Sweet spot for best MPG

[AzScorpion]

You are free to open dialogue with me in a private message if you have questions or concerns. I don't think the members or moderators will probably be entertaining the conversation shenanigans this has devolved into much longer.

I 'm kind of enjoying it. ?

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[OFC Ranger]

I 'm kind of enjoying it. ?

I have zero problems having the discussion in public, I just don't think the moderators will tolerate it. I sure don't want to risk my account status because of one squeaky wheel.

 

[HenryMac]

You are free to open dialogue with me in a private message if you have questions or concerns. I don't think the members or moderators will probably be entertaining the conversation shenanigans this has devolved into much longer.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Well there you have it. I pretty much had my suspicions the entire time about his motive from his first inquiry.

 

[Rene Michaels]

Gentleman, I believe the original post was titled "
Sweet spot for best MPG", so I'm going back to that if it's OK with y'all

I travel between Austin and Conroe (North Houston) every couple weeks. It's a 3-hour drive with varying speed limits. We are blessed to have some 75 and even 85 MPH highways in Texas, so I have traveled at a lot of different speeds.

With that, I haven't seen any substantial differences in MPG related to MPH whether highway or city and haven't found a sweet spot. My average MPG has pretty much stayed at or very close to 22.6 since I got my truck two years ago. And I typically have about 50lbs of gear in the bed.

A couple months ago I upgraded my wheels & tires. My goal was to try and keep the weight as close to factory as possible. I went from a 265/60/R18 tire to a 285/60/R18. The new tires weigh 43 lbs. compared to the stock Duelers at 38lbs. The wheels I got weigh 31.63 lbs. and I believe my particular factory wheels weigh 26.5 lbs.

So, stock weight totaled 258 lbs. and custom weight ended up at 298.52 lbs. Since I got the new wheels & tires, I have averaged 21.9 MPG. So adding only 40.52 lbs. dropped my average by .7 MPG.

Not sure if that info has any real value to anyone, but it does show that weight certainly makes a substantial difference in MPG. I'm still OK with the 21.9. OH, and I always use premium gas.

 

[HenryMac]

Gentleman, I believe the original post was titled "
Sweet spot for best MPG", so I'm going back to that if it's OK with y'all

I travel between Austin and Conroe (North Houston) every couple weeks. It's a 3-hour drive with varying speed limits. We are blessed to have some 75 and even 85 MPH highways in Texas, so I have traveled at a lot of different speeds.

With that, I haven't seen any substantial differences in MPG related to MPH whether highway or city and haven't found a sweet spot. My average MPG has pretty much stayed at or very close to 22.6 since I got my truck two years ago. And I typically have about 50lbs of gear in the bed.

A couple months ago I upgraded my wheels & tires. My goal was to try and keep the weight as close to factory as possible. I went from a 265/60/R18 tire to a 285/60/R18. The new tires weigh 43 lbs. compared to the stock Duelers at 38lbs. The wheels I got weigh 31.63 lbs. and I believe my particular factory wheels weigh 26.5 lbs.

So, stock weight totaled 258 lbs. and custom weight ended up at 298.52 lbs. Since I got the new wheels & tires, I have averaged 21.9 MPG. So adding only 40.52 lbs. dropped my average by .7 MPG.

Not sure if that info has any real value to anyone, but it does show that weight certainly makes a substantial difference in MPG. I'm still OK with the 21.9. OH, and I always use premium gas.

You also lifted the truck too, correct? So there are aerodynamic changes, as well as weight.

 

[Motorpsychology]

I went from a 265/60/R18 tire to a 285/60/R18.

The cross section and additional radius of your replacement tires, however slight, will also affect milage, as well as tread design and compound.

 

[Langwilliams]

FYI I just did a quick trip from the Cleveland area to Louisville Ky. 295 miles each way. cruise set on 75 most of the way. stock tires an a 1.8" front level. The tripometer showed 25.1 down, hand calculated was 25. Showed 24.3 coming back same speeds with some rain some wind.

I used to live in Fla an drove through Alabama an Tenn an Ky a lot an if you weren't serving in an out of traffic an limited it 10 to 15 over they left you alone. Ohio troopers set their threshold at 14 over. I usually set my highway speed at 5-10 over. I don't speed in residential areas, kids are unpredictable.

 

[THLONE]

Anecdotal evidence = WAG = ?

 

[Cabose-1]

Well, to throw a monkey wrench in, recently went to Texas Motor speedway for the nascar weekend races, took 130 at about 88mph, 87 octane, about 24 mpg! Little traffic cruise control on, minimal braking and acceleration. Xlt 4x2. Best mpg of the whole trip! About an hour driving at this speed too. Coming from deep south texas, like the border wall on the river, near Brownsville and McAllen

 

[Rene Michaels]

You also lifted the truck too, correct? So there are aerodynamic changes, as well as weight.

Ah, yes good point! But only a 3" leveling kit in the front. Difficult to say how much difference that would cause, but it may have. I also have a 2WD I like to call a "4x2"

 

[Rene Michaels]

Anecdotal evidence = WAG = ?

As I noted: "Not sure if that info has any real value to anyone". Just sharing my experience.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Gentleman, I believe the original post was titled "
Sweet spot for best MPG", so I'm going back to that if it's OK with y'all

I travel between Austin and Conroe (North Houston) every couple weeks. It's a 3-hour drive with varying speed limits. We are blessed to have some 75 and even 85 MPH highways in Texas, so I have traveled at a lot of different speeds.

With that, I haven't seen any substantial differences in MPG related to MPH whether highway or city and haven't found a sweet spot. My average MPG has pretty much stayed at or very close to 22.6 since I got my truck two years ago. And I typically have about 50lbs of gear in the bed.

A couple months ago I upgraded my wheels & tires. My goal was to try and keep the weight as close to factory as possible. I went from a 265/60/R18 tire to a 285/60/R18. The new tires weigh 43 lbs. compared to the stock Duelers at 38lbs. The wheels I got weigh 31.63 lbs. and I believe my particular factory wheels weigh 26.5 lbs.

So, stock weight totaled 258 lbs. and custom weight ended up at 298.52 lbs. Since I got the new wheels & tires, I have averaged 21.9 MPG. So adding only 40.52 lbs. dropped my average by .7 MPG.

Not sure if that info has any real value to anyone, but it does show that weight certainly makes a substantial difference in MPG. I'm still OK with the 21.9. OH, and I always use premium gas.

The dealer installed 285/70/17 Toyo OC II's and a 2.5" level long before I came along and purchased the truck.

Those larger tires and that lift off the lot, the best MPG I ever achieved was low 20's @ 70MPH on the highway and real world town driving I averaged I think high 18's if I recall.

Once I started getting into fabricating and installing platform components it was just downhill from there. Version 1 of my rack I was averaging 16 MPG, once I got a 93 performance tune installed by 5 Star that actually increased to 18MPG.

Version 2 of my rack saw some additional weight and aerodynamic changes which sunk it to 15.8 MPG average. Surprisingly the big cargo trunks up top only effected MPG by about 0.1

I think Version 3 will improve on aerodynamics a tad bit, but Im not expecting much.

All that to say this; it doesn't take much to start sinking the MPG unless you drive like grandpa and take 3 miles to get up to 45mph.

 

[Deleted member 1634]

All that to say this; it doesn't take much to start sinking the MPG unless you drive like grandpa and take 3 miles to get up to 45mph.

Hey, I resemble that remark! haha Though maybe more like 1 mile to get to 55mph.
The amount of people who floor it past me pulling away from a stoplight is comical. Only for me to catch up to them at the next stoplight. Such a waste of energy and money.

 

[AzScorpion]

Hey, I resemble that remark! haha Though maybe more like 1 mile to get to 55mph.
The amount of people who floor it past me pulling away from a stoplight is comical. Only for me to catch up to them at the next stoplight. Such a waste of energy and money.

Lol I do the same and It's the same way here, it's like every light is a race to the next one. What's even more comical are the ones who have to still be going 45 mph and slam on their brakes right before the light. I swear they must go through brakes every 6 months! Me, if I see the light is red I just let off the gas and ease up to it. Most times it changes green (most surface streets are 2 lanes here) and I end up cruising right by them.

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