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Best tips for better gas mileage

the areo drag comments are good ones.

I've been told numerous times that front lower air dams can be a big deal for MPG. all that air crashing around under the truck hurts MPG, so have a front air dam just blocks air from going under it.

Granted factory air dams on explorers aint much.. but if it is missing having it back for the summer may help a tad.
 






Older post I know but here is my take and what I have done as I can not replace my 93 nor do I want to but living on a fixed SSDI income is not easy so I did
1) changed to a K & N filter cost $40.00 now that was paid for in one about 1400 mile trip as I from that change alone got 2 mpg better it was the only change at the time and I had driven the same rout many times before over the years so it was an apple to apple comparison.

2) Check alignment and now do it yearly. Yield about 1/4 to 1/2 MPG per year. It may be a 4x4 but it’s also still easy to knock a front end out,

3) may sound nuts but any big dents fix them and keep it washed and waxed gain is small (never measured it) but the slicker the finish and smother it is believe it or not the easy for the air stream to flow over it .

4) If running 225 x 75 x15 tires change to 235 x75 x 15 tires it will lower the effected gearing a bit but still keep you in the power band.

5) Do not drive over 55! ( This was hard for me at first as I always did at lest 5 over now even if its posted 70mph I do 55 to maybe 60 tops and MPG has increased by 3 at lest.

6) Many have said it already Maintenance, Maintenance repeat Maintenance and change all oils and gear lubes to synthetics some thing I am slowly doing my self right now.

I get now about a steady 18.5 HWY at 55 to 60 MPH this is with a 93 that has over 230,000 miles on it and the motor has never had any real work beside a water pump and things like that but any major motor work at all. It has the lower 373 gears and I am not always the easiest on the gas when coming off a stop light or sign. O ya one other thing always slow down way before a light as its easier to get back to speed when already rolling then stopped so try to keep from stopping when ever you can legally that is . I started at only about 16 MPG when I bout the truck as 60,000 miles about 15 years ago now. The MPG never went down that much over time but then did drop some it just never was that good. The way it was set up it was only rated at 18 HWY and about 14 cities. That is for the gearing and tire combo it has. Any way that my two cents worth and what I have done to try to get a bit better out of it at one time or other some I still do some I no longer do like the wash and wax as that would be an every day chore were I live now. I can not say you will see what I did but its worth a try I believe and gas prices may drop some but lets face it in the long run there only going to get higher so we all need all the extra help we can get with that but short of a redo on the body and running gear there is not a lot we can do. A brick is strong when used for what its made for but it never will make a good kite, streamlines race car or a floating high speed boat but it never was made to be any thing but a brick and our trucks well they were made to run for a long time and go lots of places even if the black top ends but they were never meant to be a gas sipper hybrid LOL!
 






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