Gas saving tips

[POSrangerlover]

Howdy ppl, just trying to get some gas saving mods that i can do? with gas going up and getting boned in the butt as the gas evaporates out of my tank i would hate to be driving a toyota prius next year. any ideas?

 

[Robin Hood]

Howdy ppl, just trying to get some gas saving mods that i can do? with gas going up and getting boned in the butt as the gas evaporates out of my tank i would hate to be driving a toyota prius next year. any ideas?

cut a hole in the floor and go flintstone style.

seriously the main problem w/ all of us ranger drivers is that we like to put our foot down every once in a while. you just gotta drive easier.

other than that, there is no "miracle mod" that will give you 50MPG.

 

[exbass94]

1. Make sure your truck is running perfectly and keep it well maintained
2. Keep your tires properly inflated
3. Don't carry around a lot of extra crap/weight if you can help it
4. Drive slower down the highway (eg 65 mph instead of 70+)
5. Accelerate slower and anticipate stops (brake early)

That's pretty much it. There's nothing else you can really do.

 

[Robin Hood]

1. Make sure your truck is running perfectly and keep it well maintained
2. Keep your tires properly inflated
3. Don't carry around a lot of extra crap/weight if you can help it
4. Drive slower down the highway (eg 65 mph instead of 70+)
5. Accelerate slower and anticipate stops (brake early)

That's pretty much it. There's nothing else you can really do.

I always heard to let off the gas early if you're coming to a red, and brake later, that way if it turns green you don't have to give it as much gas to get started...

 

[michowski]

Keep your truck tuned up, oils fresh. Put a spring on the steering column and the other end on your foot. That should help get rid of a heavy foot.

 

[dmanmccann]

Well you could get tiny tires. That might help some too....maybe like 225's lol

 

[POSrangerlover]

how about i throw a engine from a prius in there?

 

[BlackBII]

how about i throw a engine from a prius in there?

Then we would all call you gay.

 

[exbass94]

There's a lot more to the Prius hybrid system than just the engine. There's the battery pack, computers, controllers, etc. Not to mention the fact that it would probably be almost impossible to bolt that complicated fwd drivetrain into a rwd Ranger. Prius parts are probably really expensive too. You could easily spend a couple thousand just on parts. Use that money and spend it on an old cheap car that already gets over 35 mpg. I'm gonna be selling my sister's 1990 Nissan Sentra soon. 1.6L engine for about $1000. I ever calculated the mileage, but I bet it gets around 35 mpg. Do something like that.

 

[bobbywalter]

best tip to increase milage.....


dont start it.....ride a bike.

 

[rangerbert]

Live like the Amish get a horse and buggy.....we all used to laugh at them because they still used horse and buggy. But who's laughing now.

 

[Bent Bolt]

I keep my '08 below 3000 rpm at all times. I get 450 Km per tank which is better than what it's rated for. I doubt you could get any better than that but I stand to be corrected.

 

[94 lngbd]

hay for them horses isnt cheap either.

Several mods can be performed on vehicle's to increase the air flow which in turn helps out on the fuel milage. Aero dynamic mirrors,rear wheel shirts,full wheel surface aluminum "china hat" hub caps,light weigth plywood bed cover with aluminum or plastic poles for a bridged support.lower to ground front airdam,have rollbar mounted lights fold down when not in use,ie out of the air flow.

Found This
Everything old is new again: Car and Driver magazine modifies an econobox to improve MPG
34 years ago this month, the March 1974 issue of Car and Driver magazine ran an article about DIY modifications to improve fuel economy. The article was a direct response to the 1973/74 oil crisis - which was when people in North America first started seriously talking about improving fuel efficiency to address issues of energy security and high fuel prices.

But the magazine did a lot more than just talk about efficiency. They grabbed the bull by the horns (okay, a Ford Pinto by the bumper) and actually did something about it. Their story, Project Car: Crisis-Fighter Pinto, outlined six simple, mostly aerodynamic modifications which actually saved gas

The Car & Driver guys didn't mess with the engine itself. Instead, they reduced the amount of work the engine had to do. Fuel is burned to overcome two main forces: rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag. At highway speeds, aero drag dominates, so that's where Car and Driver spent most of its effort - and eleven dollars on supplies (about $50, adjusted for inflation).


Mod #1: Front air dam.
They started by making & installing an air dam beneath the Pinto's front bumper to divert as much air flow as possible away from the car's aerodynamically dirty underside. That single change accounted for fully one quarter of their gains.

Mod #2: Partial grill block.
Another highly turbulent air pathway is the cooling system. Most cars' grill openings are sized to keep the engine cool in absolute worst-case conditions (think Death Valley, pulling a trailer). By blocking part of the Pinto's grill, they were able to improve efficiency without adversely affecting engine temperatures in normal driving.

Mod #3: Smoother nose.
Almost every new car sold today has a smoothly contoured front end. However, the Pinto left a lot to be desired. To partly address this, they made and installed convex plexiglass covers over the car's recessed headlights. That small change added 0.1 MPG.



Mod #4: Smoother tail.
The aerodynamically ideal shape at the rear of a vehicle is a gradual taper that helps minimize the size of the turbulent wake left behind. But the slope of the Pinto's rear window was too steep. By adding a six inch spoiler, they effectively changed the angle of air flow between the end of the roof and the back of the car. The result: a 7% MPG improvement.

Mod #5: Reduced parasitic loads.
Back in '74, most cars sported a belt-driven radiator fan. By removing two of the Pinto's four fan blades, it was made more efficient. Today, most vehicles have electric cooling fans that run on demand only.

Mod #6: Reduced rolling resistance.
The stock Pinto came with bias-ply tires. Switching to steel belted radials netted a 5% MPG improvement. While all new cars today come with radial tires, LRR (Low Rolling Resistance) versions are available which can offer a similar improvement over "standard" radials.

The Car & Driver Pinto demonstrated that even in a so-called "economy" vehicle, the auto maker had left a lot on the table in terms of potential efficiency improvements. The same remains true today, particularly regarding fuel-wasting, poor aerodynamics.

What's more... "...they are all the type of changes you can make - without going broke - and the type of change the car makers will have to make for the coming model years. Bluntly, this is the way it will be."

Resources

Car and Driver magazine ecomods a car: MPG up +25% - discussion of this article at EcoModder.com

 

[hihoslvr]

so do u think a wing on my topper would help?

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

i dont understand why people think modding rangers for mileage is somehow worth their time and money.

its not

not when 4cyl. FWD cars can be had for so cheap, cost so little to maintain, and get such good mileage. for less then you'd pay for a set of tires for your truck, you can roll away in a 39MPG geo.

and fwd cars are so much more reliable than rwd trucks.

if you want mileage, buy a beater car. if your pride cant handle a 4 cylinder, fwd hatchback...then suffer.