In seek of better mileage..
 

Well I just took a roadtrip with a buddy last week and we took his 2006 Megacab Dodge Ram 3500 dually and that SOB was getting 24mpg on the dam highway with A/C!!! He has a few bolt-ons but really pissed me off that his truck is so big and heavy and gets better gas mileage then mine as I get 20-22mpg on the highway with no A/C.

So my question is what has anyone done any mods that may improve gas mileage. Although picking up some power would be nice as well, I already have the Corsa catback that came on my truck but was thinking Ebay longtubes, catless Y pipe, Volant intake and a tune. But then I got to thinking of how this truck intake manifold compares to a LS1/LS6 and a TBSS intake as well as in terms of restrictions vs gains... Anyone able to chime in here?

Was the dodge a diesel

Yes..

if you get 20-22 already, count your lucky stars.

What axle ratio does your truck have?

Thats what im saying.. A custom tune would deff help your mileage and power.. i wish my truck got 20-22 mpg on the highway, i think my heavy 285/75r16 mud tires aint helping me out though.

You're complaining about 22mpg? Mine gets about 16mpg cruising at 65mph, 15mpg at 70mph. I'm trying to improve the mileage right now, haven't gotten anywhere though. A good tune is next.

3.73...

Lol well not so much complaining just looking to so see for improvement... I dont live in a city with stop and go traffic and I dont really beat on my truck a whole lot so I drive her pretty easy. I get about 16-18 in town right now, actually IIRC im sitting at 17.2 Avg economy right now.

But yes a tune is long overdue, but figured i should throw a few mods at it before tuning...

electric fans!

20-22 mgps?? Man i need a 2wd

My old 5.3 I was lucky to get 14mpg, so I could only dream about getting 22mpg on the highway. My DMax I'm getting 24-25 MPG doing 70-73MPH.

Huh... mine is bone stock, and when i got it i was getting 15.6 around town no problem, and since they switched fuel blends to winter, literally no change in anything but temp and dates, i am now at 14 flat. it dropped within a month. but don't high stalls for daily drivers in the 3k+ range eat more gas? I have been lurking around trying to find out the answer to improve mileage but finally someone asked hehe thanks OP! Just for giggles, since it was cheap i got a drop in K&N filter and its been better with mileage, it brought me up to 14.5 for 2 weeks then i started to like the gas peddle again, but settling down because I know its stock and dont want to shame myself since there are about 3 really good looking Silverado SS's in my general area and a Joe Gibbs down the street... highway though I get around 22-24 not in 4cyl mode and around 65 mph but if theres a decent head wind i drop a few points haha, cant bring myself to lower the truck, since I like driving in snow so much

Honestly, if you're pushing anything above 18 MPG on the highway be it a Silverado/Sierra or Avalanche/EXT you're making a killing. Most of these series don't see anything near a 20 MPG range. Think of it in a sense of power vs weight ratio to be the easiest.

A cummins is pushing twice a much torque and most GM gas engines from the factory. This being said, beyond the 2500 and 3500 small weight difference. Its takes much less of the cummins available power to start to move/continue moving the truck. With us, its a much different story. Even down to the 6.2 we just can't compete in fuel mileage.

Right now you're also comparing apples to oranges. Really anything related to the specific engine cannot go across the boards of gas vs diesel. No comparison in any stand point. I've done the general MPG swaps and I'm only getting between 16-18 MPG not including hills and weather conditions.

Last, don't always trust your MPG "meter" on the display. The true way to do it is by fuel volume. Which takes some time and needs to be done with either just highway driving or just city driving. If you combine the two your numbers will be altered.

I lost about 2 mpg on the highway with 1 3/4" catless LT's after the retune.

Its a 05... It has them already

Baby cam to increase torque at low rpm, stock converter, stock manifolds & y-pipe with a retune. Light wheels & tires, lower the truck a little, and anything else that will lower the drag coefficient.

Driver mod. Read up on hypermiling.

Skinny light wheels and tires, reduce weight as much as possible, good tune, bed cover, check your brakes to make sure none are dragging, and make sure all wheel bearings are in good shape.

Basically, reduce drag as much as possible.

WTF!! i get like 16-18 highway and like 12.5 city would a tune help :)

Your also AWD and a 6.0 and im a 5.3 and 2wd....

I find this hard to believe....can I borrow your truck?

I wish I would have seen this thread earlier and set things straight much quicker...as I have alot of data from my 06 cummins truck.

The dodge probably said that it was getting 24mpg on the overhead display. It was not and was likely getting a hand computed 17-18mpg. I had a modded 06 cummins cc 4x4 and saw a very best of 18.7 mpg even though the display regularly told me that I was getting 23-25mpg. The overhead display is called a "lie-o-meter" on the cummins forums for a reason.

Keep in mind that diesel fuel is about 15% more expensive than gas so even my 2011 xtd cab 4x4 with the 6.2 is more economical to drive than my old cummins.

Some of the older cummins (2002 and older) can regularly get 20+ mpg on the highway, but would you like to be stuck driving an older cummins with all of 165 to 235 horsepower.

6.0 yes... AWD? No. And i have 3:73's

25? Sorry, not gonna happen...An LLY Duramax is lucky to get over 19 on the hwy at 70...stock or tuned.

And 24-25 in the common rail Dodge Cummins?...No way.

If anyone is getting 20mpg+ with a Silverado in any configuration, you're doing better than 99.9% of the people out there. I have never personally seen ANY gas Silvy get over 20hwy in my life...And I've ridden in/owned dozens over the years.

http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/...IMAG0368-1.jpg

:nod:

Gotcha! well here are some ideas.

TBSS or 08+ intake and matching TB
3.42 or higher ratio since its a highway warrior.
full tune up
smaller lighter wheel/tires. General makes a grabber highway tire that is low rolling resistance and standard equipment on basemodel 17's
headers with hi-flow cats
MIT or MIT JR kit
tonneau cover
weight reduction
maybe a good seafoam or engine cleaner. Also a good fuel injection service like from dealer or Kwik Kar.
Updated custom tune.

remember alot of little things add up quickly. Good luck

I've recorded up to 25mpgs on freeway @65mph.
6.2L 6spd CCSB, CAI,Muff,Tune 245/70/17 LRR tires, Tonneau cover, and very light foot.

wanna bet? my dad gets that on his 06 mega cab dodge ram I think hes seen better then that a few times.

Best I ever got stock with CAI and muffler in mine was 17, after a Wheatley 93 tune, going 65 with no A/C and perfectly flat road was 20.5mpg iirc.

20 highway isn't impossible, it is just highly unlikely in a stock truck. Tuned sure, but I don't see anyone averaging 20. La SS, you are one lucky guy, that is nuts!

So after the tune it will help mileage? Cuz that was on the way back from cali when i picked the truck up lol, Since then the truck is telling me i get 12.5 avg!!! Fucking sucks :(

Yeah, a tune will definitely help! I picked up a few mpg in city and highway. You do have a 6.0, so don't expect to get what the 5.3's do.

93 Tune Didnt really help my mpgs at all. probably cause these heavy ass tires and rims.

Who did the tune?

Looks like im getting tuned then haha

Your not tuned??? do you reset your DIC when you fill up? If i dont reset mine it shows a rolling average over how long it's been averaging. I like to reset mine each fill up so i can keep an eye on things. If i consistently get lower mileage i know something is wrong and can start from there.

Not every time i fill up, bu ti have reset it before and that's when it went to 12.5 so Im scared itll drop again lol. And nah man not yet might get a jake tune within this next month.

I beg to differ.. My brothers 06 Mega got 24 + mpg on a daily basis with an EFI Live tune, 5inch downpipe back and 35s with a leveling kit. Otherwise basically stock.

What he has to realize also is the performance gains behind a 6.0. Be it LQ9 or LQ4. Compared to the 5.3, its miles above the capabilities. Naturally for that amount of difference you're going to have to sacrifice something.

ok, I tell some people this story and I get the same reaction every time followed by an argument. in my old 98 c1500 w/ 5.7 no tune CAI and muffler i had just about a half needle width under a full tank. I drove to a college to talk about getting edgumahkated which was 210 miles one way. Wind behind me at cruise control of roughly 65-75 mph iirc the whole way which was highway and getting a wee lost plus 5 miles side trip to find food. finally get to the college fall in love with them bla bla bla free pen then on the way home doing the same speed on cruise. Now, one thing to add is I was uber novice with things automotive and bought tires. my salesmen sold me the smaller of the two sizes that came on that truck. a crappy 225/75/r15 and that was on the truck when i drove the round trip of like 430 miles. I got home with juuust about over half tank. the needle was closer to full not empty but just there. me and my buddy did number crunching and he didnt believe I was getting like 30+ mpg! i gave him the benefit of teh doubt and even said i burned 13 gallons (its 23 gal tank and just under full at start and just over half at end) but that still comes to 33 mpg. city im lucky to get 180 miles per half tank in that truck. but hey, things are possible. no one believes me. and to add to it, truck started of on a level street so the gas gauge wasnt off and parked the same spot at the end. that trucks gauge would easly move if theres an incline or something but there was no angle added to the stock truck stance. Driving my dads 97 c1500 and this 07 nnbs, i love how his truck has immediate response and no stupid delay. i want mah power NAO!!! will get tuned soon. just my .05 cents

So what you're saying is larger displacement can make more power?

I get 18 fairly consistently drive 60-65 mph highway with lots of little towns to slow down for. CAI, no cats and a magnaflow cat back. 2 lane highway so a lot of times I take it up to 80 mph to pass people, I could see 20mpg being very attainable