How To Hypermile in neighborhoods?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by digital rules

Speed bumps can be a good thing if properly implemented & allow maintaining the posted speed limit.

Speed bumps can never be a good thing.

They unnecessarily wear the suspension and waste fuel from all of the idiots that brake hard and fall below the speed limit. More people have been rear-ended due to someone braking hard for a speed bump than collisions attributable to exceeding the speed limit. Besides, there is already a law concerning the safe speed to travel. If there is a problem with people not abiding to the law, then enforcement needs to be stepped up. More revenue for the city should be adequate incentive to enforce the law.

[bobdbilder]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

Sorry for reposting but the best strategy is to hit it straight on, tap the brake pedal shortly before you hit it so the car dives and jumps back up in sync with the inclination.
Timing it right is all important.

Probably if your suspension travel is big enough. Can't do it on my 2 door hatch coz its a semi-track day car, short suspension travel, hard springs, medium dampers, short track. Suspension setup was factory made to minimize dive under braking. Might work on a full sedan with standard suspension.

[RedDevil]

I learned this trick from a friend with a Subaru Impreza WRX STi. It works on that and, like I wrote, even on true rallye cars.
I think suspension travel is not very important, it is what you want to avoid actually.
The stiffer the suspension the more important it becomes to have the timing spot on.
Just try it out and you will see.

[bobdbilder]

Its called bunny hopping on mountain bikes. You load the front before you jump. I get the idea. But it won't work on mine. I need to get really fast and brake hard to make it dive. Its a road legal track day car. Proton owns Lotus for goodness sake .I cannot and will not drive that fast in the neighborhood. My secondary intake will take care of stop and go issues.

[SilverCrown9701]

The speed bumps that I drive over are about 500-1,000 feet spaced apart with rolling hill terrain throughout the neighborhood. Speed limit posted is 30 MPH.

Should I try to coast as much as possible to each speed bump, avoiding excessive acceleration, using engine braking to slow myself down before the bump or should I just accelerate smoothly then brake right before the speed bump?

[bobdbilder]

Since its your daily route, why don't you try both, log the fuel used, and compare. Share and keep us posted.

[digital rules]

What speed do you travel over the speed bumps?

[digital rules]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Speed bumps can never be a good thing.

With a skilled driver & properly engineered speed bumps, they shouldn't damage the car.

If most people didn't drive like they are on their way to get laid after a 6 month dry spell it would solve half the problem.

I generally don't like them either, but unfortunately the need for speed makes them a necessary evil.

[SilverCrown9701]

Originally Posted by digital rules

What speed do you travel over the speed bumps?

I slow down and hit them at about 10-15 MPH to avoid suspension and undercarriage damage.

[JRMichler]

If your only goal is gas mileage, then:

1) Determine the maximum speed at which you want to hit the speed bump.
2) Coast so as to hit the speed bump at that speed. No brakes.
3) Accelerate "normally" after clearing the speed bump.

If speed is one of your goals, then coast so as to arrive at the speed bump at some speed faster than your speed bump speed, but slower than the speed limit. Use brakes as needed, but try to hit the speed bump at exactly the maximum speed bump speed.