This sounds like a fight to me.

 

im going to have to agree with tom on this one

 

Forddy,

I'm not trying to create an argument, only educate. The reason why your truck climbs hills easier now is because you've effectively changed your gear ratio by installing smaller diameter tires.

Exactly the same thing I did when I replaced my 3.55 gears with a 4.10 ring and pinion gear set.

what this effectively does is cause your engine to turn at a higher rmp while driving at any speed. Now that your truck is pulling hills at a higher rpm, it is easier to climb them, which in effect may actually give you better gas mileage; if you do alot of hill climbing.

If you live i a very hilly area, it would probably benifit you to change your rear differential gears. I believe that the stock 4.2 comes with 3.08 rear gears. These gears are very large and are good for long stretches of highway, but not climbing steep hills. The Sport package comes with 3.55 gears, which are much better gears for towing and driving in mountainous areas. I went one step further, for racing purposes, and had Steeda install a 4.10 gear set; talk about a low end torque increase, wow!

The 4.10 just rip in low end, and great for mudding, hill climbing and towing; but not very good on long highway trips because my rpms at 70mph are almost 3000, and this give me worse gas mileage.

If you do in fact have the stock gears of 3.08, which are too big for anything in my opinion, reducing your tire diameter will give you better acceleration down low, allow you to tow a little better, and allow you to climb better also.

If you like what you feel with the smaller tires, consider going back to the larger tires and having 3.55 or 3.73 gears installed. You'll be amazed at the difference you'll feel pulling away from a stop light, or climbing hills.

So, I'm not telling you that you are wrong that you are getting better mileage. Perhaps with all the hill climbing you do you may very well be getting better mileage. I'm just telling you that by changing your tire size you are changing your gear ratio and this will most definetely throw off your speedo and odo from whatever tire size you were running before.

If you are now running the same tire size that came with your truck when you bought it new, then of course your speedo and odo are calibrated correctly, because you did mention that you had previously changed tire sizes.

If you like the low end umph your getting from the smaller tire, heck, toss on the bigger ones and have your gears changed. A pinion gear set runs for around 149.00.

Tom

 

Thanks tom, no argument here,very informative post and I now see it your way,very hilly where I live and where I tested my mileage. We need all the help we can get up here in Nova scotia Canada our gas has just jumped to 93.9cents per litre,there seems to be no end in sight, big oil companies and governments are making a fortune where it hurts us most. We all need to drive and there is basically nothing we can do. I dont know how much longer I will be able to own a truck, which sucks because I love mine. Anyway peace.

 

wow i thought our 84.9 c/L was bad here in winnipeg

 

Uh, stupid question but, how many litre's are there in a gallon, aprox.? Does anyone know? Cause at a buck per litre, i'm thinking that's around 4 bucks per gallon.... OMG!!!!! I'd buy an electric care if that were the case down here, and only use my truck for weekend roosts.

Tom

 

Let's see:

4 cups = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

2 pints = 1 litre or 4 pints is a litre?

I do believe that 2 litres are in a gallon



David

 

$2.20 a gallon here in IL yesterday. Your coverting made me think. I just paid 50 cents for this 1/2 pint of milk. Doen't that make it $16 a gallon. K&N filter in stock box ,cat back si/do flowmaster, new plugs, recalibrate speedo, and changed all fluids to synthetic.
Grand total 3.7 mpg increase.

Did you get the part about speedo correction? It only made 1 mpg improvement. now I get a wopping 14.9 MPG.

 

14.9 on an average is still pretty good. I'm getting about 13 with the lift kit and large heavy tires.

 

1 american gallon equals about 3.8L

 

daaaang....its 2.35/gallon here....crickey!

 

Attach an egg to the gas pedal with a rubber band. This is the most cost effective mod you can make.

 

Tom a U.S gallon I believe has 3.8 litres,and the measurement we use here in Canada is 4.54 litres= 1 gallon.So we are paying 93.9 cents /litre so that equals $4.26/gallon here in Nova Scotia Canada,I think an american dollar is worth $1.50 canadian so that would be roughly 2.84 US for a canadian(imperial) gallon,and $2.38 US for an american gallon. Premium gasoline is at $1.019 or $4.62 a gallon Canadian. I know we have a weaker dollar and higher transport costs but to show just how much we are being ripped off , Just 3 short years ago when I bought my truck new, we were paying 58.9 cents per litre. I have no choice like alot of other people here but to drive as little as possible, There is also speculation in the local media that we will be paying $1.00/litre here by the end of may. All prayers greatly appreciated lol.

 

its not just you though. Out here we are anticipating 3.75/gallon iin northern california. Im not saying you guys arent paying a lot, at all, Im just saying that you arent the only ones :*(

Edit: And this is before the summer months hike to over 4 dollars.

 

Get a motorcycle or scooter. I see more Yamaha Zuma's down here than anything. There are so many on the road because people are tired of sitting in congested traffic and paying for high gasoline prices. Sure, it aint the coolest thing in the world, but neither is being too broke to take out your date.



Tom