Improving MPG.

It helps for everybody else.


throwing parts at an engine nets an almost negligible difference 9 times out of 10 and is costly. Better driving habits net noticeable improvement 9 times of of 10 and is free.

 

I've found two things that help my mileage. Well, really one that helps mileage and one that helps me pay for less gas.

Buy less gas. This one is strange and I didn't believe it for a while. Topping your tank off when filling it causes you to pay for gas that you don't get. I don't understand how it works, but when you top off the tank some of the gas that ticks off the gas pump meter doesn't make it into your tank, but it does make it onto the price of the fill up. I had heard this but didn't believe it until I was filling a five gallon diesel jug. The nozzle was a little too big and the pump kept kicking off before the jug was full. When I had finally filled the jug I had pumped seven gallons. That jug won't hold 7 gallons and I sure as hell didn't spill two. After that I stopped topping of my trunk tank when filling and found a 1 mpg increase in mileage. Granted, I wasn't burning less gas, but I was paying for less gas.

Better mileage. Driving habits. I've found that the amount of gas burning is directly related to throttle position. Speed and rpm really don't matter. If you're not on the throttle you aren't burning gas. The biggest need for throttle down is starting from a standing stop. I've found that if I hammer the acceleration from a standing stop I get up to speed more quickly, and from there it takes almost no throttle to hold speed reducing the amount of time the throttle is down. From a red light or stop sign I try to hold around 3000 rps until I reach cruising altitude, then I almost throttle at all. This also netted me about another 1 mpg.

 

Only 5100's are able to be installed on the front w/ the coil spring if that's what you're talking about. 5125's aren't adjustable like the 5100's so you wouldn't have a c clip to hold the front coil springs on if you tried to install 5125's on the front. But if you're talking about putting them on the rear of the truck then yes, 5125's come in a variety of sizes. You just have to figure out what length of shock you need for the rear. I'' pretty sure the rear non adjustable 5100's only go up to 3" of lift from stock. But 5125's can go more. Good luck!

 

FWIW...

I checked the records of my 1997 SR5 (2.7L 4WD). From 1990 through 1997 I drove 68,000 miles and averaged 19.3 mpg annually. That was living in California, doing one to two off-road trips each year in SE Utah and eastern Nevada.