The taller you make the vehicle the more wind affects fuel economy. In addition, the larger tires are heavier and add to the rolling resistance. Life is full of tradeoffs...
I understand that, but losing roughly 5mpg seems excessive. I also wanted to add a 1.5" lift, but am afraid it will drop the MPG below 20. At that point, I might as well have purchased a full sized Bronco.
If you get a full-sized Bronco, lower it and put narrower tires on it you'll get better fuel economy with it.
This makes me believe that the largest loss for me is the rack. What the heck? I really only use it in the winter to go snowboarding. I may remove it for Spring and summer. Ugh!
I thought the larger tires were a mpg issue too, but others with larger tires were still getting good mpg. And mine is starting to go up.
On average a roof rack will drop MPG by as much as 10%. In your case, that’s almost 3 MPG. It’s recommended to remove any accessory from your roof if you are not actively using it.
Interesting! I can't imagine ever using the rack, so this could be a good way to save some money on gas.
. Whenever I take my BB in for its first service at Ford, I will inquire if they can do it there.
For 93, I reset trip 2 and gave it around 1,000 miles for a test. I got roughly 30 mpg.
The roof rack most likely accounts for the loss in the mpg, they look cool but boy do they mess with your aerodynamics, especially at high speed. If you have it on just for looks, try taking it off for a couple of tank fulls, you'll likely see a big difference in efficency.
That sounds like a good tradeoff to me too! Has there been much of a change in temperatures since you started using regular?For 93, I reset trip 2 and gave it around 1,000 miles for a test. I got roughly 30 mpg.
For 87, I reset trip 2 again and have given it 500 miles so far. I am at roughly 29 mpg (and it is slowly creeping up).
I think I can stomach a 1 mpg-or-less difference in order to save $8 per tank of gas
Compared to when I was testing the 93, It is probably about 20 degrees warmer on average.
Exactly. Engineers go through a lot of trouble to fine tune the exterior of vehicles for better aerodynamic efficiency, and then we ruin it by attaching all sorts of stuff to the outside of our vehicles. Generally speaking, when you double your speed your drag is quadrupled. So a roof rack that generates 40 pounds of drag at 40 MPH will generate 160 pounds of drag at 80 MPH. That’s a lot of extra work for your engine.
Do you mean the roof rails? Those are integral and not meant to be removed. I was referring to anything you attach to those rails: roof boxes, kayak carriers, spare tire carrier, etc.Interesting! I can't imagine ever using the rack, so this could be a good way to save some money on gas.
I just googled how to remove the rack, and I can already tell it is a frustration I don't want in my life
