I have recently purchased a 98 2wd slt 3.9 5spd this truck is kind of a odd duck back in 98 I was going to spec out one of these and buy it new but the wait to get it was extreme so I bought a new 4x4 and now i finally found one and it is going to be my fuel mileage experiment so I am open to all ideas within reason

mods
1- hard shell toneau cover
2- cold air intake tube and cone filter

I want to experiment with tires I think i have found a old set of 31-10.5 15 off my old dakota I was going to check that out at 55 I will actually be going 65 so for every 55 miles I drive I need to add 10 extra to the calculation till I get a tuner that I can calibrate the computer

this winter I am going to make a hydrogen setup for it but need to get the electronics to do that because the computer will compensate for anything you do dam sensors anyway wish there was a computer program that I could go in and change the settings on the sensors

has anyone done anything like this before

 

Wow - lots to talk about here.

First - congrats on the new Dak.

Second - Fuel econ is most effectively influenced by your driving style.

Third - If you are going to replace the tires & want the best fuel econ go for a set of Low rolling resistance tires or over inflate them slightly. I say slightly - like running 38lbs instead of 35lbs. If you go too high you can damage them or cause uneven wear.

Third - the mythbusters have done a ton of MPG tests & the hydrogen one is a total fruad. Don't waste your money. The truck will actually run on pure hydrogen, but the generators you can buy can't create enough hydrogen to make any difference at all. They proved it.


Good luck

 

The best gas mileage increase the myth busters got was from the golf ball car.
They covered the car with clay and dug out round pockets all over it like a golf ball has.
Just take it to the driving range and let people cover it with dents, should accomplish the same results.

 

thanks on the Dakota and as far as the morons on myth busters remember it is a tv show they call it entertainment I did some experimenting making browns gas it will make a nice blow torch and a massive explosion I made a new generator last year that uses about 35 amps and makes 5 times as much browns gas or crude hydrogen will it run a car -- not the way they are programed because of the o2 sensor and mass air flow sensor they are programed to burn fuel not a gas and a carbon fuel I mean really how would AL Gore continue with his greenhouse gas scam if we could make this work

If you think inside the box you will always be in a box if you trow away the box the possibilities are endless

 

My friend has done these experiments on his ranger (granted, it's a ranger). But he gained 30 miles per tank on cruise control by having gate up. He's also got super skinny tires, 215's, with a 2" body lift and a custom-made air-dam (previous owner's doing) that actually looks pretty neat and does it's function. On the summer gas with gate up, he was getting about 25 MPG (V6 auto), my boss with a 4 cyl ranger (5/man) is getting 27 MPG.

I have 31's on no lift and 3.55's, I get about 8-10 MPG city and 22-24 MPG highway.

There are all kinds of variables in fuel mileage. I've never seen anything done with alternative fuels, other than the obvious safety changes. Propane is obviously used alot in diesels and forklifts, but CNG busses are around alot too. I know at the college, the racing team converted an old chevy truck with a 350 over to CNG. It just sucks because of the safety stuff- having 2 4 foot long bottles under the bed, you have to run all kinds of safety switches, have a "CNG" sticker so safety crews know that compressed gas is onboard. supposedly there's a specific shut-off procedure. But I don't know much about it.