Anyone know the frontal area of a 2005+ Tacoma?

I'm bored and wanted to do some drag force/top speed calculations. I've got the coefficient of drag and I've estimated the frontal area to be 24 ft2, but that seems awfully high. Anyone have a more solid number?

 

Did you ever figure this out (frontal-area)? I've found drag-coefficients of .36 and .39 but I'm not sure of the frontal area. Want to enter the data into my new dashdyno

 

Why not just measure it? Then we would all know

Ways to measure frontal area

 

you need to get laid

 

Is that including the windshield? If then that sounds about right. Just pulling numbers out of my ass but the windshield is probably around 2x7 ft that's right there is 14sqft or am I doing this wrong?

 

this is how the Dynodash manual says to calculate:

Calculation of Frontal Area

Frontal area can be calculated for any car. The frontal area represents the front projection area
of the vehicle. If one takes a straight-on picture of the front of a vehicle, it is the area included
in the outline. Use the following to calculate:
1. Calculate the area of a rectangle, which would encompass the front of the vehicle
(multiply width by the height).
2. Adjust the figure obtained above for areas not included, such as top rounded corners,
etc. Typical adjusting values are 85 percent for cars, and 100 percent for trucks.

according to the specs from toyota the tacoma Dbl cab is 70.1 in (5.84 ft) High and 74.6 in (6.21ft) wide.

I do have a lift and higher tires though, do you guys think that matters? Because if the truck is lifted the air gap under the truck is increased and thus not adding to the surface area of the truck... this science is hard science lol.

 

You're still increasing the area to some extent. More tire and possible lca are exposed now. Also all the increased turbulence under the truck may affect it?

 

x2

 

I'VE GOT AN IDEA! I just need a few other knuckle heads to confirm my theory. what If I take a string, run it flat under the truck, then bring it up the sides, over the top of the windshield, and tie it off, that should be a perfect outline of the trucks frontal silhouette, then I can square off the string and theoretically.... vuala - frontal area!
BUT! Somewhere in my head I remember a geometry lesson that used a piece of string, when she made a SQUARE with the length of string somehow the cows had more grazing area than the cows in the rectangular area made with the same length lol.
any thoughts? and no talking shit about my cows

 

Yes, square/rectangle does matter:
4
2 2
4

perimeter length = 12, area = 8

3
3 3
3
perimeter length = 12, area = 9

 

damn... back to the drawing board. Any other ideas out there?

 

I know this is long dead and gone, but if anyone else is ever looking, I scaled up a photo and roughly traced it in solidworks. Got ~4300in^2 or ~2.76m^2

 

For reference, I'm not 100% on what the frontal area is based on, but I included tires, mirrors, and the lowest undercarriage cross-member on a 2012 TX pro.
2012 CD is listed .394 and .419 w/ off road package.

 

And why would anyone worry about drag/frontal area/top speed on a Tacoma???

 

I'm not doing it for top speed, and the OP is long moved on from TW.
I am doing a study of how rolling resistance of different tires affects your MPG.

 

Yeah, I realize he's moved on. But you resurrected this thread after 8 years and then referenced, in your second post, frontal area. Hence, my question. But now you're talking about tire rolling resistance. How are you measuring that?

 

Because RaceTaco!

 

I replied, because the thread provides nothing to future searches if the question was never answered.

Through a series of equations, everything is related - simply put, by determining the natural deceleration of a vehicle and known values of drag and the frontal area, I can determine the rolling resistance.