Dakota is lowered and street legal

[y2kbug]

the government approved my rebuild title for my dodge and I got the plate for it yesterday. Today is the first day ive driven it to work in 9 months.
The truck was my daily driver until i got rear ended. The rear bumper was destroyed, frame was bent, bed dented and the bed hit the cab and dented that too.
Before i generally seen 18-22 mpg during warm months. Best mpg i got was 23 mpg. V6 2wd auto 2003 263,xxx miles

Do you think i will see any improvements in fuel mileage now that it is lowered about 4 to 5 inches?

[Ecky]

I would be shocked if you didn't.

Broadly speaking, the only way you wouldn't see an improvement is if the gearing is far too short.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by y2kbug

the government approved my rebuild title for my dodge and I got the plate for it yesterday. Today is the first day ive driven it to work in 9 months.
The truck was my daily driver until i got rear ended. The rear bumper was destroyed, frame was bent, bed dented and the bed hit the cab and dented that too.
Before i generally seen 18-22 mpg during warm months. Best mpg i got was 23 mpg. V6 2wd auto 2003 263,xxx miles

Do you think i will see any improvements in fuel mileage now that it is lowered about 4 to 5 inches?

We have laboratory evidence for at least one vehicle that demonstrated 'zero' drag reduction from 'lowering', the 1999- Audi A2.
There's a dearth of data afforded to us on the effects of lowering, making any generalities 'risky.'
Whatever the width of your tires, exposed to the airstream, you've reduced that value by that total width, in inches, times 4-5-inches in height, divided by 144-sq-inches/square-foot, subtracted from the OEM frontal projected area; 'typically' something which would 'reduce' overall drag.
The caveat is that, the Dakota could also be an 'outlier' like the Audi.
Any mpg 'improvement', compared toy our 'baseline', if experienced, would be attributed to lowering.

[jimchitas]

Originally Posted by y2kbug

the government approved my rebuild title for my dodge and I got the plate for it yesterday. Today is the first day ive driven it to work in 9 months.
The truck was my daily driver until i got rear ended. The rear bumper was destroyed, frame was bent, bed dented and the bed hit the cab and dented that too.
Before i generally seen 18-22 mpg during warm months. Best mpg i got was 23 mpg. V6 2wd auto 2003 263,xxx miles

Do you think i will see any improvements in fuel mileage now that it is lowered about 4 to 5 inches?

WELL frontal area is reduced drag is probably the same number or little higher or lower .
Now dont expect big diffrence in mpg it will be really not that noticable

[y2kbug]

I have driven it for a few weeks now with it lowered and i have noticed a 2-3 mpg fuel gain. Unfortunately there are too many things that could effect my fuel mileage so it may not be accurate. I am looking forward to driving next summer and then i can get better results. I am parking it for the winter.

[freebeard]

Part of hypermiling is not slowing down for corners. Has lowering affected your following 'the line' through corners?

[y2kbug]

I can now go around turns faster. Unfortunately i have lost suspension travel and rear end slides out around corners because of higher speeds. I am wanting wider rear tires now. My rear tires get poor traction in wet conditions and i have found it dangerous to the point of almost getting rear ended again. My plan is to notch the rear frame. I am not sure what i will do with the front suspension. I haven't found drop spindles for this truck.