gas mileage with big tires

[Wicked_Sludge]

older, FWD cars are stupid cheap to work on. i rebuilt the engine in my blue escort for under $300.

but FWD cars dont require nearly as much work as RWD vehicles to keep them on the road. they are an order of magnitude more reliable, cheaper, and easier to work on.

if it breaks down, he can either repair it for cheap, or sell it and buy another for only a hundred bucks loss.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

older, FWD cars are stupid cheap to work on. i rebuilt the engine in my blue escort for under $300.

but FWD cars dont require nearly as much work as RWD vehicles to keep them on the road. they are an order of magnitude more reliable, cheaper, and easier to work on.

if it breaks down, he can either repair it for cheap, or sell it and buy another for only a hundred bucks loss.

What makes fwd vehicles easier to keep going than rwd? U-joints vs CV joints?

I spent more than $300 on two motor mounts and a dampener pulley on my Laser. Plus the alternator and starter I had to replace, and it needed cv joints when I sold it. I am not saying my Ranger has been any easier to maintain (much easier to fix IMO) but things add up fast... especially when you are trying to keep two vehicles going.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

transaxles are more reliable than transmission/differential combos. FWD platforms have less moving parts to break, less seals to leak, less energy transfer (the engine is already facing the same way as the direction of travel, the energy doesnt have to be "turned" to reach the wheels), they are lighter, less maintainence is required...the list goes on.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Have to disagree about FWD being cheaper or more reliable. On top of RBV's, I also own a 99 pontiac bonneville. The tranny went at about 150000. I put a low mileage junkyard one it myself. What a project that was! Nothing like having to completely dismantle the front end of the vehicle (the entire front suspension, subframe, wheel wells, heck the engine only had one intact mount left by the time I got the tranny out.) Compare that to my ranger. Remove the starter, 8 bellhousing bolts, pull the driveshaft out the rear end, drop the cross member and the tranny is out.

Besides that, fwd parts seem to cost about 1.5 to 2.0 times as much as my ranger and explorer parts.

My parents also have owned some rear-drive crown vics (1994 and 1999) and put lots of miles on them (200,000+). As with all their vehicles, I did all the maintenance on them. Those were by leaps and bounds more reliable than any FWD anything they ever had. Easier to work on too.

 

[rickcdewitt]

i'm right where seven second and wicked are.i'm not ruining the utility and economy of my truck with big lift and rubber until i have my fwd beater together.

 

[Bent Bolt]

as for buying another car... it would take a LONG LONG time to break even with the savings of brakes and gas on a truck that i seriously love to drive.

Don't forget that with a 2nd vehicle, you beat on your ranger and when it breaks down ( and it will ) you're not scrambling to find a ride to work on Monday. Just the cost of off-roading IMHO.

 

[bmxryder]

you guys are getting off topic from where i started. i just wanted to know if re-gearing is going to bring my gas mileage back somehwere reasonable to where it was.

just to get it straight im not going to buy a beater car. if i buy a car its gonna end up being a clean honda and ill just end up dumping money into that to make it quick. then ill most likely end up getting speeding tickets and such.

if i buy a car its going to be something that i enjoy to drive (which is why i didnt keep my ranger stock)

 

[Hawker]

The problem is that 35's on a daily driver is pretty much pointless and a waste of money. In my opinoin, one should wait until they can afford two vehicles before putting 35's on a ranger. My guess is that you didn't upgrade the brakes, right? That's another reason you shouldn't be daily driving it. 35's induce loads on the brake system that are outside of the design margin in the stock parts.QUOTE]


I agree with this. Not talking about just brake pads; talking about overstressing the system so they don't stop you in the designed distance minimums. Or worse yet, breaking something. People don't understand the loads they put on these things when they do these type mods. Speaking from bitter experiences. Poorer mileage may just be the least of your problems.

 

[JeepRecoveryTeam]

I run 38s as my dd, just cuz id rather drive the truck than the car. but i think they look small im gona run 39.5s