Hey all, another Jeeper checking in

[Red]

Hello all

My name is Yahya I've been a member of Gassavers.org for about two years now, where I first learned about hypermiling as well as being introduced to various ideas of more efficient drive trains and fuel saving concepts along with energy conservation techniques (home and auto). My current DD is a 2001 TJ Wrangler Sport (Heep) which has been returning me around 18 MPG. For a Wrangler not too bad. Nothing great either. But beats the 14-16 I used to get with it. Most of the improvements I've seen have come from driving technique rather than mods (Max PSI, DWL, DWB, Coasting, 55-65MPH speeds ). I'm hoping this summer I'll have some time to clean up its aero. My ideal goal would be to get 30 MPG highway with it.

So far the best "mod" I have done to my TJ is the "Insight Mod" In Jan of 08 I was lucky enough to stumble across a more or less intact 2000 Honda Insight (Rommie) in a junk yard in San Jose. 2k later and it currently living in my driveway. So far the car seems to have all the issues common to the Insight along with a broken window and needing some basic maintenance. A sweet find IMO. I'll post up a copy of my build there over here shortly. The Insight will be replacing my TJ as a DD.

So I'm hoping in a month or so I can switch from an 18 MPG rather polluting Jeep into a 70MPG "flowers out the tail pipe" hybrid. Having a tank of gas last me a month will be uber sweet.

See you all around in the right lane

Vehicle Specs
2001 TJ Wrangler Sport
4.0L M5 D44 3.73
30" BFG ATs aired up to 45PSI
Partial belly pan (Engine-Tranny Skid + T-Case Skid)
Plus some diff armor, rear tire carrier, rear bumper, CB junk, air compressor, and various random stuff I have installed over the years.
Redline Light weight ShockProof Diff Oil
Redline MTL Tranny fluid
Valvoline ATF+4 T-case
Penzoil Platinum 10w-30 Engine Oil
56k going strong

2000 Honda Insight
1.0L M5 - 3 screaming gerbils
Mismatched tires (front 175s Hankook something or anothers, rear bald 165 RE92s)
Mobile 1 0W-20 engine oil
Redline MTL tranny
230k on the ticker

[MetroMPG]

"flowers out the tail pipe" hybrid.

You work in marketing, don't you?

Happy to have another Jeeper on board. Nothing like another member to ratchet up the Jeep group's determination.

[SVOboy]

Welcome to the site! Great insight you got there,

[H4MM3R]

Welcome to the community!

[johnpr]

yay for jeeps, welcome to the board, seems like we are starting to grow in numbers so at least us "gas guzlers" have some representation

[Red]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

You work in marketing, don't you?

Happy to have another Jeeper on board. Nothing like another member to ratchet up the Jeep group's determination.

Nah, I'm a software engineer to be. The flowers bit is what a few friends of mine have been kidding me about.

Would be great to see some concentrated efforts on improving our "Brick on 4 wheels" aerodynamics

[MetroMPG]

The Wrangler mod might end up taking away its Jeepness, wouldn't it?

I mean, because its shape is so aerodynamically dirty, you'd essentially have to change the whole front end before you could start to reap any gains at the rear. Like building a shell for it, as the NASA folks did with their van:



There's a Wrangler in there somewhere!

[Red]

Inherently, but I figure there has to be some middle ground between improved aero and Jeepiness. BUT if I could get something like 40MPG on the highway driving a weird looking bus, that won't be so bad.

[johnpr]

what i am thinking about for both of my wranglers is to make a brush guard that would have a plexi cover on it to guide the air flow, then i am also planing on (at least for my 002 wrangler) making a hardtop with an angle to it in the rear so that it would be closer to a fastback, i would also like to add a belly pan comprised of steel (for areas needing skid plates) and plastic (for non critical areas) i doubt that these mods would even bring it close to 30 mpg but it would at least be a start. i cant wait until spring, aero mods here i come

[MetroMPG]

The trouble as I see it is there may not be any attached flow on the top of the roof because of the flat, vertical windshield blasting the air into turbulence upwards & to the sides. If that's the case, then a rear taper may not help much.

I'm not certain, though. I bet Phil could chime in with some sage advice. I'd say it's worth starting a new thread in the aero forum (plus that's the only forum Phil reads). I'm betting you guys won't be the last Jeepers to mull over this idea.