Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) love the mpg!!!!!!!!!!!

[RHestand]

On my annual trip from Santa Cruz, CA to N. WI in April, towing my wife's car (On a car trailer) and with my truck (With cab high camper shell) full to the top with all the stuff we haul back and forth (The whole package weighs just under 16,000 lbs. ) and pretty much 69 MPH (2000 RPMs) I got a best of 14. 7 and worst was 14. 2 MPG as per GPS miles. (I haven't re-calc. my speedometer yet. )
My only major change for this trip from prev. years was my new 19. 5" forged alum. whls. with 8R19. 5s tires. This new combo netted about 12. 4% more roll-out than my stock 16" tires and wheels but almost exactly the same cross country fuel mileage as with the 16s. Around town, with and W/O loads, the best I can tell I've lost about 1. 5 to 2 MPG or down to about 13-15MPG.
Best case scenario, I was hoping to get a little better fuel mileage, but I'm more than satisfied with the almost 300 RPM drop at highway speeds and how much better the truck handles now.
The best fuel mileage ever for this truck was when I first bought it. That was19. 6 at 60-65 MPH, with 84,000 total miles on it and driving it home from Milwaukee.

 

[The patriot]

I'd love a 300 RPM drop at highway speed.

I've always felt this truck needed another hi gear.

 

[RByrum]

19. 68 mpg hand calculation all freeway and empty @65mph.

16. 3 mpg average as daily driver

13. 7 mpg towing 2400 lb boat.

All in all I was dissapointed. Hoping for 19 mpg all around driving. But it is what it is and I like my truck. All stock, my first diesel and wow excellent power

 

[DSpringstead]

I've got a '97 W/ 4 in exh, ATS 3 pc & AEM cold air intake. I run between 20-21 MPG to & from work . The last trip to the Oregon coast was just a tick over 22 MPG. I can't ask for anything better.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Hand Calculated highway & city 3:54 gears. AFC housing bumped back for bi-annual emissions testing.



21. 90 MPG

 

[MLee]

One question for you high MPG guys.

Are your tires new, 50%, to low tread?

I read that your milage will increase substanualy with tires with less tread, not having the drag that a newer tire will produce. And they get a little stiffer in the side wall I think.

I have found that certain fuels have a huge effect on milage, I found that out this last couple weeks on a trip. Fred Meyers/smiths gave me better milage and better power than major brands that I was using, like Chevron. etc pulling my 5ver.

 

[JustDave]

My '96, 2wd, gas mileage varies with my driving conditions. Here's a breakdown, all hand calculated to the same point on the filler neck;



23. 5 mpg - interstate driving, 2000 rpm, no stops between fill ups

22. 5 mpg - varied interstate and light stop and go traffic, 2000 rpm or less

16 - 17 mpg - with goose neck dump lightly loaded, probably 5,000-7,000 lbs total, varied conditions

14 - 15 mpg - with goose neck dump heavily loaded, probably 10,000-12,000 lbs total, varied conditions



I've lightly modified my truck, dyno'd at 300 HP and 630 lb-ft torque at the rear wheels, and use synthetic lubricants throughout. See sig for truck profile.



Dave

 

[JustDave]

Sorry for my poor choice of words, meant to say "fuel" mileage, not gas!



Dave

 

[surfbeetle]

My best was 24. 5 mpg, it was a straight drive from Northern California (Sacramento) to Southern California (San Diego) 70-75 mph the whole with two stops.

 

[Nyoest]

I bought my twelve valve last fall filled it up and followed to wife home. She Got 22 mpg on the dot. Best I've ever done is 18. Some times a lot worse.



It all comes down to driving style. If you can take fifteen minutes getting to 60 and don't stop for three hundred miles you are gonna do great.



I look at it this way, what would it cost to drive a gas truck that can do what our trucks can? It would get what 6 mpg? See even at 16 mpg I'm still saving money! (and killing tires)