Better gas mileage?
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Better gas mileage? - 4/28/2005 10:14:29 PM
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swiminforlife
Posts: 4
Joined: 4/25/2005
Status: offline
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What can you do to a '02 dakota to incresse the gas mileage?
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 4/29/2005 10:32:08 AM
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03Dak
Posts: 2
Joined: 4/23/2005
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Trucks get bad mileage mainly because of the weight and aerodynamics. You can do several things to help improve the mileage.
Cheap Stuff:
reduce the weight of the truck
remove any drag inducing accessories (wind deflectors, brush guards, nerf bars, fender flares, etc..)
drop in K&N filter
Cold air intake
free-er flowing exhaust
try and maintain a steady speed. Accelerating (sp) uses a lot of gas.
Drive 65 instead of 70
Not so cheap stuff:
install a light weight bed cover*
lower the truck (reduces drag under the truck)
reduce rotating mass (aluminum pulleys, lighter wheels, aluminum flywheel, etc...)
have a custom cam made for mileage instead of power
have the computer retuned
install a 5 speed auto or manual transmission
* On my Ram, the bed cover weighed more than the drag induced by not having it and the bed cover actually reduced my mileage.
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 4/29/2005 3:05:29 PM
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73roadrunner
Posts: 682
Joined: 3/31/2005
From: New York
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How do you know if your tonnau cover is adding more wieght and causing lower mpg than not having it at all?
_____________________________
-Mike-
2001 Dakota Quad, SLT, AWD, 4.7L
1973 Plymouth Roadrunner, 340
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 5/2/2005 9:32:41 PM
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95dak318
Posts: 62
Joined: 3/17/2005
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if you use a soft tonneau cover they work real good i noticed about a 1-2 mpg increase on the highway, they also keep your gear dry. they are realitivly cheap $150-$250 for a decent one, if the cost is to much check the local junkyards i have seen flawless covers on wreck trucks sell for like $50 Also the soft covers and rail assembly weigh less then 30 pounds so there is no way that the weight would lower your mpg
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 5/7/2005 11:59:40 PM
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03Dak
Posts: 2
Joined: 4/23/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: 73roadrunner
How do you know if your tonnau cover is adding more wieght and causing lower mpg than not having it at all?
Develop consistant driving habbits and then sample your mileage. In my case, I averaged the mileage for 5 tanks with and 5 tanks with out the cover.
95Dak318 nailed it. A soft cover is what you're after.
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 9/9/2007 8:21:26 PM
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Scales
Posts: 2
Joined: 9/9/2007
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Sry for bringing back a old thread... but I'm in a small hurry for ordering parts for my gf's brothers (97-04) V6 Dakota. He wants to improve the gas mileage and make it sound mean....
I'm thinking full exhaust, but what size would you recommend? What brand is recommend (including headers)
I'll probably set him up with a nice CAI as well....
He's away in the war but gets back in Mid October, he would like to see it done when he gets home. (It's in the paint booth right now) hopefully will be done at the end of this week.
Please help, as you can see my deadline is fastly approaching.
< Message edited by Scales -- 9/9/2007 8:44:59 PM >
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 9/13/2007 11:58:47 AM
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Nicegy525
Posts: 304
Joined: 6/25/2007
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not much you can do for the 3.9L engines. Intake and exhaust for starters. Give it a good tune up and replace the lead foot with a lightweight aluminum one. K&N filter.
If you want to go all out (read:$$$$$$$) you can buy a super chip and have it tuned, install lightweight pulleys, lower it and install a larger throttle body. post up some pics when its done!
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 1/27/2008 11:27:47 AM
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1louddodge
Posts: 1
Joined: 1/27/2008
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I just picked up my 00 with a 4.7 v8. Off the bat I was getting about 15 in town and 19 hwy. I added a single magnaflow exhaust without a tailpipe(sounds better than flowmaster anyday,) a helix power(best $75 spent,) and a K&N stage II intake. I get about 18 in town and 23 out on hwy and only spent $500. For me that will pay for themselves in a few months.
_____________________________
If you can't be the fastest be the loudest.
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 1/27/2008 5:18:14 PM
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SmokedRail07
Posts: 27
Joined: 1/1/2008
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quote:
a helix power(best $75 spent,)
sorry but this is just a waste of your money. They don't work at all.
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 1/29/2008 3:54:07 AM
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HankL
Posts: 2719
Joined: 8/20/2005
Status: offline
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in a nutshell
you will have more success improving MPG
if you concentrate on making the tires roll easier
making the truck slip through the wind
and changing your driving habits to be more like a 'HyperMiler'.
More than a dozen tips that will pay for themselves
at this LONG read:
http://www.dodgeforum.com/m_447500/tm.htm
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 1/29/2008 6:10:17 AM
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lghtngblt02
Posts: 1012
Joined: 1/4/2008
From: Mechanicsburg, Pa
Status: offline
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quote:
What the hell is a helix power? Never heard of that.
The Helix Power Tower, its a TBS, I just had a whole posting asking about it if anyone used one. More less what I got was they make a better paper weight then anything and if you wanna play with the TB then go with a new FastMan TB, Oh yeah and they make a neat WHIISH sound as Frenchy noted and someone else said if you strap one to your arse it'll whistle, haha
_____________________________
07 Dodge Dakota Club Cab Laramie 4x4, 4.7L V8 Magnum
93 Dodge Dakota Club Cab LE 2x4, 3.9L V6 Magnum
00' Ford Focus LX Sedan, 2.0L SPI
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RE: Better gas mileage? - 2/7/2008 2:12:13 PM
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Ram_This!
Posts: 9
Joined: 2/5/2008
Status: offline
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Not trying to advertise but Sports Racing Fuel (company I work for)offers a product called SURA (Sports Unleaded Racing Additive). I use it in my truck at all times. I have a 2000 dakota 4.7, intake, muffler and thats it. I was getting 14mpg around town (maybe heavy foot? don't know what the avg is) but when I put 1 gallon of this stuff in I got 1.5-2 mpg better! Its not even made expecially for better gas milege but for more horse power (which you can fell in the seat for sure) but it makes the fuel burn slower so you use less. It wouldn't be a good idea to use it strictly for better gas milege because its more expensive then gas but the performance benifits are well worth it. When I put the muffler and intake on I couldn't really tell if it was any faster. It sounds faster but we all know how fast those rice rockets are on the freeway when they are trying to catch up to us! This stuff works, check out www.sportsracingfuel.com for more info or call me at the office 714-996-RACE. We havn't realest is yet so you can't find it anywhere but it will be bottled and for resale soon.
Hope that helps
_____________________________
Shane Ferrante
2000 Dodge Dakota 4.7
-custom intake
-flowmaster muffler
=-Sports Fuel Additive
-eat rice rockets all day
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