I have an '04 1500 SC with the 3.7l and 5 speed.

When going up a hill, is it better, both gas mileage and wear-n-tear wise, to keep it in a lower gear and pretty much floor it to keep the RPM low, or down shift and,well, do the opposite?

Just curious as I have a trip coming up and I've always woundered driving around town.

Thanks,
Darrell

 

for wear and tear having it too low is worse than running higher in the rpm range. Running it too low will lug the engine which causes alot of wear on your bearings. When lugging it decreases the thickness or total loses that oil barrier on your bearings causeing wear. So i would say to keep it from there and run higher in the range. Better for the engine, also where your power is.

 

Not trying to sound like a *****-bag, but buying a fullsized truck, THEN worrying about fuel mileage is kinda like closing the barn door AFTER the cow runs out..... I understand what you're saying, and I begin to worry as well, as gas climbs up near and over the $3.00 a gallon mark.....[:@]

Having a standard shift truck is in your favor. Stick allows the driver more ranges of torque, and less needed horsepower to do the same thing that an automatic trans does, without robbing you of the 15-20+ hps that it takes to run one.

Keeping your truck in the middle of the rev range, not lugging it and not redlining it,and frequent oil changes will help with the longevity. Keeping it tuned up will give you the best mileage.

The fact that you have a V-6 in the same truck I have a V-8 in, effects mileage as well, as your motor has to work harder to produce the same results. The guys with the Hemis get the same mileage as my 4.7 for that very same reason, when driven comparitively.

Other facotrs for mileage are tire size, driving habits, gear ratios and weight carried at any given time. I believe it's a decrease in 2% in mileage for every added100 lbsof added payload...

My 2.75 cents.