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Cy-Gor 08-22-2012 07:30 PM

The impossible: 04 Yukon XL Denali AWD
 
So we recently got some great dane puppies and we needed a new car.

Replaced my 99 dakota with the Yukon XL.

Love the car and it even gets OK mileage considering the size and the 6.0L motor.

I work from home and my "daily" driver is a Miata so i dont really care about city mileage at all.

What are the best mods to be done to this rolling brick that are cost/effort efficient?

What should i focus on first for the best gains when going 80 down the highway?

mcrews 08-22-2012 07:57 PM

What should i focus on first for the best gains when going 80 down the highway?

welcome.

hummmm.......let's see...........oh I know!!!!!!!








slow down.

2000mc 08-22-2012 07:57 PM

might look at the differences on the xfe trucks and hybrid utilities to see how many of their differences you can replicate.
does your truck have electric fans or use a clutch? i think all the 1500s got electric fans in '05, but didnt know if the denali might have got it early

GRU 08-22-2012 09:40 PM

hmmm that's a hard vehicle to improve mpg...it's heavy so avoid stoping...try to drive at a steady 45mph or so

mcrews 08-22-2012 09:44 PM

or......

plan your life better and quit leaving late.
That way you don't have to speed.


unless your a p/t first responder in a small community........

Cy-Gor 08-22-2012 09:48 PM

OK, i will slow down to 75, the speed limit.

I would rather not take 8 hours to get where i am going so driving 45 isnt an option.

This is long haul cruise control driving. thats 90% of what this truck does.

Mostly looking for aero mods like a belly pan and closing gaps, but i dont know if that will help much.

ksa8907 08-22-2012 09:55 PM

lower it, front air dam, bump up the air pressure.

GRU 08-22-2012 09:59 PM

It's very hard to improve fuel economy with a SUV. I had a Ford Escape and didn't find many things work. I dont think closing gaps will help since the vehicle is so big.

Belly pan or big front air dam and a partial grill block is your best bet

2000mc 08-22-2012 10:11 PM

might try looking through forums for your truck, see if any of the tuners/programmers are helping mileage.

on long interstate hauls i try to follow the fastest traveling largest and/or worst aero vehicle i can find. before i got my scangauge i wouldnt of thought any less than riding someones bumper would have helped, but with it i can see that there is some benefit even several seconds back

2000mc 08-22-2012 10:22 PM

if you have a roof rack take off the cross bars
cover/seal up the opening in the bumper cover, dont think theres any coolers behind that

mcrews 08-22-2012 10:25 PM

get a gauge. you haqve to be 'top of mind' aware.

I am willing to bet you this:
1. you don't get there averaging 80 mph over 8 hours.
2. with a gauge, you'll find your average speed, while driving '80 mph' is probably 70mph.
3. But if you drive 70mph, your average will be closer to 64-65mph.

the reason is, unless you are on a flat raod all by yourself w/ no hwypatrol, you are slowing down for various reasons.
I drive 11-13hrs over 3 days on trips to texas and has records and personal exp to back this up.

also, mpg falls off exponetially above 65. So at 80mph you are pouring money down the drain compqred to 65.

but get a scangauge. I have had one for 3 yrs and swear by it.

since it is a hwy cruiser majority of the time, look at going up one size in tire size. there are plenty of threads on that topic...for cars. There seems to be some disagreement on trucks.

Concider changing out the rear gear. if in fact your on the freeway that much, it might be worth it.

pump up the tires. (see other threads)

Cy-Gor 08-22-2012 10:42 PM

My trucks computer will show instant MPG, though i am not sure how accurate it is. I assume this would be the same as the scangauge?

I dont really feel save driving as slow as 65 up and down I-35. the speed limit is now 70-75 all the time. and in dallas if you are driving under 75 it gets dangerous.

I didnt notice a huge difference from 65-80 as i originally thought. safety and time make me not want to slow down just to save a little bit of fuel.

mcrews 08-22-2012 11:10 PM

I dont really feel save driving as slow as 65 up and down I-35. the speed limit is now 70-75 all the time. and in dallas if you are driving under 75 it gets dangerous.

please.....spare me.
I've driven Austin to lewisville 3 times in the last 2 months. And I never went 75. But never dropped below 63 either.
You driving a friggin tank.......what are you playing videos and texting??????
why dont you 'feel safe'????

I was born and raised in Dallas also.

I also have an mpg screen on my Q45.
I just find the scangauge to provide other information that helps me focus on mpg oriented driving.

You need to get over some of your preconcieved notions.
the number one mileage improvemnet is : ADJUSTING THE NUT BEHIND THE WHEEL.

mcrews 08-22-2012 11:17 PM

you need to get on a real flat 5 mile strtch of road and run at 60, 65, 70, 75, 80.
Reset the mpg gauge on each run.
That will give u a reality ck on your mpg at each speed.

On ecomodder, we test our results. (see aba testing)
having factual data will help you decide if you want to change your behavior.
offhanded comments are excuses not facts or reason.
There is no "200 mpg carborator" to solve your problem.
You have to decide if each behavior change is worth it to you.
And the first one is slowing down AND understanding the facts (savings) are worth it.

rmay635703 08-22-2012 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cy-Gor (Post 323266)
My trucks computer will show instant MPG, though i am not sure how accurate it is. I assume this would be the same as the scangauge?

I dont really feel save driving as slow as 65 up and down I-35. the speed limit is now 70-75 all the time. and in dallas if you are driving under 75 it gets dangerous.

I didnt notice a huge difference from 65-80 as i originally thought. safety and time make me not want to slow down just to save a little bit of fuel.

1. Scanguage can show you things your instant MPG won't and also it does not always match exactly. It allows you to alter how you accelerate, coast and drive and to know how slight differences in your gas pedal position dramatically change your fuel economy.

2. Historically I can't claim I had ever heard anyone mention increased safety and high speeds or speeding as an excuse or justification until about 8 years ago. I find it odd that absolutely no one mentioned increased safety with increased speeds years ago but now I see that one mentioned everywhere, not sure what changed. I doubt safety did on this regard.

3. You need to learn to control your throttling accurately allowing your vehicle to bleed and gain speed using hypermiling techniques. The degree to which you do this and avoid excessive acceleration & coast to stops will determine gains you get.
Just reducing speed will not improve your fuel economy if you also are stomping and braking more. On my Dodge going from 65mph to 80mph steady means going from 16mpg to about 11mpg,
I don't think that is INSIGNIFICANT and I doubt your Suburban is all that much different if you can keep the throttle rock solid steady.

On an aside my Suburban (not much different than yours just OLD) gets low 20's with a fuel leak. Before the fuel leak 23-26mpg was not unusual.
But then again mine is a diesel and 2wd.

Also what is a small amount of fuel? If you get (example) 18mpg @ 65mph and get 15mpg @ 80mph and you stated it would take 8 hours to get there at 55mph.

8x55 = 440miles per day

That is over 3 gallons of fuel saved per day or about $4380 saved per year.
Going from 15mph to 18mpg at least.

Cy-Gor 08-22-2012 11:27 PM

The 8 hour comment was directed at someone suggesting i go 45. which is how long it would probably take going from austin to witchita falls if i was driving that slow.

I get about 18mpg running 80ish, i dont know what my average speed on the trip is.

As far as safety is concerned, its more about traffic speed.
Between austin and dallas i could slow down and not really be a big deal. driving through dallas on 35 or the major highways going slower than 70 is kinda crazy at times. everyone drives 75 or faster. going 85 i get passed regularly.


Lastly, i am on cruise control for most of the trip which is why i was looking for physical mods and not techniques.

ksa8907 08-22-2012 11:31 PM

With that 6.0 ls engine im sure you can find some aftermarket engine parts that will increase efficiency and power.

mcrews 08-23-2012 12:18 AM

again, not buying the '70 is tooooo slow and dangerous'.

I'm all over arlington, south grand prarie, dallas, plano oak cliff.......
Trqaffic is NOT moving at (as a block) at over 70.

I WILL tell you (see my post...I CONFESS>>) that with the rolling hills on 35 I cant get the same mpg as I was getting in Sacramento.
All the more reason to drop 10mph.

What I find interesting is your tendencies to qoute 'extremes'
for example: you make a point to say you wont drive 45mph. That fine, but what about all the other reasonable suggestions that have beren made?
And claiming you HAVE to drive 80 to be safe....another extreme statement.

Have you aired up your tires?

mcrews 08-23-2012 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksa8907 (Post 323285)
With that 6.0 ls engine im sure you can find some aftermarket engine parts that will increase efficiency and power.



there is a newish thread on a 2005 caddy CTS-v that is getting 27+. he has done some engine mods. check his thread.

MTrenk 08-23-2012 12:59 AM

Lol, mcrews, you're awfully nasty sometimes.
As far as the physical improvements Cy-Gor, I would recommend an underbody immediately! Combining a small airdam connected to a slightly upward curved underbody panel (maybe with a diffuser too!) would work wonders for your SUV. I've spent a lot of brainstorming on how to improve SUV aero, and I'm pretty sure I've come up with some effective designs. If you ask nicely I'll draw something up for your vehicle and post it, and maybe you can build it!

Please don't hesitate to ask anymore questions!

Frank Lee 08-23-2012 01:01 AM

Austin to Wichita Falls = 300 miles;
@ 80 mph = 3 hrs 45 min
@ 75 mph = 4 hrs 0 min
@ 65 mph = 4 hrs 37 min
@ 55 mph = 5 hrs 27 min
@ 45 mph = 6 hrs 40 min

See, no drama was needed; the math tells all. :thumbup:

I go 50-55 mph on 55, 60, 65, and 70 mph roads on 350 to 600 mile trips one way with some regularity and have never been so much as honked at, much less felt endangered. You have opted to surround yourself with a couple excess tons of steel and plastic and you are still scared? :confused:

What strikes me as funny when I do those trips is I'll see the SAME VEHICLES blow my doors off if not once, perhaps several times during my journey. How? Cuz they are constantly stopping for who knows what (probably GASOLINE :rolleyes: ) while I'm not and we keep catching up with each other. See where I'm going with this? They are going 75 mph or more and I am plodding along at 55 mph and from Point A to Point B, they aren't beating me by much if at all due to all that stopping and screwing around. Makes me LOL cuz I've been getting over 40 mpg my last few tanks.

You have chosen a huge unaerodynamic brick; the sheer big size of the frontal area puts it at a disadvantage vs smaller vehicles. The inescapable physics tells us that large vehicles are going to be more affected by aerodynamic loads than small ones practically regardless of Cd. In other words, if you want better economy slowing down in large vehicles is even more effective than slowing down in smaller ones. When I drive my pickup (HAULING, not commuting or unladen) I especially see the need to keep it at 55 mph or less as you can practically watch the gas gauge drop at higher speeds.

But you want aeromods. I'd suggest looking at the mods list at the top of the page and maybe searching the forum for SUV aeromods. It'll probably go, grille block, air dam, rear skirts, wheel disks, mirror and antenna deletes, belly pans, and boat tails, not listed in order of effectiveness. The most effective one of all will be the boat tail and perhaps you can take a cue from the folding tails that are seen on semi trailers these days.

2000mc 08-23-2012 01:05 AM

i think the original post about 80mph was more an attempt to filter responses, looking to improve what the vehicle is capable of on the interstate.

MTrenk 08-23-2012 01:15 AM

SUV = Aero Brick
People still buy them :)

I think there's plenty that can be done to morph them into somewhat efficient machines! I see on these forums that a lot of focus is put on the frontal area, but I have see mods that reduce frontal area that completely ruin any gains by creating immense drag on the overall car due to the inefficient shape that is left behind. (i.e. the chopped cars with flat roofs and hard angles left over) With an SUV, I feel you are presented with an opportunity for success, rather than starting with a failure, because there are already so many things wrong.

Flakbadger 08-23-2012 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Lee (Post 323315)
What strikes me as funny when I do those trips is I'll see the SAME VEHICLES blow my doors off if not once, perhaps several times during my journey. How? Cuz they are constantly stopping for who knows what (probably GASOLINE :rolleyes: ) while I'm not and we keep catching up with each other. See where I'm going with this? They are going 75 mph or more and I am plodding along at 55 mph and from Point A to Point B, they aren't beating me by much if at all due to all that stopping and screwing around. Makes me LOL cuz I've been getting over 40 mpg my last few tanks.

Frank, you just succinctly described my driving experience on vacation this year!

Frank Lee 08-23-2012 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTrenk (Post 323317)
SUV = Aero Brick
People still buy them :)

I think there's plenty that can be done to morph them into somewhat efficient machines! I see on these forums that a lot of focus is put on the frontal area, but I have see mods that reduce frontal area that completely ruin any gains by creating immense drag on the overall car due to the inefficient shape that is left behind. (i.e. the chopped cars with flat roofs and hard angles left over) With an SUV, I feel you are presented with an opportunity for success, rather than starting with a failure, because there are already so many things wrong.

I hope that somewhere along the line in your engineering studies you learn to look at the overall system and realize that moving a 200 lb payload down a stretch of smooth pavement with a V8 4x4 6000 lb piece of equipment is an abysmal efficiency FAIL.

MTrenk 08-23-2012 03:30 AM

Lol you're telling me. As a small child I always wondered why there would be one person in an 8 passenger vehicle shaped like box.
The only reason I'm optimistic about trying to develop strategies to make SUV's better is because I live in America, and SUV's aren't going anywhere soon, but maybe I can at least help a bit, and maybe one day I can just sell a bolt on aero kit and make some moolah. :)

Frank Lee 08-23-2012 09:58 AM

Unless gas prices double I think TruckNutz will sell better.

MTrenk 08-23-2012 11:31 AM

Not if I paint the Confederate flag on ones marketed toward Southerners. Man all my truck buddies from high school would eat that up.

Cy-Gor 08-24-2012 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2000mc (Post 323316)
i think the original post about 80mph was more an attempt to filter responses, looking to improve what the vehicle is capable of on the interstate.

You are correct.

I will air up the tires and look at new bumpers to see what i can do with the front air dam.

I will see what i can find for materials to make a belly pan.

The truck has auto load leveling so i dont know if i want to mess with lowering it. the miles i put on it would make it hard to justify spending the money to lower it, though i could be wrong.

mcrews 08-24-2012 11:13 AM

actually, the 80mph comment also showed the state of mind of the poster. Along with his 'safty' comments.

Long ago, I learned "if you cant afford to properly repair and maintain it, don't buy the toy to start with"
This rule applies to:
expensive watches......THE CRYSTAL IS HOW MUCH??????????
expensive clothes.......DRY CLEANING IS $%000 for this shirt???????
Big XXX Trucks......IT ONLY GETS X MPG?????????
Expensive Sports Cars.........PLUGS ARE HOW MUCH?????????

anyone one who can buy a big 4x4 is old enough to realize that gas isn't going to get any cheaper....ever.

The majority of mpg inprovemnent is 'Adjusting the nut behind the wheel'.
I can drive the most effecient car on this forum and completly trash the mpg.
I can also drive that 4x4 and get 25% over factory epa.
There is absolutely NOTHING mechanical you can do that would give you a better improvement than slowing down and driving smarter

you come in telling us you 'have to drive 80......' and you've already set the tone of the conversation.

Cy-Gor 08-24-2012 11:19 AM

My god you are a giant prick.

I know i wont get awesome gas mileage.

If fuel mileage was my only need i would not have bought the vehicle i did.

but i am done, i will go elsewhere for info.

CigaR007 08-24-2012 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cy-Gor (Post 323547)
You are correct.

I will air up the tires and look at new bumpers to see what i can do with the front air dam.

I will see what i can find for materials to make a belly pan.

The truck has auto load leveling so i dont know if i want to mess with lowering it. the miles i put on it would make it hard to justify spending the money to lower it, though i could be wrong.

Start with simple mods and see if they net any gains. It won't be easy, but every little step can make a difference. Best of luck !

tru 08-24-2012 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cy-Gor (Post 323567)
My god you are a giant prick.

I know i wont get awesome gas mileage.

If fuel mileage was my only need i would not have bought the vehicle i did.

but i am done, i will go elsewhere for info.

and ya lost him...

o'well

my 6.0 truck gets 15 at most going 70...wish i got 18mpg @ 80

mcrews 08-24-2012 12:11 PM

he was a 'unicorn'.

MTrenk 08-24-2012 01:55 PM

Well I guess you got what you wanted mcrews. Congrats on 'winning'.

mcrews 08-24-2012 02:49 PM

hummmm........
Odd, but that's your perception. Much like needing to drive 80mph.

"Things" get moved to the unicorn corral because they don't work.
But, in fact, people can be unicorns also.

Much like claims that a unicorn product works.....
Unicorns make baseless claims also.
'cant drive below 70mph....UNSAFE'

The op wanted the '200 mpg carb' but ddidn't want to alter his lifestyle.

Now you can certainly choose to see it however you want. That's your perception.

What is the difference in calling BS on a turbonator and calling BS on a comment about driving below 70?


I have probably been on the I35 when he was there........guess Im lucky to be alive.....gezzzzzz

rmay635703 08-24-2012 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcrews (Post 323608)
hummmm........
Odd, but that's your perception. Much like needing to drive 80mph.

"Things" get moved to the unicorn corral because they don't work.
But, in fact, people can be unicorns also.

Much like claims that a unicorn product works.....
Unicorns make baseless claims also.
'cant drive below 70mph....UNSAFE'

I have probably been on the I35 when he was there........guess Im lucky to be alive.....gezzzzzz

Honestly I am uncertain how this thread could have turned out much different. What he "wanted" goes in contrary to the general guidelines of hypermiling.

He could hypermile driving 80mph but either it would be
1. Almost completely ineffective
2. Result in him averaging a much lower overall speed.

OR we could nurse him along and have him do things to his truck that would waste money and have almost no decernable affect on his FE?

AKA if he can't tell the FE difference going between 65mph & 80mph, it is unlikely he could record any difference in mods he would make either and he would become frustrated after spending time on mods he would not view as effective.

I am not sure how you break the inevitable truth to someone like that.

2000mc 08-24-2012 05:25 PM

yep, if something has poor mileage and aerodynamics nothing of benefit could be done to the vehicle.

we should probably rename the site though

mcrews 08-24-2012 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2000mc (Post 323645)
yep, if something has poor mileage and aerodynamics nothing of benefit could be done to the vehicle.

we should probably rename the site though

are you whining or making an off-the-thread comment?????

FACT: OP wanted fairy dust to fix his problem
FACT: the website motto is: wrench smart, drive smarter
1. The emphisis is on SMARTER. 2. it;s a combo deal, really u cant do one and not the other.
FACT: there are several poor mileage tanks on here that get 20% + over epa highway. But the owners buy in.
FACT: and I've been holding this one back.....Only an idiot would post that he still wants to drive 80 and improve his mileage.
FACT: op really wasnt interest in design changes, doing the math, or rethinking how he drives.
FACT: enabling noobies is not productive.
FACT: this is a serious and viable site. answers here tend to have meaning and substance. We dont spend time babysiting and stroking.

Frank Lee 08-24-2012 06:11 PM

I don't think OP was a unicorn but the conditions he imposed sure did make the assignment tough. And he didn't have much to say about the real suggestions for improvement either. :confused:


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