I'm 16 and I need better gas mileage for my truck. Its a 1995 f150 regular cab with a 6'9" bed and a 5.0l engine. Currently I am averaging about 10-12 mpg driving around town but I think I could do better then that. I don't floor it nor drive like my grandpa. Is there any suggestions to what I could do to add to my mpg. I was considering buying a bed cover but I am not sure.

I need help :/



I will post some pictures of my truck eventually.

 

A tonneau cover really helps for mpg, especially if your driving alot on highway, air flows easily. Id also say on your take offs, take off very slow and dont have quick stops, these factors if not followed will kill mpg

 

Im 18 and also hate paying at the pump, but id never sell my truck

 

Didn't say if it was a 4x4, or what gears it has. A 150 with a 302 should get a little better than that though. A complete tune up, new filters etc can't hurt. Thought mythbusters did a show on the bed cover/ canopy/ tailgate down mpg debate. Might want to check on that, didn't seem like any of it did much for mpg. If ya can afford it or stomach it, a small car or motorcycle will save ya some gas.

 

Well start driving like grandpa. 10-12 MPG is too low, something is off. Pull the codes and see if there's a problem. You could also have a fuel transfer issue where the fuel returning from the pressure regulator is being sent to the wrong tank, which would make you think you're getting worse mileage than you really are.

Also do a search. This gets brought up so much there needs to be a sticky on it

 

I would say do a complete tune up and oil filter, air filter, fuel filter change. Also check for codes to see if anything comes up. Is it lifted? Are the tires factory size? Whats the gearing? If you can, put a fuel pressure gauge on it and see what that reads. If its over 40 psi its safe to say the regulator is shot and thus using extra fuel. Once you have made sure there isn't something wrong with your truck, that's when you could look at a tonneau cover. They will improve mileage a little but I wouldn't expect a real difference unless you drive mainly on the highway. I'm 19 and my 351 is a killer at the pump, but like said before by others, I would never get rid of it for anything else. With that said I average 10-12 with daily driving in town and some highway with a bigger engine, a 4" lift, 33" tires, bad rear gearing of 3.55(for my big tires), and a back seat...

 

I do take off slowly and dont stop suddenly. So I dont think its that. And with the cover thats what I was thinking.

 

If ya got 4X4 with Auto hubs than put a set of ones ya can unlock. I gained 2 MPG with that.




Quote:
Originally Posted by 76f350spercamprspeal

Welcome to FTE, Best Damn Forum EVER!
------------------------
Here's How to Post Pictures:
1. Login to FTE.
2.Click User CP (In the Top Left Hand Corner)
3.(On the Left, There will be a list, The 5th Option Down, will say "Pictures & Albums) Click That.
4.Then, Click Add Album, Enter a title, and description, if ya want to.
5. Click Upload Pictures, Then click Browse, Locate the Files of your truck. (You can add 3 files at a time)
5. Click Upload.
6. Add a description to the individual pictures, then click save.
7. Add more files if ya want.
8. Click The Picture you want to post, it will give you two codes at the bottom, Right Click The Second one (It say's BB Code, Then Say's [IMG]http:blahblahblah...[/IMG])
Then, Once that is highlighted, Right Click, Then Copy, Then Paste it into your post.
You can add up to 30 Images in one FTE Post.
If, Ya need any help, Don't hesitate to ask.


Quote:
Originally Posted by old_dan

You can also go to the "Garage" tab and start an album right here on FTE. After you post pictures to an album, we can look in your album, but you'll also be able to "insert a picture" by pasting in a link to the picture in your album.

It seems awkward, but whenever you "insert a picture" to one of these threads, the forum is looking for the picture somewhere on the web (which is always available) rather than from somewhere on your hard drive (which isn't always available).

Quote:
Originally Posted By Jolly Roger Joe

Welcome to FTE!

Go to Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and sign up for a free account. Then create an album for your truck. Upload any pics you want to post on FTE to that album. Have this album open on your computer when you want to post pics on FTE.

While you're making a post on FTE, select the pic you want to post from your Photobucket album. When the large version of the pic is open, right mouse click on it and select "View Image Info". The image info will be highlighted and will look something like this:
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...ghtsafter1.jpg

Copy that highlighted info (right click / copy).

When you have the spot in your post where you want the pic to be placed, select the "Insert Image" icon at the top of the post (looks like a mountain) and paste (right click / paste) the image info you copied in the highlighted box (just shows "http://" when it opens).

Your pic will be placed in the post.

Hope that helps.

Here's a tutorial Bob put together: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/67...-pictures.html

 

Not sure where those 2 MPG came from unless your auto-locking hubs were bad. They are in the UNLOCKED position by default. When torque is applied to the wheels from the axle the hubs lock. That's how its supposed to work. So changing the lockouts should NOT make a difference. Don't mean to sound like an ***. Not trying to be rude.

 

Evan, With the wheel off the ground the axle turned with the wheel. Now it don't

Yet the hub said auto on the face.
Now on my W250 the axles also turn but the drive shaft don't. So it unlocks in the Deff. The Bronco didn't. The old hubs I took off the Bronk seemed to be fine mechanically. They are like any full time hub I have ever seen. Yet everything looked factory about them. They just didn't unlock at all, and neither does the deff on the Bronk. Just sayin

I notice when following the newer trucks I can see the front axles turning on the highway at speed. These didn't have manual hubs either. So I assume the Deff unlocks on these as well like the 90 W250.

Is this the case Evan? 1990 is the newest rig I have ever owned so you tell me please.

In either case with the axle turning it is needlessly wearing on the u joints and pulling the weight of both axles. Right?

 

Check your tire air pressure, and perhaps think about going a wee bit on the high side. Don't goo too high, though, or you'll wear the tire funny and offset your fuel savings by having to buy new ones that much sooner.

Mike

 

Based on your axles spinning I would guess maybe that's the way it works. On my truck if I jac it up and spin a wheel the axles don't turn. It I turn the drive shaft the wheels turn. I'm not sure about newer trucks though.

 

Wow!! Thats cool. Is that what the Auto Hubs are supposed to do?

 

i like my truck and all,but when not needed........i just hand calculated 32+ mpg with my new to me little beater car.city/rural.no hwy.
'98 mazda 626 w/2.0 i4/manual 5 spd.
that's 443.8 miles on 13.808 us gallons brother.
now that's much more affordable to operate than a pickup.
much funner to drive than a dually box truck anyway.only problem is,she wont haul or tow much.great for just scooting around in,when the trucks not needed.
just something to think about.trucks are very expensive to operate today.even if you tune her up and nail 5 more mpg,it can't compare to running a little car.

 

That's how I have always been told they are supposed to work. The reason most people don't like them is while offloading you can't really rock the vehicle due to the hubs locking and unlocking. That coupled with them not being the strongest they tend to break. Another problem with them is that if not kept clean and LIGHTLY greased they jam in position, locked or not.