I am looking to improve my mileage while not reducing off road ability in my truck. Due to gas prices and other economic factors, It's primary role these days is as a hunting truck, and lumber buggy as it is...

As much as I hate the idea, I have been toying with adding a Tonneau cover to help the mileage, but do they really help?

What about the Gotts mod or a CAI? I have the XCal 2 set to the mileage tune (which still gives me more grunt than stock!).

I need to replace my shocks I know that, and I am seriously considering stepping back down to 285/70R17s to get my mileage back, especially considering I have had no noticeable improvement in off road ability where I take the truck with the 35s... They really LOOK good, but they don't WORK as well as I want...

What other mods can I do to get the max that I can from my truck? Starting with the cheapest first (most likely to happen unless I win the lotto you know!)

 

i feel ya man...im really debating on takin the 315's off and goin back to my 265's

 

Down sizing your tires back to stock is a good first step on getting some mpgs back.....

The Gotts mod may help but maybe not....

I learn a long time ago that driving a truck is just that....driving a truck....

 

i did gotts and it helped with the 315s so who knows what itd do with 265s...and your right bout a truck is a truck...my old boss had a f350 4dr dually and it got 15 weather you were doing 30 or 100

 

What you have to consider in making your modification decisions is cost/benefit. If you spend 500-1000 on a bed cap or tonneau, you're not going to see the benefit for many years cost-wise. Think about how much money you'll save on gas with an additional 2mpg's: it ain't much, so it take a long time to earn back that $1000 you spend on mpg-increasing mods. Just my .02.

 

First off, I suggest that everyone takes a look over at ecomodder.com they have tips for driving styles, and cheap mods that will help your mpg.

For example, here's what I've learned from them....

Grille block:
It's ugly, but it's made of cardboard, duct tape and zip ties (so basically free)



Check your tires

My tires were a lot lower than I thought. I filled them up to 42psi (from 35)
The Circle K has a free air pump, yay.

"Adjust the nut behind the wheel"

Accelerate going down hill so that you can coast going up hill.

Pop the transmission in Neutral at a red light.

Accelerate slowly, no need to floor anything.



Draw your own conclusions, but so far I've gone from 12-13mpg to 17.

I can't complain with that.

 

Thanks. I will check them out...

Not a bad idea for Yankees, but I'm a Texan where hot and humid are already on their way... (80+ deg 90% humidity yesterday...) So I am going to take a pass on that one!

Done, and FAR below where they should have been. Truth be told the truck has been a driveway ornament since before Christmas (no need to haul or tow anything...) They were all down to about 25 PSI. Pumped back up to 45. (I have my own compressor, Harbor Freight is DIRT cheap...)
My tires were a lot lower than I thought. I filled them up to 42psi (from 35)
The Circle K has a free air pump, yay.

I drive pretty conservatively. I am not in the high school, or college age crowd, and I've got nothing to prove other than to get myself and my family where I need to go safely.

Hill? What is this hill thing you speak of? Sorry I guess if you don't live in Bayou country you won't get that...

Probably not a bad idea, maybe not a good one either. Might be worth trying...

Again, I am pretty conservative. Maybe not Grandpa slow, but not in a drag race either... Just getting where I am going...


I may be fussing over nothing. My highway mileage is 15-16 with the 35s and 3.55s (I REALLY need better gears!) My city mileage is in the low teens around 12 to 13... When I bought my truck, TONS of miles ago, and before the modding bug got a hold of me, my highway mileage would get as high as 21 between Houston and San Antonio with a bed full of camping / hunting gear... I doubt I will ever see that range again...

Compared to my 2001 Saturn SL2 with city mileage at 27 and highway at 33 to 34... I just HATE driving a plastic soda bottle! Especially one made by G.M.