Land Cruiser Aero dynamic question...

[look 171]

The answer is no. the all time 4 wheel is what I think its the cause beside it is so flat in the front. The best I ever got on it was 12.5 mpg coming back from Mammoth to LA. I drove across Canada with the thing in the winter and felt great and safe. I am ready to buy my 3rd LC. Love to have a 100 series truck one day. Going soft due to my old age. Good luck with the long drive and have lot of fun.

[Erakad]

I like the diesel option...can he not just swap out the gasoline engine for a diesel?? Wiring harness would be a hassle, but there should be plenty of diesel engines out there. I've been wondering myself about this for some time. Possible??

[onewhippedpuppy]

From my reading on ih8mud, you should pretty easily get 18 MPG out of a 100 series Land Cruiser. I get 12 MPG highway with my '91 FJ80 that has 33" AT tires. Sounds like you're in need of a serious tune-up. Plugs, wires, cap/rotor (if no coil packs), oxygen sensor, air filter, fuel filter, fuel injectors cleaned, new fluids, etc. Something isn't quite right.

[mattdavis11]

I'll go ahead and add that you might want to change the front differential, transfer case and rear differential fluids too. It makes a considerable difference. Wheel bearings wouldn't be a bad idea either. I don't get less than 12 on the highway at 70mph up hill into the wind. Then again, I have the bad ass 3FE.

[kaisen]

Has anyone successfully converted a LC from full time to part time? I would think disengaging the front axle would free up 1-2 mpg.

BTW, my old '99 GMC Suburban would routinely get 18mpg on the freeway at 74 mph on cruise.

[vash]

drafting a semi is insane. doing it with your entire family, on vacation to save $100 is way over the top insane....criminal, really.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Kaisen, there are kits available to make an 80 part time 4WD but it's pricey and lot of work. The payback of 1-2 MPG takes a long time to add up.

[masraum]

Going light-weight won't really do anything for you on a long flat trip. If you're going to drive up and over a mountain range it might help. Weight will only affect your mileage when you're accelerating. Once you're at your cruising speed, the affect of weight would be minimal.

[Z-man]

Turn off the AC whenever possible. If you are going to open the windows, make sure you aren't creating more aerodynamic drag to offset the less load on the motor. If it is not too hot, simply turn off the A/C, and run the vent fans.

Even things like slipping the car into neutral on long downhills can help.

Also - you should get better gas mileage the closer you get to sea level. Denver's a mile up in the sky - less oxygen up there!

Check out some of the hyper-miler websites - they have tons of recommendations -- some helpful and some downright dangerous - use common sense.

-Z-man.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Kaisen, there are kits available to make an 80 part time 4WD but it's pricey and lot of work. The payback of 1-2 MPG takes a long time to add up.

I guess if you were taking a long trip in dry weather you could always remove the front driveshaft. Can't be too hard.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Yup, I've heard of it being done. You also have to lock the center diff, which wasn't standard on every model year.

[jackjroadster]

I was able to achieve better MPG when I still had my OEM tires. Good tune up, tire pressure could also help, and also by simply keeping your foot off the pedal. Proper maintenance of land cruiser parts is also a factor.