Really glad I found this thread. My commute is mostly highway and I was contemplating doing a goofy hypermiling experiment and gutting out some creature comforts, but it appears that this would be ineffective for my commute.
Really glad I found this thread. My commute is mostly highway and I was contemplating doing a goofy hypermiling experiment and gutting out some creature comforts, but it appears that this would be ineffective for my commute.
Couple of suggestions, since it appears you don’t have the truck yet.
First, if you want a 4 cyl ranger, get the duratec 2.3 l version. It’s a much better engine than the older Lima motor was, and it’s offered as the base motor in the time range you want.
About the tires, don’t get truck tires. They are more durable and tough, sure, but at the very high cost of road drag. Car tires work fine.
For aero, there are some good studies out there for bed drag, iirc, the best was half bed cover and no tailgate. When I get home, I’ll see if I can find them.
Following for future reference.
I can’t see doing anything as far as ufo-type aero. Air dams sure but certainly not interested in the “hypermile” mod I’ve seen. I do have a modicum of self respect!
take my Abarth. It only weighs in at around 2550 pounds. It gets 28 in the city, but because it is a short and stubby little car, can only manage 34 on the highway. The ranger would be the same way.. much better where you have to stop and start a lot, but at a steady speed, weight has little do with it unless your ride also includes hills
Lets get Newtonian! Light weight will make acceleration and deceleration more efficient processes...object in motion stuff ya know. BUT more weight will also effect other factors on steady state speed. Tire drag, bearings and such.
I deliver pizza so acceleration and such are HUGE factors. Some items I deleted work in several areas. No AC or power steering shed weight and lessen drag on the engine...so bye!
Bruce
ebonyandivory said:In reply to Pete Gossett :
What kind of aero would you apply to a small pickup? I’m looking to compromise as little as possible and have an efficient vehicle I can use as a truck sometimes but way low budget
bed cap. this gives the air a LONG time till it has to tumble down off the top of the truck. Combine it with a small spoiler at the back like the Volvo 850 racing wagons and you can fool the air into thinking your ranger is a LOT longer than it really is,
If you're going bed cap for aero, one that slopes down towards the tailgate would be best. Less cargo space with it on, but also less of a large, flat surface at the back of the vehicle. Which means less drag.
As has been said, the main effect weight has on mpg is the acceleration part. If you have two identical versions of your truck on the highway and one is empty and the other one has 900 lbs in the bed, they will get very similar MPGs on a flat stretch. The one with the load will have more tire/bearing friction, but I doubt it would make a half mpg difference.
The truth is, though, that most areas have hills, so the heavier truck will expend more fuel maintaining speed uphill and they will both get the same mpg downhill.
Aero is a very interesting thing to me. Most of it makes sense but some of it is still voodoo. I understand the physics and what you want the air to do, just not sure how to make it do it. Reading with interest.
Curtis said:The truth is, though, that most areas have hills, so the heavier truck will expend more fuel maintaining speed uphill and they will both get the same mpg downhill.
Only if they are riding their brakes. The heavier truck will have more potential energy at the top of the hill.
If coasting or still adding throttle, it will go farther or faster (easier) downhill and achieve better mpg.
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