Improved my MPG !!

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Well a couple of month's ago I kept track of 2 tank's of gas about a week apart and I had 16.1 and 16.3 MPG. Now this is highway/city/local combined [NO OFFROAD] and I drive with a heavy foot [ last ticket was 20 PLUS over the limit] I always considered them suggestion's anyway !! Since then I've added a Flowmaster 40 series but I didn't track MPG with that alone but then last week I decided to remove the drawer on top along with the wind deflector. When I kept track a few day's ago I averaged 19.02 MPG. I put stainless bolt's with blue threadlock back in the 4 holes across the roof . Then I applied 4/5 coats of rust-oleum primer/touchup 2n1 bright white. Look's good to me. Not sure what did the most help but I'm guessing the wind deflector.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Mileage has decreased to 15.7 Avg on two tank's. Don't know if it's the slightly bigger Falken Wildpeak's I've added or maybe because I like to hear the Flowmaster 40 I had put on. LOL
 

Xterrorista

Charcoal Briquette
Supporting Member
Location
Denton, TX
last week I decided to remove the drawer on top along with the wind deflector. Not sure what did the most help but I'm guessing the wind deflector.
Hmm.. Now I really wanna take them out. On my drive home I have about a 3/4-1 mile stretch of right hand curve with about a 10-15° bank. The noise, I'm assuming wind blast, gets so loud it seems like the roof is going to rip off.

I'd like to put some lights up there but couldn't imagine how loud it'd be without doing dynamat like @Prime did. With the added mileage I may get along with possible noise reduction I'm gonna take my basket and deflector off.

Plus if I need more light than the headlights, fogs and two round bumper mounted, wth..
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Hmm.. Now I really wanna take them out. On my drive home I have about a 3/4-1 mile stretch of right hand curve with about a 10-15° bank. The noise, I'm assuming wind blast, gets so loud it seems like the roof is going to rip off.

I'd like to put some lights up there but couldn't imagine how loud it'd be without doing dynamat like @Prime did. With the added mileage I may get along with possible noise reduction I'm gonna take my basket and deflector off.

Plus if I need more light than the headlights, fogs and two round bumper mounted, wth..
I first tried this with just the drawer out and it seemed LOUDER to me especially from cross wind's . Then I took the wind deflector off and took it for a ride and half way thru the ride I pulled over and put the fastener's in the hole's because the wind whistled thru them [ LOL ] Now I still have the big main rail's on in case I might get a basket for the roof one day. But If I can get away with out putting anything on the roof while attending an Xterra event I think I would take the big rail's off also . Then Odo X would look like me , BALD ON TOP . I know I need a couple pic's before Westslope disown's me. Hopefully tomorrow............
 
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TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
WESTSLOPE , XTERRORISTA ! hurry and look before I hit the wrong button and make it disappear . LOL
Hmm.. Now I really wanna take them out. On my drive home I have about a 3/4-1 mile stretch of right hand curve with about a 10-15° bank. The noise, I'm assuming wind blast, gets so loud it seems like the roof is going to rip off.

I'd like to put some lights up there but couldn't imagine how loud it'd be without doing dynamat like @Prime did. With the added mileage I may get along with possible noise reduction I'm gonna take my basket and deflector off.

Plus if I need more light than the headlights, fogs and two round bumper mounted, wth..
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
And I still hit something wrong , whatever !! In the first picture if you look close I cut off about the first 5-6 inches of the plastic track that the basket and deflector sit's on and then I reattached it back [ one star bolt] because the very end of the tubing was exposed and if it catch's air it would probably be whistling and making noise. The rest of the track piece that I cut off looked like it would catch air that's why I cut it off, plus I have no plan's to put the deflector or drawer back up there !
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Things that make ya go hmm..
Well it definitely made it quieter when your driving head on into straight wind's, not a whole lot if the wind's are coming hard from the side but then again that's the nature of these mini beast's. I still think it would look cool bald on top and since I would probably be camping alone or with 1 passenger ?????????????? Still debating if I'll need a rack , other then the one she would bring !!
 
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westslope

Wheeling
TheCrabby1: Well, I am impressed. Nice finishing job. One question and one request.

1. Are you still tracking gas mileage? Do recent results confirm your earlier observed improvement in gas mileage?

I ask because I have put things in the basket but otherwise rarely if ever use it.


2. Would you mind taking some additional photos and then posting them? Please. In particular, close up photos of the bolts you added and the plastic track that you reattached.


If I go this route, I would keep the rack (on the vehicle) because I occasionally carry a 16 foot canvas-covered, cedar-ribbed canoe on it.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
TheCrabby1: Well, I am impressed. Nice finishing job. One question and one request.

1. Are you still tracking gas mileage? Do recent results confirm your earlier observed improvement in gas mileage?

I ask because I have put things in the basket but otherwise rarely if ever use it.


2. Would you mind taking some additional photos and then posting them? Please. In particular, close up photos of the bolts you added and the plastic track that you reattached.


If I go this route, I would keep the rack (on the vehicle) because I occasionally carry a 16 foot canvas-covered, cedar-ribbed canoe on it.
Well the mileage has gone down due to bigger tire's and a flowmaster 40 that i let everyone hear ! I used the star drive screws that came out of it for the small piece of track and the 2 that are sticking out the side. We just had a little ice storm come thru so I'll get some pic's mon/tue when it get's above freezing.
 
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TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
TheCrabby1: Well, I am impressed. Nice finishing job. One question and one request.

1. Are you still tracking gas mileage? Do recent results confirm your earlier observed improvement in gas mileage?

I ask because I have put things in the basket but otherwise rarely if ever use it.


2. Would you mind taking some additional photos and then posting them? Please. In particular, close up photos of the bolts you added and the plastic track that you reattached.


If I go this route, I would keep the rack (on the vehicle) because I occasionally carry a 16 foot canvas-covered, cedar-ribbed canoe on it.
20200121_141507.jpg 20200121_141242.jpg
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Hey Westslope , 1st pic piece installed, 2nd pic uninstalled . Just 1 t-25 star bolt holding it in. I also took the 2 star bolt's that you saw in previous pic's out of the side of the rail and will fill with black caulk tomorrow when it hit's 45 degree's. Also that little piece slide's down into a small grove right where the screw go's . If you look close at pic 2 you can see where the rail pipe ended and the reason for the little piece going back into play.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
But if you really want good gas mileage you could buy one of these from where my Luthire has his work shop. His landlord import's these and sell's them, mostly 3-4 cylinder model's all left hand drive outta Japan.20190506_195245.jpg
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Dude. How much? Haha.
You could probably buy a Gen 1 for less but he said $4,000-$6,500 . He handpick's good condition lower milage one's, then ship's back here. All of them are 20+ year's old so no Md emission's. They really are cool as $hitt. I want to get one just to see how many clown's roll out of these tiny A$$ thing's. He had 1 painted exactly like the Mystery machine from scooby doo, dam it was tempting !After talking with the man who import's these he told me they were 25 year's + to bypass emission's .
 
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Jaedus

Test Drive
You could probably buy a Gen 1 for less but he said 4,000-6,500 . He handpick's good condition lower milage one's, then ship's back here. All of them are 20+ year's old so no Md emission's. They really are cool as $hitt. I want to get one just to see how many clown's roll out of these tiny A$$ thing's. He had 1 painted exactly like the Mystery machine from scooby doo, dam it was tempting !
What are they even called? Make, model, year, etc.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
What are they even called? Make, model, year, etc.
I'm going over there tomorrow so I'll take a look ! I know there's Subaru,Nissan and stuff like that but the model's are not the same as here as they were all meant for the Japanese market. If you look at the white truck the side's are on hinge's and fold down flat level with the bed. The stickshift in the left hand would be different but a few had auto's in them.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
It was dark when I got over there but I'll find out some diff model's next time i'm over there . Some of the truck's are Suzuki's and he has a sport's car that could almost fit in the back of an X if you gutted it.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
What has America come to ? People dumping their piles of trash next to a old covered bridge. OH wait a minute ,,,,,,,,,,,,it's in Jersey. Never mind !!!
I only took off the wind deflector , you lost a whole roof ! LOL Has anyone made an X into a convertible or a pickup ????
 

Fromfrontier2Xterra

I bought a Taco
Super Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
All over PA
What has America come to ? People dumping their piles of trash next to a old covered bridge. OH wait a minute ,,,,,,,,,,,,it's in Jersey. Never mind !!!
I only took off the wind deflector , you lost a whole roof ! LOL Has anyone made an X into a convertible or a pickup ????
Yes to a truck conversion. I've seen a couple chopped x's. Used to be one guy on here with one chopped to a truck. But he was an asshat and got the ban hammer.
 

XterraRising

Bumpers Installed
Location
Utah
I get about the same. I'm not going to complain because gas prices now are actually less than when I bought the X in 2006.

Yeah no complaints here. The X gets better mileage than my Jeep did. And you’re right. Gas is cheap now. I used to have to take out a loan every time I filled up my old Dodge Ramcharger back in the day.
 

XterraRising

Bumpers Installed
Location
Utah
Ha I don't doubt that. Were those available in a diesel version?

You could get the Dodge Ram with a Cummins 12 valve starting in 1989. When Dodge changed the body style for 1994, they changed the mounts for the diesel and killed off the Ramcharger after 1993. So while Chrysler never offered the Ramcharger with a diesel option, it was a fairly straightforward swap if the donor truck was an 89-93. Mine had a 360 that I had rebuilt after 230K miles. It was a rocket. Could pass everything but a gas station.
 
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