High MPG work truck

[slowmover]

Great!!

[oil pan 4]

Main turbo build thread.
DIY: HE351VE observations, questions and answers - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums
Up dated with more pics now.

The 3 inch down pipe to 4 inch stainless straight pipe exhaust with semi bumper pic.
4 inch stainless steel side exhaust - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

Latest bumper pic:
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=463316

My Lithium starting battery conversion, makes room for my huge air intake and air compressor plus lightens the truck up by over 100lb.
DIY: BYOB, for more power, a lot less weight - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

[slowmover]

A good read on batteries in that thread, thanks.

[oil pan 4]

Some one in a car backed into my parked suburban while in a store again.
Broken tail light bits on the bumper and on the ground....
So I am going to do something I have been wanted to do for a while, put a pickup truck step bumper on.

[oil pan 4]

First fuel economy numbers coming in a few days, so far conditions have been less than ideal.
3 out of 4 days so far have had horrible cross winds.
Did two maintence engine runs, one for weak batteries and the other for fixing coolant system pressurization problem, about 15 minutes each.
I'm not running an intercooler.
Water injection has been removed for winter time.
Rear bumper has been removed to adapt a pickup step bumper.
I have hauled 2 loads of wood, one run was about 50 miles round trip and the other was less than 10 miles.

Also I picked up a pair of used 3/4 ton, 8 leaf springs to go on the back.
Not sure yet when I will put them on.

[oil pan 4]

I weighed the suburban tonight.
Near full fuel, 2 tool boxes weighing about 40lb together, no rear bumper and with out me in it.
Front axle was 2690lb
Rear axle was 2660lb
total 5750lb
(closer to 5700lb minus the tool boxes)

Here are some weight loss mods I have been considering:
Put in an aluminum drive shaft from a newer truck
Swap my cast iron master cylinder and cast iron fluid tank with a much lighter aluminum master cylinder and plastic fluid tank out of a 2003 duramax.
I'm thinking those 2 will save 30lb.

But when the step bumper goes on that will add like 70lb and the 8 leaf springs will add about 20lb.

Edit:
Replaced the master cylinder with a 90s GM truck master cylinder from the junk yard. Brakes better than ever now.

[slowmover]

Nice! My '01 DODGE 1/2T V8-318 weighed 5,250-lbs with driver & full fuel, otherwise empty. I think that as yours is under 6,000-lbs that it is in a good beginning position.

As to weight loss, what about the large rear quarter windows? In the 60's the work truck version of Subs used sheet metal panels. (A similar approach for rear door/glass, maybe). I don't know the weights involved.

.

[oil pan 4]

Glass is a lot heavier than metal, maybe I could lexan them at some point.

[Sporty Modder]

Hey, I did some reasearch when I first got my Celica, weight savings from glass to polycarbonate is .95 lbs per sq ft, similar thickness. Automotive glass 1.70 lbs a sqft and poly .75 sqft. Some def weight savings there. On my Celica I calculated roughly .75 lbs savings on ea rear side window and 12 lbs on the rear hatch. Hope this helps.

[oil pan 4]

I should have lexaned the rear window, it tends to break. Its been replaced at least twice.