Potential fuel economy mod?

Is that what that little square of plastic hanging down from the front bumper is supposed to be?? I always wondered!

 

I have never seen 20 mpg in mine even when it was stock. Now that I have a lift an tires and junk I am only getting like 16 if I am lucky.

 

What app is that?

 

"Fuelley"

It's available as a free app on iOS. This app has helped me understand how minor variations in my driving habit or mods affect mpg.

 

Im gonne try it out thanks! It seems like it would be pretty helpful.

 

I made a typo. It's actually spelled "Fuelly"

 

I found it. The correction pulled up as I was typing it in.

 

And this is crazy!

 

Here's my number: 20 MPG bone stock.

 

I don't have a wind tunnel to test in

and don't work for toyota
so i have no idea


I do have an answer. the reduction in mpg is not null

 

2nd gens have "wheel spats" in front of the front tires.

3rd gens have the full air dam across the front.



OP on the 3rd gen the weather stripping between the bed n cab is both for mpgs and wind noise, same with the door seal between the front and rear doors of the cab, as well as the thicker top of the tailgate, etc etc. They all add up on the 3rd gen.

So OP try it, let us know what you find. It might be bigger than one imagines, i always though the design of the bed to cab on the 2nd gens was weird cus its literally a front facing scoop that would grab air (not good)

 

I'm aware, that's why I stated I would remove the front air dam because of how ugly it is.

The little tire plastic pieces are small air dams meant to help reduce air drag on 2ND gens.

 

Got 22.3 on my run today external temperature of 60 degrees with a humidity of 52 percent traveling at the same constant speed. No noticeable wind direction change but I am guessing that or something else played a large factor into my huge jump in mileage. Same run tomorrow rubber will be taken off.

 

Now correct this theory for me, but I was told years back that bed covers actually help fuel mileage because without one as air flows over the cab it hits the inside of the tailgate creating drag. The theory makes sense but is it a myth?

 

Heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend...if you remove the air dam you regain the low end torque and hp lost from 2015 to 2016, without giving up the 2 mpg increase.

 

Myth. Wind tunnels tests have shown no improvement. So did the Mythbusters.

 

During the Santa Ana winds here, while driving on a freeway with a crosswind of 45+ MPH, I definitely get some howling between the bed and cabin. I am going to try this out to see if it quiet things up a bit. Thanks for sharing.

 

I may be mistaken, but I believe that on the '16, there's a bit of 3M clear protectant on the non adhered side of the "weather stripping", i.e., the cab side, to protect the paint from the rubbing that would come from the box shifting around relative to the cab, where the "weatherstripping" comes into contact with the cab. Even a painted surface, over time, will get scuffed by the stripping moving around. May be worth adding to the mod.

 

Driving habits, weather, location and the amount of fuel you put in the tank are the biggest factors in calculations. When you fill your tank how do you do it? Do you fill it right to the same place every time? Or do you just let it click off? I can alter my mileage by taking a different route to the same place, I can lose a 1/2 a gallon in MPG by the weight of my foot. Small gain/ losses without an accurate amount of gasoline is not really telling you anything. Many years ago we used to have an accurate 1/10 of a gallon tank and hoses connected to that ancient device call a carburetor we ran the car till it stopped on the 1/10 gallon then switched back to the fuel pump and drove back to the shop usually with the customer on board. That was a good test. The coefficient of air drag increases with speed; at lower speeds any small stream lining has no real effect.

 

Myth