Cutting Weight on a Ranger

[Seabiscuit]

Would removing transfer case and 4 wheel drive system on a ranger improve MPG? Besides a chip, K&N airfilter and new mufler is their any kind of technology that would add 5-7 miles per gallon to a 4.0 vehicle?

 

[mikhail]

sell it and buy a 2wd 4cyl.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Short answer, no.

Doing all of that may get you at most, 2-4mpg. It's not worth the hassle. If you want fuel economy, buy a car.

My 2wd 3.0L Ranger, when it's running right and I'm on top of keeping it running right, gets about the same fuel economy as a 4-banger. 21-23 mpg around town and 26-31 highway.

A stock 4wd 4.0L Ranger should get 16-18 around town and 20-24 highway.

A stock Escort gets more in the order of 25+ mpg around town.

 

[Seabiscuit]

Short answer, no.

Doing all of that may get you at most, 2-4mpg. It's not worth the hassle. If you want fuel economy, buy a car.

My 2wd 3.0L Ranger, when it's running right and I'm on top of keeping it running right, gets about the same fuel economy as a 4-banger. 21-23 mpg around town and 26-31 highway.

A stock 4wd 4.0L Ranger should get 16-18 around town and 20-24 highway.

A stock Escort gets more in the order of 25+ mpg around town.

Thanks.... I just paid my truck off so I want to keep it another 120k if possible to get a full ROI. If its a big hassle I will scrap it in my idea box.

 

[Dishtowel]

Re-gear for speed instead of torque? just a thought, not sure if it would be advantageous or not, the engine having to work harding because or the shorter gears might burn more fuel.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Thanks.... I just paid my truck off so I want to keep it another 120k if possible to get a full ROI. If its a big hassle I will scrap it in my idea box.

I'm not trying to come off like a jerk, I'm just getting tired of on just about every forum I'm on someone looking for a miracle way to get a serious fuel economy increase out of their truck, which just ain't gonna happen.

I bought a truck to use it. There's been more than a couple times I wished I had something that got better fuel economy, and I've thought about picking up a cheap beater car for a couple hundred or pick up a motorcycle. But I haven't done either. It's not because I couldn't afford it, it's because I don't see it being worth it to me, because probably 90% of the time, I need a truck for what I'm doing. Now that my Choptop is on the road, if I don't need my pickup, I take that. I got over the poor fuel economy long ago when I learned that the dump truck I drove for work got a solid 8mpg. Suddenly what I was getting in my trucks didn't seem so bad.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Re-gear for speed instead of torque? just a thought, not sure if it would be advantageous or not, the engine having to work harding because or the shorter gears might burn more fuel.

It could get you an increase, but it's gonna be small, very likely no more than 1mpg.

 

[Seabiscuit]

I'm not trying to come off like a jerk, I'm just getting tired of on just about every forum I'm on someone looking for a miracle way to get a serious fuel economy increase out of their truck, which just ain't gonna happen.....

If you are tired about these questions why are you on a truck forum? This is a legitimate question and will be asked many more times to come.

 

[bentwillowcustoms]

swap in a vw 1.6 td and burn veegy oil

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

If you are tired about these questions why are you on a truck forum? This is a legitimate question and will be asked many more times to come.

Yes... but a search would probably turn up pages of the same question... For that reason most of the older members who used to be willing to bestow such knowledge on new members have stopped replying to posts of people trying to gain unreal fuel economy out of a truck.

I'm on these forums to get advice and give advice. Most of the time anymore it's to get advice.

 

[woofer700]

we were driving our sons ranger all summer and part of the winter, around town and some hiway, we would get a solid 14 to 16, staying in the interstate, setting the cruise on 70 we would get 18 to 21, i believe this to be quite good, i have read somewhere that slowing down 5 mph would raise milage, something like 20 percent, maybe it was 10 persent, my point being you can slow down some and it should be better, how much? dont really know. as long as we drive the truck respectable, the milage is just fine with me.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Get a $600 2.3 2wd ranger. That's what I did. It did a great job of curing my sploder's 18 MPG gasoline addiction. Now I only have to pay for gas at 18 MPG if I actually need the explorer's huge tires, 4x4, and brick-like aerodynamics. The up-front $600 investment in the ranger paid for itself in gas savings in 2 semesters of commuting to school. I'm now much more willing to drive places for fun now that I'm getting 28 MPG. The funny thing is that the $600, 18 year old, 250,000 mile ranger has been absolutely flawless in terms of reliability. I haven't had to fix a thing that cost more than $20 in a year of ownership!

 

[Seabiscuit]

Get a $600 2.3 2wd ranger. That's what I did. It did a great job of curing my sploder's 18 MPG gasoline addiction. Now I only have to pay for gas at 18 MPG if I actually need the explorer's huge tires, 4x4, and brick-like aerodynamics. The up-front $600 investment in the ranger paid for itself in gas savings in 2 semesters of commuting to school. I'm now much more willing to drive places for fun now that I'm getting 28 MPG. The funny thing is that the $600, 18 year old, 250,000 mile ranger has been absolutely flawless in terms of reliability. I haven't had to fix a thing that cost more than $20 in a year of ownership!

That's awesome thanks for sharing.

 

[Insanejughead]

Get a $600 2.3 2wd ranger. That's what I did. It did a great job of curing my sploder's 18 MPG gasoline addiction. Now I only have to pay for gas at 18 MPG if I actually need the explorer's huge tires, 4x4, and brick-like aerodynamics. The up-front $600 investment in the ranger paid for itself in gas savings in 2 semesters of commuting to school. I'm now much more willing to drive places for fun now that I'm getting 28 MPG. The funny thing is that the $600, 18 year old, 250,000 mile ranger has been absolutely flawless in terms of reliability. I haven't had to fix a thing that cost more than $20 in a year of ownership!

Three cheers for you buddy!!!!


That's what I did. I'm also proud of my truck with how it looks. I finally put pics up in the "Show off your truck" board. I get about 27-29 Hway and 23 for everything else.

 

[mhughes165]

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=78093&posted=1#post78093


if u are mechanically and electrically enclined i suggest u attempt a system like they sell....of course dont PAY for the books....just find it somewhere online for free, theres plenty of places with free blueprints and instructions on how todo this, imma be doin this to the new ranger and my buddys bII in a few days, both trucks have the 2.9 and 5spd and get 18-20 mpg highway, 16-18 city. i will post up numbers after installation.