Hi I have a 2WD 2001 Ram 1500 Quad Cab (2 real, 2 backwards doors) with a 318 motor. What are some of the best performance upgrades for the best fuel mileage? Ex. Do I need to load it up with low end torque or high end torque? Do I need to just add bolt-ons or replace everything except the rods and pistons including whether or not to keep the stock TB and intake or go with a performance TB (what size) and an M1 intake. Do I need to add ram air, a cold air intake, or just put a non-restrictive filter because an engine can more easily combust gas with hotter air? and Finally What type of exhaust (Cat back with shorty headers or long-tubes with true duals). Remember fuel mileage is the key: Dont really care about speed and I have a diesel for pulling. Also what size 20 inch tires would be the best with a 3.55 rear-end?

 

if you dont care about speed or towing, then just sell it and get a neon, stratus, or something of that nature. the rams are basically bricks you drive down the road. people dont buy them for gas mileage. dont get me wrong, you can do many things to help it out, but you probably will never get more than 16-17 mpg. just the way they are.

 

i've heard Fastman TB and a good K &N intake help out all around, and definitely an exhaust system. I agree with above though, i have a ford taurus for gas mileage, truck is for playing, towing the boat, work, etc.

 

Ya I hate to say you will never be driving a Dodge Ram for any kind of fuel efficiency-like ramchrgr88 said, 16-17 is basically the highest mileage you can expect but it doesn't stop it from being fun as heck to play around with! Intake, headers, exhaust, throttle body are all good places to start-remember the more air that enters and leaves your engine, the better the mileage.

 

The list of mods in my sig helped my performance, and helped the mileage A LITTLE. I get 12.8mpg like clockwork, no matter how hard or easy I run it. Highway/city driving every day. The mods do make it run better however. If you want gas mileage - do like the other guys said and by an Impala or Neon or something......

 

Alright well the 16-17 would be better than the 12-14 I am getting right now. My truck is paid for and I don't have the money to buy and support another vehicle. So when I say that I don't care about speed and pulling is that I am just not focussed on one enough to take away from the other (well I guess I would take speed over pulling and eventually make it a race truck, but that is when I get my megacab one ton if it ever comes out with that 6.7 L cummins and that 6-speed auto). My thing is I have to have a functional truck. Not a speedster that can't pull worth a damn cause the power band is at 5000, and not a sled hog which cant go over 40 mpg cause it has a 6.10 in the rear. Get the Idea.

 

I saw 0 MPG increase with the Fastman 52mm, at first my mpg's went down while my foot adjusted to the new curve, then after I still saw no change.

 

<Sigh> Not to start a very technical discussion but ... you sure you don't wanna rethink that statement?

 

Bill, when I went to 52mm Tb from fastman, my mileage did not really go up, but like I said in other posts, it basically standardized. Where my mileage used to waver depending on conditions and driving attitude, it has leveled, I am in the same range as the rest of you now, mid to high 12's per gallon. Before it used to depend on how I drove it and what I was doing and honestly the weather in Montana, but the the Fastman, I feel mostly my mileage was standardized.

 

You'll get no arguement from me about using a Fastman TB. I was taking issue with the "more air in/out = higher mileage" statement. The internal combustion engine, being a big air pump, will yield more POWER with increased air flow. The fact is that gasoline is delivered along with that air and as such, it does not carry that MILEAGE will increase. The only way to increase mileage is to increase efficency or decrease drag.

I'm working on a theory about owners of 4x4's mated with 5.2's that like to drive aggressively. They usually report pretty lousy gas mileage. Like ... sometimes sub-tens. I really think that they're under-engined for that heavy of an application. I think they're loosing all their MPG's during hard acceleration where the 5.9's make more torque. I think maybe a high-stall torque converter would really help these guys out. Get the motor RPM's up where the 5.2 is happier right off the line. I mean, I don't drive mine like I'm at the strip, (I don't floor it ... I don't HAVE to) but I'm up to speed and passing cars effortlessly every time ... all at 12.5 MPG.

Man ... whay do I sense some 5.2 flames coming my way? It's just a theory guys ...