Hey everyone, i have a 99 club cab 4x4 5 sp. 3.9 with suspension lift and flowmaster 40 series. I have had it about half a year, and my mileage just seemed to drop recently. I had bought it in northern Minnesota while i was here at college, and got around 13 mpg all city with a lot of hills and a moderately heavy foot. In my hometown which is all highway driving, i averaged 17 all summer. Now since i have been back at school it seems to have dropped considerably again, i was getting around 12 but now it seems like im getting around 10 max on my current tank of gas. When i got back up to school here, i turned the torsion bars down in order to get a smoother ride, after realizing that thesuspension was still very stiff, i decided to get them turned back up for the winter(we get a ton of snow in Duluth.) I never got an alignment because i cant really afford 70 bucks if i dont absolutely need an alignment. I know my tires will wear down faster since i have messed with the bars, but i am getting new tires for chirstmas so this is not my main concern. My question is, would my mpg be affected by messing with the torsion bars? is there anywhere that i can get a cheaper alignment?

 

Being out of alignment can reduce your gas mileage by creating more friction with the ground. Spend the money on an alignment or at the pump, your choice.

 

i would go one step farther and say you MUST get an alignment. your entire suspension will wear funny, not just your tires and it will DEFINITELY lower your gas mileage if your trucks out of alignment