SimpleXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- east coast
I know you all must think I'm nuts, but... I already have 2 4wd cherokees and I need something with good gas mileage to drive around town. I drive a LOT for work, 100 miles every day at least. I can't get a car because I have to haul a bunch of newspapers. So I was thinking about converting my MJ 4x4 to 2wd. The reason for this is because I recently learned that buying a 4 banger won't save me gas. (see toyota thread) Turns out that MPG are dependent upon horsepower to weight ratio and final drive gearing.
Since my MJ is unibody I've got a good head start in the weight department. I can drop more weight by losing all 4wd components. Then I plan to stick some small tires on it to improve the gearing for good gas mileage. I'm not concerned as much about the drag of the front axle and t-case as I am about their wieght. I figure a lighter truck requires less throttle, hence uses less gas.
I had made up my mind to buy a yota truck, and I went to do some research on their forum. Turns out, everyone on there who went from a big engine vehicle to a toyota was disappointed! Here's the thread:
http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=459270&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1
These guys claim their 4 bangers are getting 18-20MPG, and that's about what my XJ and MJ gets. Seems to me there is no reason to get a 4 banger, as one of the posters in that thread explains. I could think of no one else more likely to hype up their MPG claims than the owners of the trucks in question, but these guys are actually claiming disappointment with their gas mileage!
This is when I decided to keep the MJ and lighten it up. To me its not a lotta work, and I've done it before with 4x4 axles, so this should be a breeze to do.
Am I nuts or am I onto something here?
SimpleXJ
Since my MJ is unibody I've got a good head start in the weight department. I can drop more weight by losing all 4wd components. Then I plan to stick some small tires on it to improve the gearing for good gas mileage. I'm not concerned as much about the drag of the front axle and t-case as I am about their wieght. I figure a lighter truck requires less throttle, hence uses less gas.
I had made up my mind to buy a yota truck, and I went to do some research on their forum. Turns out, everyone on there who went from a big engine vehicle to a toyota was disappointed! Here's the thread:
http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=459270&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1
These guys claim their 4 bangers are getting 18-20MPG, and that's about what my XJ and MJ gets. Seems to me there is no reason to get a 4 banger, as one of the posters in that thread explains. I could think of no one else more likely to hype up their MPG claims than the owners of the trucks in question, but these guys are actually claiming disappointment with their gas mileage!
This is when I decided to keep the MJ and lighten it up. To me its not a lotta work, and I've done it before with 4x4 axles, so this should be a breeze to do.
Am I nuts or am I onto something here?
SimpleXJ