Hello everyone, I picked up my 03 QC 4.7 auto 4x4 a while back and am very pleased with it so far. This is the ideal truck for my needs as well as slugging through the unpredictable weather here in the Canadian praries. I guess it comes as no surprise that my biggest bitch would be the fuel economy. We are now at about $4 a gallon so the local gas station just loves me now! I think they strike up the band and have a party when I pull in!!! Over time I will play with a few things and try to get that mileage up a little. One thing I would like to do is lift the front end maybe an inch or two to get a more levelled look to it. Just doing a little research on the best way to do this now. Anyone offer any advice? Thanks.....


kgdb

 

Crank your torsion bars.

 

There are MANY mods available that will in fact increase your fuel economey. My first recomendation is if you can keep your highway speed down to 65-70MPH (even 75MPH) then 4.56 gears would actualy HELP your fuel economey... but they would cost twice as much for a 4x4. That would be my first mod hands down, I gained 2-3MPG when I went from 3.55 gears to 4.56 gears... and this is about the NORM from those 3rd Gen Ram owners who have made the same swap.

BUT if the gears are not pratical for you then you should look into:

Electric fan
Underdrive pulley
High Flow muffler NOT a CAT BACK system. I would go single 3" 'in to a 3" out. If possible make your 2.5 single into a true 3" single.
Cold Air induction system

There are plenty of mods available to you... by chosing the right ones you can actualy gain PERFORMANCE along with fuel economey.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

 

AIR RAM
What about going from like 3.92 or 4.10 gears up to 4.56? Would there really be that much of a difference?

 

Weird, I've never heard of lower gears actually helping your fuel economy. I think that they actually lower it if I'm correct.

 

i think we already went through this in another thread ... the larger gears lowers the load that the computer detects and as such the computer pulls some fuel resulting in a slightly higher MPG ratio

 

I would NEVER stick 4.56's behind my 1969 Pontiac Firebird.... because my tires are only 26" tall and I have no overdrive transmission... So 4.56's in my firebird would in fact be exactly what people have come to know tham by... a race only gear!

BUT since our Dodge Rams have 30"+ Tall tires & .75/.67 overdrives they turn these 4.56's into 3.05 rear gears when in overdrive.... And I have NEVER heard anyone say " Man those 3.05 rear gears really suck the tank dry!" But in reality thats what your getting with the 4.56's in overdrive.

From a dead stop it takes less effort to get your 6,000lb truck rolling (LESS FUEL) and your truck will be able to lock into Overdrive at 35MPH and hold it going up hill... Once your in overdrive your engine will be less likely to downshift for anything (LESS FUEL) and then you combine both your INCREASED city MPG and your INCREASED highway MPG you will pay less at the pump. The 4.56's will get you better fuel economey up to 65-75MPH.... And at 60MPH you will get close to 20MPG....

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM