Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by 02SE
The grill has to be large, to adequately cool the engines for the power they make, and the loads they are rated to tow. It's the same for Ford and RAM.
A Bugatti Chiron needs to eject over 3,000hp worth of heat and manages to do it while not looking like a brick wall. Little bit of an extreme comparison yes, but through aerodynamics you can achieve a lot. It is easier to take a massive radiator, mount it perpendicular to the road, and call it a day though.
Aeronautical engineering proved that through the use of sealed ducting, a duct's opening can be 1/4 of the area of the heat exchanger and still force more air through that heat exchanger than if not ducted at all.
Problem is, you have to have room for this ducting. Without stretching the nose, there's no way to get it in there. These trucks do not need to be longer. Better to put up with them as they are.
Look at almost any other type of truck throwing down more than 400hp and almost 1000 ft/lbs of torque and the grilles and radiators of these LD trucks look miniscule.
Anyone who drives an LD truck that hauls heavy loads in hot weather can tell you that seeing 230°F+ going up a grade is not unusual. GM has been the worst offender, exceeding 215°F on level ground with heavy loads.
The radiators and grilles really can't be too big. That's just the radiator.
Then we come to the intercooler. It's going to be shoved with 30+ psi. Thats a huge thermal load. Transmission cooler? When TC is unlocked, Converter Outlet Temps of 260-350°F can be expected.
Big job to do, and too many times it has to be done with only 30-40MPH of organic airflow. Sometimes less.
Very good post. Towing and high speed driving, though may generate the same amount of heat, are not the same in terms of engineering solutions for thermal management.