Dust inside the tailgate, new 2015 Trail

[DesertCanyons]

I went camping in the White Mountains over Labor Day weekend. We camped at 8000 feet and drove up into the ancient Bristlecone Pines at 10,000 and 12,000 feet asl. The last 12 miles was over a dirt road where I tested all the new 4 wheel drive functions. Woohoo! The dirt road left fine dust all over the back of the truck. The dirt didn't blow off the back in 300 miles of highway at 75 mph returning. Clearly, there is a back draft or vortex behind the truck - no surprise there. Now, after washing the whole car under, over and sideways with a power washer at the coin op, I still have dust coming out of the tailgate. There was a lot more at first but still I get a little residual on the tailgate whenever I rinse off the back and sometimes just shutting the tailgate makes dust fall out. At first it seemed to be coming out of the rubber seal at the bottom of the back window. Anyone ever experience that before?

This is also a way to show you my new MGM T4R Trail Edition at 12,000 feet and in the campground at sunrise.

 

[SKP-4R]

Yes...It called a panel gap, which every car has.

On the 4R its particularly annoying because after rinsing it off it'll leave dirt running down the edges. It is what it is.

 

[Capq45]

I noticed I still have dirt dripping from holes on the bottom of the spoiler. Just keeps reminding me I need to hit even more trails. Looks like ur having fun with ur 4Runner, keep it up and enjoy it.

 

[mikey's2010SR5]

Whoa Whoa Whoa you guys take your 4runners in the dirt? You guys are crazy.

Dirt gets every where in mine, oh well.

 

[4RnR Grl]

I find it next to impossible to get all the dirt out of the rear wiper area under the spoiler. Eventually it will all come out, but it takes some time.

 

[jwkilgore]

I see the problem... you think your 4Runner wants to be clean. Mine gets all depressed if my wife drives her too long and isn't allowed to play in the dirt. How often does yours get dirty? If it's only every major holiday maybe she's just trying to hide a little dirt so she can remember the good times.

 

[bjohnston115]

Ih8mud

(I wrote that in caps and it was changed to lowercase, forum doesn't allow caps or do i need elite status to write in caps?)

 

[SR5Bart]

I stopped caring if she gets dirty. I mean hell its meant to get that way. After I ended up in a mud pit while hitting some trails last Saturday ill have mud stuck in crack and crevices for a long long time to come but hey it is what it is.

Nice rig by the way!!

 

[Lugboot]

First World Problems? I live on a dirt forest road. Heck mine gets dusty just from sitting in the driveway. There will always be crud coming out of some crevice as long as I own it....:thumb:

 

[cyclist]

One more thing to note, if you drive with your moonroof open, and your back window cracked your light headliner will turn black from it sucking in the exhaust. I don't smell the exhaust with it cracked vs all the way down, but it still stained it. careful use of a vacuum cleaner will clean it.

 

[Crusifix]

I wonder if a small vortex generator like what is put on the Mitsu EVO IX would help at all? It could be mounted atop the rear deflector hickamagig that I can't recall the name of now...

 

[1engineer]

I wonder if a small vortex generator like what is put on the Mitsu EVO IX would help at all? It could be mounted atop the rear deflector hickamagig that I can't recall the name of now...

No. The dust and dirt come from the bottom of the 4Runner as it passes over the dirt road, not from the clean air passing over the top. Regardless of how you modify the top of the vehicle the dirt is going to be sucked up from the bottom. If you want to prevent the dust and dirt from the back of the tail gate you need to modify the bottom. Specifically you need to LOWER the rear bumper, which causes other obvious problems. Conversely you could mount a full length "mud flap" from your rear bumper that almost touches the ground. That is the only mod that will prevent this common phenomenon.

 

[4RnR Grl]

Done.

 

[Crusifix]

So basically we need a rear bottom diffuser that needs to start as close to the axle as possible? If figured the top because the low pressure area behind the lift gate created by the air moving off of the roof's rear plane is dragging the dust upward.

 

[4RnR Grl]

I wonder if a small vortex generator like what is put on the Mitsu EVO IX would help at all? It could be mounted atop the rear deflector hickamagig that I can't recall the name of now...

As an aside.... that looks terrible on the new EVO! My hubby has an EVO X and it looks much nicer without that cheese grater up there. lol!

 

[Crusifix]

As an aside.... that looks terrible on the new EVO! My hubby has an EVO X and it looks much nicer without that cheese grater up there. lol!

So true. I had a EvoX before I got the GT500, and that is one mod that never crossed my mind.

For the pics or it didn't happen crowd...

 

[1engineer]

Done.

Exactly.

So basically we need a rear bottom diffuser that needs to start as close to the axle as possible? If figured the top because the low pressure area behind the lift gate created by the air moving off of the roof's rear plane is dragging the dust upward.

Almost. The low pressure area behind is caused by airflow over AND under the vehicle. If you are driving right after a rainstorm when the roads are wet but it has quit raining, you will notice this effect quite well. Your rear window will get wet and dirty because of the, for lack of a better term, "suction" effect that is caused by moving one object over another at a fixed distance. Lowering that distance (terrible for off road but good for keeping back window clean) would help considerably. The air coming across the top simply drops at the rear and causes turbulent instead of laminar flow.

 

[RasJeff]

I love when I close my tailgate and a "poof" of trail dust comes out from all my past camping/fishing trips I did over the summer. Just reminds me that no matter where I am there's a better place to be. As long as there's family, friends, beer and fish!

 

[turdpro]

You need a trailer tail

 

[4RnR Grl]

So true. I had a EvoX before I got the GT500, and that is one mod that never crossed my mind.

For the pics or it didn't happen crowd...

VERY nicely done. I'd show you a picture of hubby's, but all I have are 4Runner pictures.... you can see the edge of it in this pic. He just had it tuned and is trying his hand at amateur racing the end of October at an event. Right now it needs a bath. I would love to have a GT500. I have a model of a 1968 GT500 KR in the mint green. Favorite all time car.