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Fuel mileage is more a function of frontal area and speed than it is engine RPM.
Taller truck with wider tires = more frontal area = more wind drag = worse mileage.
Speed is even worse because it is squared. For example crusing at 80 requires 30% more power than crusing at 70.
Combine both of these and you will take a truck that out of the box did high teens and you should not be surprised by a truck that will do mid teens.
One more thing. Maximizing mileage will minimize performance. I am a big fan of low gears and would put money on that fact that it has less effect on mileage than people give it credit for.


Well put! I found lower gears help around town mpg at the expense of freeway but overall, it remained unchanged or changed very little. It simply takes energy to fight the fixed drag forces as you have described and gears are not in those equations.

Frank

1994 4runner, 3.0, auto, 4.88's, 31's, BJ spacers, Coil spacers, air shocks, D-ring anchors, 4Crawler F/R swaybar discos.
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