Quick question about fuel mileage

[NightRanger96]

Hey all,


I looked on the EPA website and it says my newly acquired '96 XLT 4x4 4.0L 5 speed should get 15 city/20 highway MPG. Does this sound about right? It has the "91" rear diff (open, 3.27's) so I figured it should get a bit better than that... haven't driven the truck yet so I don't know.

I baby the crap out of my vehicles, never put my foot in it and try to keep the RPM's below 2k at all times. Hope this helps!!


Thanks,
Reed

 

[06RangerXLT]

keep your rpms between 1500 and 2500. under 2 grand and the engine is trying to work too hard on anything other then downhill and will SUCK gas. get a soft tonneau cover. pump your tires to 40 psi. i find if i drive normally, not like a grandpa, i get the best mileage. i get around 600 km per tank average city driving. much more highway.

 

[4x4junkie]

Those gears actually HURT your mileage by not allowing the engine into it's most efficient RPM range (lugging it). 3.55 or 3.73 is almost always better depending on what size tires are on it (or even deeper gears if you put larger tires on).

FWIW, with my 4.0L Ranger (stick) I get about 16-17 city, 21 HWY with 4.10 gears and 33" tires (which are actually getting closer to 31s now that they're worn a bit). Thats with it lifted about 6" too, creating more wind drag on the freeway)

 

[02RangerXLT]

keep your rpms between 1500 and 2500. under 2 grand and the engine is trying to work too hard on anything other then downhill and will SUCK gas. get a soft tonneau cover. pump your tires to 40 psi. i find if i drive normally, not like a grandpa, i get the best mileage. i get around 600 km per tank average city driving. much more highway.

IMO, (not trying to go against you, just giving my opinion), when I aired my tires up to 40psi, i got worse mileage than the recommended 30psi, so I would leave it at what is recommended.

And also, just because the EPA says you should be getting a certain mileage, doesn't mean they're right, their tests can't account for everyone's driving situations... the EPA says my pickup should get 13 city, 17 highway... however I get much closer to 20 on the highway, and, I get over 20 when driving on the interstate... The city, I'm not sure about, since I never drive in the city, but when I do I definitely notice the gauge moving if I drive enough.

JM2C

 

[4x4junkie]

IMO, (not trying to go against you, just giving my opinion), when I aired my tires up to 40psi, i got worse mileage than the recommended 30psi, so I would leave it at what is recommended.

I've had the same experience as 06, I get a hair better mileage with the tires overinflated (probably a half to maybe 1 MPG at the most).
Overinflation does reduce their rolling resistance, but it also makes the wear more uneven (more in the center).

You didn't happen to have a headwind that time did you?

 

[06RangerXLT]

I've had the same experience as 06, I get a hair better mileage with the tires overinflated (probably a half to maybe 1 MPG at the most).
Overinflation does reduce their rolling resistance, but it also makes the wear more uneven (more in the center).

You didn't happen to have a headwind that time did you?

weird. my bfg at's recomend at least 38 psi. i have em at 40 up front, 39 in the back. max psi is 51