Any secrets for a bumping MPG on 1998 305?

[94K3500PROJECT]

I am real curious about how much of an improvement you can get with mods.
Especially since I just filled up for $4.19 a gallon.
Im to the point where Im more likely to take the truck on long road trips and just close my eyes when I stop at the gas station.
Every gas station.
Only because after 16 or maybe 18 hours of driving I can fall out of the truck and crawl away from it.
I cant take that long of a drive in the econo cars without bending the door trying to pull myself out of it.
My Dad warned me about this.
He said son, sooner or later you reach Caddillac time.
I could run out and buy a new truck.
But there is no way on earth that i am going too spend more than I paid for my first house on a truck.
Hell, Im not even done wearing this one out yet.
My reasoning for behind chasing reliability over mods is thus,
I used to be a Dodge truck salesman.
That was a real eye opener.
New cars are the most sure way to suck money out of your pocket.
Well except boats. New boats are just dumb.
I havent had a car payment in about twenty years.
Over those twenty years I have probably spent about 15 grand or so on buying cars.
Maybe another 15 on parts.
But with sales tax and financing and insurance,
I have about $240,000 dollars more in my retirement.
I wrenched my way into having enough money in savings to put a down on houses that I flipped for profit because I knew that my crap wagon would make it down the road.
And I always keep a backup crap wagon.
Or two, or four.
Just my take bud, you dont build wealth and security by chasing dimes per gallon.
You build wealth and security by using your mechanical skills to stretch your vehicles as far as you possibly can.
Maintain it, drive untill it is beyond hope.
Buy another one.
Use the money you save over the next ten years as a down swat on a house.
Use the truck to fix the house, flip the house
Take the profit, stick it in the bank.
Form an LLC,
Run your entire business world through the LLC.
Register the truck through the LLC.
Take the tax depreciation for it.
And on and on and on.
Yes, this is a bit of a rant.
But, I started with a clapped out 83 K5 blazer back in about 91 or so.
I didnt have **** all of anything.
It was a bad idea.
Im 6'4"
Living in a Blazer sucked.
If you dont have a bunch of money?
If this is your dailly?
Dont **** with it.
Use it.
Many, many, many people have used the gmt400 platform as a step up over the years.

Im working on a truck now that is an alternative to buying a new Alumiduty.
With certain performance goals and comfort and convenience modifications I’ll be more than happy avoiding that 1k/month payment

 

[Nick_R_23]

I’m surprised this thread made it this far without anybody mentioning that lowering significantly reduces air resistance and will probably be one of the biggest bangs for your buck. Making sure valences are intact as mentioned previously helps with this as well. The idea is to reduce airflow under the vehicle and the amount of area exposed to oncoming air. Making sure your wheels don’t protrude outside the wheel wells will also help.

 

[thegawd]

how much does it cost to lower a truck? with c notches n shìt that's gotta add up quick. man I like being able to crawl under my trucks without needing to jack it up.

a lowered truck looks sweet though!

 

[kennythewelder]

how much does it cost to lower a truck? with c notches n shìt that's gotta add up quick. man I like being able to crawl under my trucks without needing to jack it up.

a lowered truck looks sweet though!

After dropping the rear of my C-1500, extended cab, and without the front air damn spoiler, I can almost, just fit under there. LOL, I got under the rear a few months ago, and I had to get my 120 LB wife to lift up on the rear fender well so I could get out from there. Her back hurt her for about 2 days after that. I'm just to thick to be crawling under there without jacking up the truck, and putting jack stands, but I sometimes do it anyway. Last weekend I crawled under there to check the differential fluid. I just put my chest under just enough to reach the diff pumpkin, and pull out the fill plug.

 

[94K3500PROJECT]

New trucks are using a bunch of aero trucks to manipulate MPG.
I figure I’ll incorporate a few of those in my truck just because that’s the kinda stuff I like ‍

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Back to exhaust. I posted this 1st picture on another thread and decided to watch the Engine Masters episode again. The 2nd picture is of the 3" single exhaust comparison between a "turbo" muffler and a straight through one. This is unbelievable how much more torque and horsepower you get with the straight through muffler! I know when I switched to the Borla Pro XS over a 3-chamber muffler my SOTP dyno was impressed but I didn't realize it was that much more. Any time you can improve torque/HP you'll get better fuel economy. Of course a smaller 5.0 won't be as dramatic but, it's gotta help!

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[94K3500PROJECT]

Back to exhaust. I posted this 1st picture on another thread and decided to watch the Engine Masters episode again. The 2nd picture is of the 3" single exhaust comparison between a "turbo" muffler and a straight through one. This is unbelievable how much more torque and horsepower you get with the straight through muffler! I know when I switched to the Borla Pro XS over a 3-chamber muffler my SOTP dyno was impressed but I didn't realize it was that much more. Any time you can improve torque/HP you'll get better fuel economy. Of course a smaller 5.0 won't be as dramatic but, it's gotta help!

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Yeah that was a good video.
My plan was 2.5” Y into single 3”
I like the strait through and stainless construction as well as price point of the FlowFX mufflers

 

[thinger2]

Im working on a truck now that is an alternative to buying a new Alumiduty.
With certain performance goals and comfort and convenience modifications I’ll be more than happy avoiding that 1k/month payment

We call them construction caddilacs.
Seems like every new construction business owner buys one at about year three.
That and a Rolex.
You would think that they would park them way the hell off site and walk.
Nope, they park them right up front next to the structure just so everybody can see them.
I cant tell you how many top level meetings i have interupted to tell them that I was about to pick few tons of steel and swing it over their brand new truck.
30 or 40 union ironworkers smokin cokin and jokin and a crane at 4 or 5 or more grand per day?
I will get a forklift and personally pick your truck up and move it to the deepest mudhole I can find.
Or maybe down the road someplace.
I might just plop that thing down in the washout pit for the concrete trucks.
Grown men will abandon their donuts and run screaming from the job trailer while screaming "Nooooo! Noooo! Stop!
Its actually pretty fun to do.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I’m surprised this thread made it this far without anybody mentioning that lowering significantly reduces air resistance and will probably be one of the biggest bangs for your buck.

From the first page of the thread:

Get the factory lip spoiler if yours is missing or broke - RockAuto's is cheaper, but has a $100 shipping fee. Summit's is a bit more expensive, but if you order over $100 it ships free - guess where I bought mine.

Lower your truck and put side skirts on it.

As I understand it, lowering, installing an airdam, and side skirts don't benefit much until you slam it down low. You really need the airdam within a few inches of the ground. At that point, if you don't want the airdam producing lift under the bumper, you'll need to move it out to the front edge of the bumper. I'd love to slam mine 5/7, but I'm addicted to being able to crawl under the truck to work on it without having to put it up on jackstands.

Enjoy working in the older trucks and no desire to get a Doctors degree to work on newer autos.

I got out of the business because I got tired of having to learn more and more while having unscrupulous salesmen promoted to management where they judged me as unworthy of being paid for my hard work. Having morals was seen as a hindrance to profit. I really preferred working fleet maintenance on flightline equipment for the Air Force. I saw the same equipment time and time again, and the quality of my work determined how busy I was in the future.

 

[cubandeathgrip]

I was just answering this when @L31MaxExpress posted his answer, ha ha.

Edit: here's an example of SA and AFR based on MAP, min Coolant temp, and min MPH

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how do I add this feature to my truck?