[Big Dave]

Lassiter asked:
“So you can drive forward until it slides over a parking curb, then back up, and it slides back over it with no problem? I was wondering about that.”

Big Dave answers:
Yes I can. Even when the air dam was down to 1.5” above grade it slid effortlessly (albeit noisily) over curbs.


I have often thought that if I hit the lottery, I’d get a custom axle shop to make me a 1.7:1 axle and I’d modify the truck enough for a Spicer seven-speed with a 1:1 top gear. That way, I’d only have one gear mesh between the flywheel and the drive wheel.

The Gear Vendor IS spendy. I drive about twice the US average and it will take a while to justify it. But with diesel over $3.50/gallon…

My diesel does not have a throttle, but it does have a throttle on the exhaust, which is normally activated to promote a quick warm-up in cold weather. Mine sticks shut from September through June and it is an exhaust brake, so I electrically disconnected mine and its now stuck open. Without it I freeze for about six or seven miles on a cold morning.

All of the emission controls on 2006+ diesel trucks are a disaster as far as MPG are concerned. Particularly the DPF.

Lassiter posted;
“I wish Brett Herndon had some backing for his invention. I'd love to buy one for my truck after my current project trip.”

Big Dave says:
You & me both.

My truck is >8600 GVW so it does not have an EPA estimate.

Even if your doubled the EPA estimate (something only a few folks here manage) , your truck is gonna have a tough time making it with one fill-up enroute. It would be a tall order for Phil’s aero wonder. “Real world” pickups just ain’t gonna make it.

Thinking about “everyman’s truck.” What is the major functional difference in your truck and an Insight or Prius? You can haul a lot more freight. Now most pickups I see are mostly only hauling butt. I my case that is a fairly heroic load, but most guys are skinnier. Should a pickup MPG test not be done with a standard and uniform load – say 800lb of sand bags or the like? I often wonder about my own claims which are done (mostly) unloaded except for the aforementioned fat butt.