Nissan hardbody 4x4 suggestions

[thruhiker]

I bought this truck 6 years ago for 900 bucks and now I'm pretty attached to it.I baby it since it has alot of miles on it.It runs good,drives straight and still looks good despite it's use. I'd like to move on yet I'm not eiger to buy a lowered Honda with painted dash peices and a coffee can muffler.Unless I find an owner selling their CRX HF or Civic VX and who shows me they care about their ride as much as I do mine,I'm sticking with my Nissan. Problem is 16-20mpg. 2.4 fuel injected (227k),5 speed,"31x10.5 aluminum rims,AT tires,fiberglass canopy,chrome fender flares and I'm hoping to break the 24mpg threshold.Is this possible with such a truck? I was thinking of removing the bedliner to reduce the height of the canopy,remove the trailer hitch,tape up most of the vent holes,add a front fairing,run synthetic oil,get a new belt avoiding the power steering pulley,go back to the stock rims and try the baking pan tins for the rims. Then I wonder if I'd break into better milage??? Suggestions appreciated,thanks from Seattle!!!

[ModelE]

i'm in a similar boat with my frontier, except its a bit larger, with a V6 and an auto tranny. My best ever tank average is justttt shy of 20mpg. Aside from what you mentioned changing, just trying to ride in the highest gear you can without lagging the engine is another possibility. I dont think pulse and glide is wise in a truck that old nor in a 4x4 in general. I'm also assuming that your tires are 31x10.5, not your rims

if you baby it while driving already, which is how i get my mileage up, then you might have to start looking at other techniques and for sure some mods to get your mileage up especially into the mid 20's range. theres a thread on here with a 2002 ish toyota tacoma crew cab 4x4 that gets in the high 20s with a bit of modification

[Daox]

You guys can mod your trucks up and down, but you'll likely never break 25mpg. Going with a smaller car is really the best way to go. You can pretty easily find a corolla, civic, escort or something else that'll get more than double the mileage you're getting now. Trucks have their place, but its not in daily commuting.

[Sorrow Six Star]

it's really obvious to me,... so maybe I am an ass. but save the trucks for when you need a truck. the gas mileage of a metro/civic/xt will save you enough on daily trips without hauling that you can have it pay for itself in short order (considering you buy used and cheap from an individual) my 400 dollar Subie has paid for itself easily at the pump compared to what I would put in with ANY pick up. (

[zjrog]

I know the best I've managed in my Grand Cherokee is still less than 23. And I just don't see getting any higher than that given its many other uses...

I hope to get back to my Ranger 4x4 project, as it is a 2.3L motor with a 5 speed that I have seen 28MPG with for my commute in the past. *IF* I can get that same mileage again it would be awesome. The little truck has been off the road for 3 years now and its about 98% ready as it sits...

But just because I HAVEN'T seen better than 23 in my Jeep doesn't keep from trying...

[aerohead]

Near the top of this forum page is a sticky which lists decades of mods reported on,and their influence on mpg.
By looking through those you may be able to "cookbook" mods on paper and see if they make sense for their time/trouble/cost-return.
You realize that you have one of the worst candidates for increased mpg,however,if you're going to keep the beast for a significant length of time,it's the best candidate and it's paid for.
Weight,rolling resistance,frontal area and drag coefficient are your areas of interest.
The sticky will show what you might expect from any mod,then you decide if it's worth it to you.
Extreme Project!