How to increase MPG?

[DamascusKnifemaker]

I’m new to the forum and hoping to get a bit of guidance about improving my fuel economy. About 6 weeks ago I was on my way to work when I felt a loss of power in my 94 Ram 1500 SLT 4X4. I pulled over at the top of the summit I was climbing and got out to investigate the problem. Unfortunately the problem was a fire and I did not have my fire extinguisher with me. I had used it for another fire and failed to put it back in the Ram. My truck was a total loss but the ins co gave me$5300 for the remains.Prior to the fire I was seeing about 15mpg hwy with no modifications to anything on the truck. The truck had a 360/4spd auto with 141k miles most of them highway. After searching for 5 weeks I finally found another Ram 1500 regular cab short bed for 12k. These SWB Rams in good shape are hard to find. This one is an 01 with the Off Road package and only 54k miles. The previous owner has put 315/70R17 tires on it. Everything else appears to be stock. I’m getting about 12mpg hwy with the 360/4spd auto. I’m contemplating getting a K&N filter (or something similar), a cat back exhaust and possibly a chip upgrade. Does anyone have real world experience with improved mileage #s using these mods? Additionally would going back to the stock tire size be much of an improvement on milage. The current tires are about 2 inches larger in diameter then stock tires. It has been real depressing watching the trip computers #s while driving this truck.

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[IndyRamMan]

getting a diffrent daily driver would be the best option. Really, think of it like this, if your gonna spend $1000, or 2000 for modifications with your reason being fuel economy, how many mpg would you have to improve and for how long before you even break even? either way, #1 "gas saver" mods like the tornado dont work, so dont waste money on them. #2, air in+air out=power, but the more air in the more fuel in, ergo less mpg. so it seems counter productive but I wouldnt modify the intake any. factory exhaust system is somewhat restrictive, true duals may help. the less work the motor does expelling gasses the more efficiant it will be. gears may help, but i think the off road package already has 4.10s, but with big tires like that you may consider 4.56s if you do a lot of town driving over highway.

[DamascusKnifemaker]

ORIGINAL: IndyRamMan

getting a diffrent daily driver would be the best option.

This is my D/D. I live in eastern Nevada and travel 140 miles one way to work, spend 4 days in a remote location and then drive 140 miles back home. The weather can be very weird and I can't take the chance of driving anything other than a 4X4 during winter months. The desert is a killer year round. When my other truck burned I walked for over an hour before I saw a car and he passed right on by me but turned around when he saw my burnt friend. I'd be happy if I could get my new truck up to 15mpg.

[VWandDodge]

Oh come on. My oldest brother used to live out in Lovelock. You do NOT need a 4x4 as a daily driver. Hell, my 2002 Chevy Cavlaier is an excellent driver on snow and ice. Or, you could go old school and get an older VW like a Beetle. The engine weight in the rear makes them excellent for snow and ice as well and your wallet will thank you.

[HankL]

sorry to hear about the fire.

Here's a very long read on how to improve MPG with over two dozen suggestions.

Everything in the FAQ below are not just my ideas, but is the 'standard theory' that nearly all automotive engineers believe and are taught.
It has been checked and agreed with by
a retired GM engineer who once headed the Corvette plant in Bowling Green KY,
by a native Japanese Toyota engineer at the Georgetown KY plant,
and by a retired Chrysler gasoline engine designer and later GE diesel design engineer for their locomotives.

http://www.dodgeforum.com/m_447500/tm.htm

It is best to print out that FAQ
and put it by the toilet
and read a little at a time while 'on the throne'
going back to re-read stuff that was not clear the first time
then pick and choose the mods that interest you
or that you think will provide the largest $ savings quickly.

If you think putting reading stuff by the toilet is silly
that is the advice that the chief judge of North Carolina
gives to new judges about how to learn the vast rules of court.

Corrections to mistakes in the FAQ are welcome
but please research your idea of a mistake thoroughly
and provide some backup from technically reliable sources
or results of careful experiments you have done.

[aim4squirrels]

ORIGINAL: HankL

It is best to print out that FAQ
and put it by the toilet
and read a little at a time while 'on the throne'

Actually reading on the toilet is bad for the 'roids as ther is no support under the center of your buttocks and the entire weight of your upper body is basically pushing your rear thru the ring and maximum stress is put on the sphincter (sp?).

[Cereal Killer]

Take into consideration your speedometer, and therefore your odometer are readling low because of the oversized tires. So you're actually getting better mpg than you think.

[HankL]

I completely agree
that the first thing to do
as you get serious about MPG improvment
is to do a steady 60 MPH run
and see how long it takes to go by 10 mile posts.

It should take exactly 10 minutes.
Every 10 seconds slow or fast is 1 mph off in accuracy.

[DamascusKnifemaker]

ORIGINAL: VWandDodge

Oh come on. My oldest brother used to live out in Lovelock. You do NOT need a 4x4 as a daily driver. Hell, my 2002 Chevy Cavlaier is an excellent driver on snow and ice. Or, you could go old school and get an older VW like a Beetle. The engine weight in the rear makes them excellent for snow and ice as well and your wallet will thank you.

I'm thrilled that you know my driving needs better than I because your brother lived in Lovelock. My return to work starts at 0230 hrs. If it has snowed the plows normally don't even start removing anything until 0600 hrs or the 6" mark is hit. On the 140 mile drive I go through 5 seperate summits all involve climbing from about 3000 ft to over 6000 ft. On more thenone occasion I have hit portions of unplowed road that the snow is over 12".It was snowing so hard I had to turn off the headlights and drive by the parking lights.

A good portion of my travel happens on NV Hwy 375 also known as the ET Highway. The entire highway is OPEN RANGE. You ever seen what happens when a volkswagenor any other small car hits a 1500lb cow at 70 mph? The Ram would be a total loss in a cow collision but I have a better chance of walking awaythen I would in a small vehicle.It is not uncommon for horses, elk, deer and antelope to be out and about also. In July my company truck was struck by an antelope to the tune of 1200 dollars for repairs. My wife hit a mule deer in Sept with her GMC truck to the tune 4500 dollars. During the night hours I do not like to drive our passanger vehicles. We also have huge jack rabbits out here and at 70mph the plastic bumper covers, air dams and spoilers on most samller vehicles shatter when the rabbits head collides with the car. I personally have spent over 2600 dollars repairing my BMW 325CiC due to rabbit strikes.It gets 28 mpg on the higway but the repair bills for animal strikes negate gas savings.

I'll stick with the Ram.

HankL,

Thanks for pointing out the link. I will print it and add it to my other reading material (Car Craft) next to the "Throne". I spent several hours browsing the site after I posted and found lots of good info.

[turkeyhunter1962]

Thanks for staying with the site and giving most of us the benefit of the doubt. I understand your pain of the fire as I also had an underhood fire from a broken fuel line between my fuel rails. Luckily I was at my brothers house and he had two extinguishers to get it out. All of my damage was i nthe engine compartment and was fixable.