Singlewheeled dually?
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,620
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From: WARRINGTON, PA
if i didnt have the ez pass, i could probably fight with them everytime i go on and off. but then i would have to stop. and that wears my brakes and uses more fuel when i pull off. i dont like to wait in traffic either...
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 173
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From: SouthEast Florida
For what I use my truck for - hauling the boat. I don't have a real need for DRW and at the boat ramps a SRW would probably work better.
However I do prefer the dually look. This sounds like a great idea.
However I do prefer the dually look. This sounds like a great idea.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 92
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Just do it...
Hello, I did the same thing with my 98 f350. I did it because I got a flat and had no spare, so i took off both inners until I could get one. Well I noticed that my mileage went up (not sure how much, I never figured it out,but it was noticeable) and it rode a little better. So I too left it that way until I needed the extra capacity. One thing that wasnt mentioned about duallys is that since the two sets of wheels are physically bolted together, each pair of dual tires travel around a different arc when you turn, this actually causes one tire to scrub. Its like having a fully locked rear differential , only on a much smaller scale. This is a parasitic loss that occurs every time you are not going in a striaght line. The other parasitic loss is the rotating weight of the tire/wheel combo, especially starting from a stopped position.( but this was mentioned.)As we all know one of the ways in which you can gain performance and/ or mileage is to reduce these type losses. On a srw or just about any other vehicle this isnt an issue because of the differential. Sorry for the long post, but I hope it helps a few guys out there.
Hook it, I'll pull it.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,037
Likes: 4
From: Grand Lake, La.
Thank you Mmaxed...that's exactly what I was looking for. Very interesting discussion there.
And thanks to everyone for chiming in.
miller_feed, I meant rotating weight in the rear wheels, not total weight of everything(cause those dang wheels are heavy!!).
Of course, I will do more research before actually trying it. I like to err on the side of caution.
Keep them coming people, the more the merrier!
And thanks to everyone for chiming in.
miller_feed, I meant rotating weight in the rear wheels, not total weight of everything(cause those dang wheels are heavy!!).
Of course, I will do more research before actually trying it. I like to err on the side of caution.
Keep them coming people, the more the merrier!
Have a good day.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,620
Likes: 3
From: WARRINGTON, PA
well, you really cant tell that there is only a single wheel if you remove the inner wheels. and duh, yeah, that wouldn't make sense for you to do it if you tow every few days. what do you tow and how far? if you tow far or heavy loads, then this would not make sense for you to do it. and any heavy loads should not be carried on just 1 wheel on a dually. but most of us know that.
sorry if i insulted you, its not meant to sound that way.
sorry if i insulted you, its not meant to sound that way.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 173
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From: SouthEast Florida
See this thread RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Tow Vehicles: Singled out dually
By running a factory DRW as a modified SRW. He is reporting a ~20% increase in mileage.
Does a factory SRW get the same ~20% better mileage compare to a factory DRW?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,785
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From: Paola, KS
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,726
Likes: 5
From: Slatington, PA
I could see a milage increase because the single tire has less rolling resistance the the duals (same with skinny vs wide tires). Blueinracing also has a point with turning. One of those wheels has to slip a little when you turn and thats more friction and wasted energy. One wheel also cuts down on wind drag (probably not enough to make a difference though).
For the guys in pa.... If I get on at the allentown interchange, I get charged as a class 2 truck, but most other places only charge class 1. The scales there seem to register heavier then the others.
For the guys in pa.... If I get on at the allentown interchange, I get charged as a class 2 truck, but most other places only charge class 1. The scales there seem to register heavier then the others.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 173
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From: SouthEast Florida
I do understand the milage increase. SRW has less rolling resistance and better turning.
A 5% sounds more realistic. Even 10% is believeable and 15% is a stretch. But 20%. Isn't that a little far fetch?
Are the SRW folks truly getting a 20% better mileage than the DRW folks?
A 5% sounds more realistic. Even 10% is believeable and 15% is a stretch. But 20%. Isn't that a little far fetch?
Are the SRW folks truly getting a 20% better mileage than the DRW folks?
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,726
Likes: 5
From: Slatington, PA
I could see that much of an increase on a gasser. Simply locking the hubs in on my old truck (gas powered) would drop me 1 mpg. Now with the newer truck, the milage stays the same (diesel powered).
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,562
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From: Long Island USA
I do understand the milage increase. SRW has less rolling resistance and better turning.
A 5% sounds more realistic. Even 10% is believeable and 15% is a stretch. But 20%. Isn't that a little far fetch?
Are the SRW folks truly getting a 20% better mileage than the DRW folks?
A 5% sounds more realistic. Even 10% is believeable and 15% is a stretch. But 20%. Isn't that a little far fetch?
Are the SRW folks truly getting a 20% better mileage than the DRW folks?
So when you take one tire off a DRW, the overall contact patch in the back is smaller than an SRW.
But 20% ? Sounds like someone learned how to compute their mileage during the experiment
Hook it, I'll pull it.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,037
Likes: 4
From: Grand Lake, La.
well, you really cant tell that there is only a single wheel if you remove the inner wheels. and duh, yeah, that wouldn't make sense for you to do it if you tow every few days. what do you tow and how far? if you tow far or heavy loads, then this would not make sense for you to do it. and any heavy loads should not be carried on just 1 wheel on a dually. but most of us know that.
sorry if i insulted you, its not meant to sound that way.
sorry if i insulted you, its not meant to sound that way.
I just can't believe 20% increase in mpg. If he was getting that mpg before he went to srw, something was wrong with his truck. I am doing 13.8 in city driving. Also, I don't know if you looked inside of a dually fender, but the factory cut about 1" off the body around the wheel well. That would look kind of ratty to be driving around like that. OH, I bought my truck new in 9-00' so I know it is factory. I am also running 265/16 75R tires front and rear.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,060
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From: Burnsville, MN
Well I think the point is interesting; I wouldn't be totally surprised at 15 to 20% and here's my reasoning.
As my moniker indicates, my V10 dually is "bare bones", with virtually no options - i.e., no a/c, no auto, no big cab, no 4wd, etc - and the empty scale weight is less than 7,000 pounds. In fact, I seem to recall it as about 6,700.
In suburban driving however, I only get 10 in winter and 11 in summer. Now part of that is due to the 10% ethanol we burn in Minnesota, and part of it is due to my tires generally being aired down, and of course some of it is due to the extra hp the 2005+ engines have, but most of the SRW guys with all of the bells and whistles seem to be reporting better mpg, with trucks that are quite a bit heavier. So in my book this leaves the possibility that those extra tires are the culprit...
I guess if the price of gas continues to skyrocket I just might have to experiment by removing one set of tires. I'd do it just for the hell of it but removing the rear tires is such a pain in the a$$ .....
As my moniker indicates, my V10 dually is "bare bones", with virtually no options - i.e., no a/c, no auto, no big cab, no 4wd, etc - and the empty scale weight is less than 7,000 pounds. In fact, I seem to recall it as about 6,700.
In suburban driving however, I only get 10 in winter and 11 in summer. Now part of that is due to the 10% ethanol we burn in Minnesota, and part of it is due to my tires generally being aired down, and of course some of it is due to the extra hp the 2005+ engines have, but most of the SRW guys with all of the bells and whistles seem to be reporting better mpg, with trucks that are quite a bit heavier. So in my book this leaves the possibility that those extra tires are the culprit...
I guess if the price of gas continues to skyrocket I just might have to experiment by removing one set of tires. I'd do it just for the hell of it but removing the rear tires is such a pain in the a$$ .....