucks go on a trip together
and the winterfront swapped between trucks at fuel fill-ups
and the MPG of the trucks compared
with/without the winterfront.

Since a large portion of the wind drag of a pickup
is the air pulled through the radiator
and then pushed to a particularly bad place
....the rough underside of the truck...
there is potential for MPG gain
with a winterfront.

A single truck could test this by itself
by either coasting down a steep hill with/without a winterfront
or using a Java Calculator for Aero Cd and tire rolling resistance
on the traditional flat pavement test
like this one:

http://tinyurl.com/3aompw

I like coasting down a hill at a steady gravity driven top speed better because you don't have to guess the 'flywheel effect' of the wheels, axles, driveshafts, etc on the flat land slow down.

 

If you decide to buy a winter front, check out www.cloud-rider.com located in Regina.

 

I still think this winter front is the best type to use.

[IMG]local://upfiles/34275/AEDBA08AFAE34446A114CE64F1DC68FB.jpg[/IMG]

 

I was just introduced to that winter front there DBLR when I went to the dealer today. I can't seem to find any of the Lund (non stainless steel) grille inserts to fit a 2006. I was hoping to have the clean look that the Lund inserts give. I don't have a garage or tools to make some myself like others have, and probably won't use cardboard unless I get desperate. So.... how long have you had that type of winter cover, and your opinion on the +'s and -'ssince running with it?

 

I just use a pair of momma's undies