Cruising at 2300-2500rpm - better mpg but any cons?

[Doc]

I just push the go fast pedal a little more and any perceived lugging goes away as do the cars in the rear view

As long as you downshift, building boost against a lugging motor can lead to its demise.

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[Trigganometry]

Doing my mileage push to get the best bang for my buck tank to tank I have found the sweet spot is 1800 to 2200 RPM. This keeps the truck from lugging but also puts in into where immediate power on demand if needed. In order for this to work I lock out gears I don’t want to be in depending on driving conditions. Just my approach and YMMV

 

[Langwilliams]

Doing my mileage push to get the best bang for my buck tank to tank I have found the sweet spot is 1800 to 2200 RPM. This keeps the truck from lugging but also puts in into where immediate power on demand if needed. In order for this to work I lock out gears I don’t want to be in depending on driving conditions. Just my approach and YMMV

That's the range I'd like to be in. Went to vote today an used the tow mode an it kept rpm's just under 2K. I have the LIvernois tune an it cruised at 1400 which I thought was too low.

 

[joseywales]

I am hoping to get the FP tune to keep my warranty. Then im also seeing the roush tune gives the same 36k warranty but not sure if it voids factory warranty.

I have seen many debates on if you have an extended warranty, and you go with the FP tune, it wont void your extended warranty, and then i see that it will DOWNGRADE the extended warranty to the 36/36k mile they offer. So i am fairly conflicted about a tune now, because ill have wasted a ton of money in comparison to a cost of a tune if i void the extended warranty. I really wish i didnt get the damn extension at this point. I should have just took my chances haha

ive driven in tow mode a lot, i just didnt know if it had long term effects on the powertrain at all. But as ive read, it just alters the shift points to higher rpm, nothing else really changes. So maybe going tow mode is the way to go, and locking out gear 10 for highway to cruise around 2k rpm in 9th gear (75-80mph), and locking out 8,9, and 10 to stay in 7th gear (city around here usually is 45-50mph) so going that speed in 7th is around 2k rpm as well.

I just tested this again today. It does seem like i get better gas mileage around 2500 rpm, maybe because the turbo is kicking in a little more? or does it not really spool until 3k-ish?

 

[joseywales]

P.S.

I really appreciate everyone's $0.02,. It helps a lot getting various opinions and educated guesses and/or information etc.

this has been one of the best forums that i have been a part of - glad i decided to join!

 

[TORQUERULES]

I have posted in other threads about how I worked with Unleashed to try to minimize this issue in Normal mode. Check those out. I still lock out gears sometimes, just out of habit mostly, but the settings Torrie came up with from my input solved 90% of the issues you mention without going overboard and screwing up other areas of the calibration like 5 Star did when they tried to work on shift strategy for me.

 

[joseywales]

I have posted in other threads about how I worked with Unleashed to try to minimize this issue in Normal mode. Check those out. I still lock out gears sometimes, just out of habit mostly, but the settings Torrie came up with from my input solved 90% of the issues you mention without going overboard and screwing up other areas of the calibration like 5 Star did when they tried to work on shift strategy for me.

I think I did come across that thread of yours! Very informative! I admire your tenacity in trying to solve the issue and helping others along the way. Any bit of information or knowledge obtained as an individual can benefit the rest of the people around you (in this case, the thread)

I have not really checked out unleashed yet but i will certainly be looking at their website! probably the very few i havent checked out yet but have been seeing alot of mention of them lately. I've rebuilt many cars in my old age (30) since i was a wee little lad, but this ranger, for a NEW vehicle has been a money pit i love throwing money down haha worth every penny i spend on it....just lots of pennies!


oh hmm, just looked, couldnt find a website, maybe thats why i didnt end up taking a look

anyone possibly have a link to a website that has their products?

 

[D Fresh]

I think I did come across that thread of yours! Very informative! I admire your tenacity in trying to solve the issue and helping others along the way. Any bit of information or knowledge obtained as an individual can benefit the rest of the people around you (in this case, the thread)

I have not really checked out unleashed yet but i will certainly be looking at their website! probably the very few i havent checked out yet but have been seeing alot of mention of them lately. I've rebuilt many cars in my old age (30) since i was a wee little lad, but this ranger, for a NEW vehicle has been a money pit i love throwing money down haha worth every penny i spend on it....just lots of pennies!


oh hmm, just looked, couldnt find a website, maybe thats why i didnt end up taking a look

anyone possibly have a link to a website that has their products?

https://unleashedtuning.com/

 

[TORQUERULES]

I think I did come across that thread of yours! Very informative! I admire your tenacity in trying to solve the issue and helping others along the way. Any bit of information or knowledge obtained as an individual can benefit the rest of the people around you (in this case, the thread)

I have not really checked out unleashed yet but i will certainly be looking at their website! probably the very few i havent checked out yet but have been seeing alot of mention of them lately. I've rebuilt many cars in my old age (30) since i was a wee little lad, but this ranger, for a NEW vehicle has been a money pit i love throwing money down haha worth every penny i spend on it....just lots of pennies!


oh hmm, just looked, couldnt find a website, maybe thats why i didnt end up taking a look

anyone possibly have a link to a website that has their products?

Unleashed Tuning - Horsepower is easy, traction is the real problem!

 

[harringtondav]

well, just guessing here (and probably going to twitch the panties of some people who will have their opposing views)....you're higher rpm's could achieve and extra 30000000 strokes over an average lifetime on the vehicle so that equates to more wear and tear of the engine and its components.
the trade off is there....which side of the fence is better?
you might have solved the lugging concerns about early engine death, but you gave it a death sentence anyway on the higher wear over time.

This was going to be my reply. Any engine has a maximum number of strokes before it wears out. But assuming it's given proper maintenance, you would have to own it for a long time to see the shortened life.
BTW. I've just recently read the concerns over lugging. I don't see the problem. The ECU/TCU downshifts when needed. I like the +-1800 rpm @ 70 mph. And I 'up pedal' shift to force shifts at a lower RPM. The engine has plenty of low RPM torque.

 

[ChiefQM]

The 10 speed was a mistake in this truck. I suspect the only reason it even exists is to appease EPA goals.

Think back to older cars you drove, 2000-2500 rpm cruising speed was normal.

I too have started using only 7 gears for in town and 8 gears on the highway, but will sometimes manually bump it to 10 if I am on a long flat or downhill track of interstate.

I am actually considering going down to 6 gears in town.

The transmission is the one big thing on this truck, about the only thing, I have really grown to dislike.

A tune does help a lot, but after driving a tune for over a year, you come to realize the manually setting the gears is the only way to fix it.

There is a reason that most manual transmissions that exist still top out at 6 gears total...

Hell I've been mulling over just using sport mode exclusively and see how bad the MPG is with 93 tune.

I have been using tow mode while driving in town for several months now and lock out 8th, 9th and 10th. Depending on the speed limit, especially if I am stuck driving at 30, lock out 6th as well. The lugging is minimized and on the highway at speeds above 45, I turn the tow mode off. When I am in the mountains it is Sport mode all the way. I had not noticed any increase in mileage and suspect I am getting worse mpg by keeping the rpms above 2K. I would have much rather had a manual transmission.

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