Why so slow and sluggish...any fix?

Howdy Y'all
I have a 2001 Toyota Tacoma TRD with the 3.4 V6 and auto tranny. I have a 3" lift, and I'm running 33x12.5 Nitto ridge grapplers. I'm literally averaging 13mpg, and the truck feels like a slug. My question is, is this normal? I know I'm running huge tires on stock gears, but man, 13 mpg seems off, and my 0-60 is 19 seconds. On a 1/4 mile hill with like a 30 degree grade, I start out at 70, and end up at 55-60 after two downshifts. (with power ECT ON!!) I was just wondering if all this sounds correct, and/or is there any way to make the truck faster, and more powerful without losing even MORE mpg's? I've heard a re-gear will speed it up but decrease mpg's. Not really wanting to dump cash on a supercharger either. I'm willing to go down in tire size to gain mpgs and speed, but I see guys running 37's all the time on first gen's like it's nothing.

 

I’d say a good amount of that is most likely the tires.
33x12.5 and most likely e-load, which means thick and heavy.
Going down to a stock sized tire, or even just something closer to 32” tall in a C or SL load will help. Easier to turn and less weight to keep rolling.

Secondly, when was the last time the truck got new spark plugs, grease driveshaft joints, new differential fluid… etc ?
do you have any permanent additions like a bed rack or other heavier items that live in the truck full-time?
if all of those things are old and worn, they’re likely causing drag/ driveline loss or the engine isn’t running as best it could be. Having to work harder than it should.

Lastly, these trucks don’t get great MPG.
I have a 97 4runner with the 3.4L, 100% stock suspension, no lift, 265 highway SL tires. I recently did a complete engine and drivetrain refresh, addressing all the points I listed above + engine belts and timing belt.
Doing mostly highway driving, I get about 19.5 MPG.

If you have any lift and any larger tires than stock, I would expect around 15 - 16 mpg at best.

 

Are you accounting for the fact that your odometer is reading less distance traveled than you actually drove between fill-ups?

Look up the difference in tire circumference between your 33s and stock tires. Determine what % larger that circumference is, and multiply your trip reading (between fill-ups) by that %. That will net you the actual distance traveled and change your calculated MPG slightly.

All that being said, your overall results are pretty typical in my opinion. And to address the sluggish part of the question, that auto trans is killing you. These motors feel so much more peppy with a 5spd behind them.

 

100% normal.
The tire weight and size killed torque at the rear wheels.

Been there, done that
Regear or FI is about the only fix.

 

Use Google maps pick a location 10 - 15 miles away, then note odometer reading and see what the plus or minus difference. Check your speedo with maps as well at same time.

 

It is more accurate to download a driving app. I have one called Speedometer. Has tripmeter and odometer, and many other features. Even a HUD feature, I never use.

 

6 of one half dozen of the other

 

Okay, thanks for the advice everyone. What spark plugs do y’all run? I have six of these on hand…

 

What does FI stand for?

 

No, I feel stupid now, I never even thought about the odometer being off… lol. Yeah, I’m actually thinking pretty hard about selling mine and buying a manual 1st or 2nd gen.

 

The odometer and speedometer will be off by around 5% when the tires are new. But as the tires wear down, they get smaller and will eventually only cause the speedometer and odometer to be off by 1-2%. Even accounting for the odometer difference, it doesn't change fuel mileage significantly. Usually less than 1/2 mpg. I've done the math on it several times. If your odometer says you drove 200 miles you really drove 210. That doesn't make a huge difference in MPG's

Where it MIGHT make a small difference is that when your speedometer says 70 mph you're actually doing about 75. Most cops won't write a ticket for 5 over, but IME 70 mph is like hitting a wall with any truck. Keep it 60-65 mph and you'll get 2-3 mpg better than 70-75. If you're driving faster than you think that will hurt fuel mileage.

The larger, heavier, wider tires with a more aggressive tread. Tread pattern is the biggest killer. I've seen guys lose 2 mpg when they changed to a mud tire from an AT tire even though they stayed with the same size and load rating.

The more power you have to spare to start with the less these changes make. Guys driving 3/4 ton trucks with 500 HP and 1200 lb ft of torque can put bigger tires on and hardly notice the loss of power. The less power you have, the more you notice it.

 

Forced intake…(supercharger or turbo)

 

Those show as a correct fitting plug on autozone…
I’d gap them to 0.44, and put them in if they haven’t been changed in 30K miles +.

Since theyre copper & these engine fire the spark plug on all cylinders every time a piston hits the top, you’ll want to change them or check at the very least in 30k miles or less.
There’s a reason that the OEM plugs have 2 ground straps, longevity.
Or you can get iridium plugs for about $10-13/per.

 

See 1st gens running 37s all the time? You gotta do some serious work to run 37s - absolutely would not run without a regear. 33s are in that territory where you can get away without one, but ya you'll suffer. The 4-speed automatics on these are terrible. They give you the torque below stall, and they're fairly bulletproof, but that's about the only good thing I can say about them.

If I was to start over, I'd get a 2.7L manual. They get almost the HP as a 3.4L, better fuel economy, extra gear, no torque converter stealing fun, and I hear they take boost better.

Also, regearing killing mpgs is a myth. RPM is only one factor in the fuel consumption equation, the other is load, and load goes down with a regear.

 

The 3.4 takes boost just fine.
The issue is, not many guys were/are willing to do it.

See the link below. And it's a stock 5vz-fe block and heads.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-the-charm-turbocharged.786969/#post-28158759

Drivetrain:

• Haltech Elite 750 with Wideband Module
• Garrett 60-1 T3 Turbo @16.3 psi (made 405hp and 482lb ft at the tires)
• Custom fabricated turbo manifolds and downpipe
• TiAL Sport Blowoff Valve
• TiAL F38 Wastegate
• Exedy Stage 1 Organic Race Clutch
• 4.56 8.4" Rear with ARB Locker and 4.56 Front gears

 

You may want to look at my sig

 

2nd Gen 4.0 w/6 spd.
You will be WAY ahead.

 

Nice!
Then I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

Are you the other guy Speedy talks about that is "testing" the limit of a stock block?

 

Possibly lol, there's a few of us

 

My understand is, if the tune is right, the rod bolt might be the weak link.
If the rings don't bust the lands out of a piston first....