Dweano's Maximum Mileage Mission!

[88_Eddie]

I only saw one thing in your post that was worth doing - 4.56 gearing.

Things you didn't mention:
Drive it like a grandma would
Take the lift off
Buy a Hyundai

that's exactly what i was going to say, the gears would help alot and i think an electric fan may be worth it. i dont think everything else is gonna give you that much better mpg

another thing you could try is making the truck as light as possible, remove all the crap in there that you absolutely dont need.

xtreme 4x4 is doing an experiment like this on a 4x4 dodge ram with 33's or 35's. so far they've lightened up the truck a tad and put in an electric fan. i think thinner tires and gears are next, but i dont remember. but it may give you more ideas.

 

[Dweano]

Hey man thanks for the reply. How can I make a ranger lighter? I removed the useless spare tire...but other than that it seems like I'm just adding things and making it more heavy! Aren't tuners supposed to give you a bit better mileage as well almost guaranteed?

 

[mentalbreakdown00]

port heads and take out that rediculos hump in the exhaust, install a vacuum gauge, and use it to drive

 

[RustedRanger]

Swiss cheese it. Go nuts with a hole saw lol From what I have seen making a vehicle lighter does increase mileage but mostly helps with in-town driving,starting and stopping. I have always got good results using Lucas products and also Restore on an older engine and also Duralube. I put synthetic oil and duralube in me and my wifes 07 Impala 3.5L and from Central California to Las Vegas it pulled down 36 mpg at an average of 66 miles per hour and this route has lots of mountains. Thats with two adults,two kids and a trunkfull of luggage. Before the change the best it would do was 32 miles per gallon on the freeway.

 

[disciplerocks]

Swiss cheese it. Go nuts with a hole saw lol

hahahaha

 

[Dweano]

port heads and take out that rediculos hump in the exhaust, install a vacuum gauge, and use it to drive

Port heads and intake are things I wish I could do...but I just do not have the time nor money. But you raise a valid point....I want to get a scangauge as well. But its hard to pony up the money for a gauge...I guess they do keep there resale value. As far as exhaust...by the time I am finished with it, it will be VERY free flowing

 

[triumphrider-1]

Open headers?

I forgot about a vacuum gauge, something like that may help quite a bit. Atleast it would adjust your driving habits to maximize engine efficiency.

 

[Dweano]

Open headers?

I forgot about a vacuum gauge, something like that may help quite a bit. Atleast it would adjust your driving habits to maximize engine efficiency.

Right now I have headers-cat-nothing. By the end I'm hoping headers-2.5 inch piping-out. Not much restriction

 

[gribly]

Tires are going to be the single biggest factor here. You can NOT have a ranger with big tires and get good gas mileage. Tread is a big one, too. You're actually being really stubborn about it, and you're not going to see much unless you get skinnier tires and and a less aggressive tread.

Pop out your MAF and clean it. How to in tech section.

Take apart your airbox, and remove the vacuum operated screwup that pulls air from a shroud around the exhaust manifold when the motor is cold. Cap off where you removed all vacuum lines, and cut the bottom of the airbox on the fender side of it. This helped my mileage, and I gained some top-end power, but my setup was broken and restricting airflow.

Other than that, clean all your sensors, IAC, run Shell Rotella T 15-40 with a napa gold filter, and run a clean air filter.

When I am driving around like a lunatic, passing people, running my motor WOT to 3500-4000rpm, and going in and out of dirt roads, I get 20mpg. I once managed 12mpg in the dead of winter during a snowstorm, in 4wd high, doing donuts and drifting in empty parking lots. If you keep a 4.0 healthy and clean, they're not bad on fuel. Remember though - I have a Navajo, which is a 2dr explorer sport 4wd, smaller than a Ranger, and it doesn't have the bed dragging it down. My best so far was 26mpg, but I didn't speed at all, didn't pass anyone, didn't use 4wd, and didn't hit any dirt roads.

 

[mentalbreakdown00]

The no exhaust thing is actually hurting you....

 

[Dweano]

Tires are going to be the single biggest factor here. You can NOT have a ranger with big tires and get good gas mileage. Tread is a big one, too. You're actually being really stubborn about it, and you're not going to see much unless you get skinnier tires and and a less aggressive tread.

Pop out your MAF and clean it. How to in tech section.

Take apart your airbox, and remove the vacuum operated screwup that pulls air from a shroud around the exhaust manifold when the motor is cold. Cap off where you removed all vacuum lines, and cut the bottom of the airbox on the fender side of it. This helped my mileage, and I gained some top-end power, but my setup was broken and restricting airflow.

Other than that, clean all your sensors, IAC, run Shell Rotella T 15-40 with a napa gold filter, and run a clean air filter.

When I am driving around like a lunatic, passing people, running my motor WOT to 3500-4000rpm, and going in and out of dirt roads, I get 20mpg. I once managed 12mpg in the dead of winter during a snowstorm, in 4wd high, doing donuts and drifting in empty parking lots. If you keep a 4.0 healthy and clean, they're not bad on fuel. Remember though - I have a Navajo, which is a 2dr explorer sport 4wd, smaller than a Ranger, and it doesn't have the bed dragging it down. My best so far was 26mpg, but I didn't speed at all, didn't pass anyone, didn't use 4wd, and didn't hit any dirt roads.

26mpg!?! And thats American mpg right? If I could get that. I will be pumped. I do plan on some of the things you suggested. Yes I know I am being stubborn about the tires. But I'm trying to get maximum mileage outta my daily driver...not build a maximum mileage machine. I drive on gravel/dirt alot of the time (contributes to the crappy mileage most likely) and up here where I live I have to plow thro snow alot of the time, and in spring (and summer/fall most likely this year) there is mud many places...I live on a farm and drive my truck thro muddy fields alot in a year...which is why I am going to keep my tires wide and M/T haha.

For the record I want to upgrade to these: https://www.treadwright.com/shopnow/product/tabid/61/productid/77/sename/31575r16-guard-dog.aspx

They have pretty hard rubber from what I hear and I should be able to inflate them pretty hard. They will be heavyish but the toyo's I have now are super heavy! So if I can get a long lasting hard rubber high psi tire...I should be doing ok. I know a skinny highway tire would be best...but I have to use my wide mud tires alot haha

 

[Dweano]

The no exhaust thing is actually hurting you....

I know...which is why a catback is in my list of things to do

 

[martin]

Strip out everything unnecessary and throw it away, every pound you remove is a pound you don't have to accelerate up to speed. I wonder if spats on the rear wheel openings would help with the aerodynamics.

 

[Hopman]

Tires are going to be the single biggest factor here. You can NOT have a ranger with big tires and get good gas mileage. Tread is a big one, too. You're actually being really stubborn about it, and you're not going to see much unless you get skinnier tires and and a less aggressive tread.

Agreed. That's one of the reasons why I avoided going to a bigger size on my '94 when I swapped the tires out. I still run the stock-sized 215/75R15 on the factory 15x6 steelies. Granted, the tires are slightly more agressive (Firestone Destination A/T's)

Last summer, in 90 degree heat, my truck averaged 25 mpg on a trip from NH to Indy, IN, & back. That was cruising at an average 67 mph. With both windows open. (The truck was never equipped with A/C from the factory.)

 

[mentalbreakdown00]

you can't port, well well then, sometimes you just have to learn. My old 87 B2 2.9 auto 2wd I had I used as a gas mileage experiment in school. I ported the heads, 5 angle valve job, RV cam, did the rocker shaft mod, electric fan, ported intakes, got the bigger TB from a later model. I did not however get to headers, but I did go synthetics, got a trans from a 2wd ranger so I didnt have all the dead wieght, ported exhaust manifolds, and did a single 2.5 " exhaust and drove moderately getting average 25-26 in a 2wd, so good luck....