Squeezing MPG's out of a Jeep - or atleast trying.

[nwbabybronco]

Originally Posted by nwbabybronco

No, I'm not a jeep owner, but I may be some day. I presently have a Ranger, which if you stretched the photo would show basically what I want to do to it.

My ideas on the paint chop were focused on reducing turbulence and wake size. I pushed the bottom of the windshield forward rather than the top back. The rear roof was modeled after these. I eyeballed based on info from aerohead.

The Jeep flares are like that of a Beetle, where there should be a bunch of turbulence behind them. I tried to smooth the trailing edge back to the main body. I have no idea how much it would help.

On my Ranger, and therefore I figured on the Jeep too, I'm planning a full undertray. Imagine a flat plane connecting the sides of the side skirts all the way back and you get the idea.

My other idea for Jeeps, since the bumper sticks out so far, is to put on a clear plastic sheet or bubble from the top edge of the bumper to the leading edge of the hood and fenders. I don't know if that's radical enough for you.

With laws as lax as they seem to be for Jeep bodies, you could basically build an Insight-like body for it (depending on your state's laws). In Washington it could be done as long as you have a safety glass windshield, turn signals, and at least as many doors as the original body started with.

[RoboMike]

Ok, so plan A is to have an aircraft canopy made for a jeep wrangler. Then remove the windshield and use the canopy. The canopy will be so aerodynamic, it would have to improve the mpg. Also, I'd install a hydrolic lift or electric motor to live the canopy - like in some real aircraft.

Any one else interested in one of these? Or would this really be a little too extreme?

[RoboMike]

nwbabybronco , your definitely on to something as well, I really do like your design - i'm going for the "easy" stuff so far.

[Red]

Originally Posted by RoboMike

Ok, so plan A is to have an aircraft canopy made for a jeep wrangler. Then remove the windshield and use the canopy. The canopy will be so aerodynamic, it would have to improve the mpg. Also, I'd install a hydrolic lift or electric motor to live the canopy - like in some real aircraft.

Any one else interested in one of these? Or would this really be a little too extreme?

Pictures? I'm thinking you'd basically drop the windshield and put this on top like the hard top?

[ebacherville]

cool idea.. i was thinking witht he windsheild down the frontal area of a jeep is pretty small..

You photoshop actually looks pretty cool.. just need to make it easly trail ready and i think your on to something... like easly removable airdams and side skirts to allow for trail use

[RoboMike]

Hi Red,

Here's a picture of the type of canopy I'm speaking about, only a little bigger for the jeep. The procedure would be to remove the windshield and attach the canopy to the jeep keeping the roll bars.

This would make the jeep more aerodynamic, and easily keep it trail ready.

Now ... only if I can keep this in budget.

[adam728]

Originally Posted by RoboMike

Here's my neurons firing:

Idling - Jeeps; especially Wranglers, will lose more gas Idling than traveling at 80MPH. I remember being on a date, and the car was on idle as we spoke. I kid you not . .. you can watch the gas gauge go to zero quickly.

<What I will start doing next week> Turning off of the engine to prevent Idling at red lights (especially those lights that I know take forever).

Soft tops are bad - Soft tops actually act like kites or drag chutes. Just think of a tent being blown around in the wind; not to mention they are loud (Loss of hearing occurs over 70 MPH).

I have to disagree with some of this.

First, it's not possible for the engine to burn gas at a faster rate when at idle than at 80 mph. If the injectors were dumping more fuel in at idle than the thing would be running insanely rich. For me 4 hours @ 60 mph = empty tank. I've been on wheelin trips (rock crawling) where my Jeep has run 8-9 hours in a day and hardly used 1/4 tank.

Like someone else said, sailcloth. I had both a hard and soft top, saw zero differnce in mpg between them. I'd also say the soft top was no louder until around 65-70 mph.

Anyway, now back to your regularly schedualed thread....

[RoboMike]

Hi Adam,

Thanks your your reply and your opinion. However, please comeback after you have parked your jeep , let it run for 30 mins, and see how much gas you have left. Going slowly uses less gas, something you do when rock climbing with the jeep. I've been on plenty of trails with similar results yours for an all day affair - however, that is not idling.

[adam728]

Again, it's not possible.

At idle my Jeep shows about a 0.5-0.7 gallon per hour fuel flow rate (depending if the compressor is engaged or not). ANY throttle input raises the fuel flow rate from there (it eats around 4.5 gal/hr at 75 mph). Now, if you were to say you get horrible mileage sitting at idle, I'd agree, because you are traveling zero miles. But the Jeep does not magically dump more gas in at idle than it does when traveling down the road, thru a parking lot, over some rocks, or down a rutted up mud pit.

I've left my Jeep idling litterally for hours when buried in the snow. It was around 0 F and we were taking turns shoveling and getting warm, so the Jeep stayed on for probably the better part of 3 hours. Didn't use much gas at all.

[RoboMike]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for your response. In either case you have to agree that Jeeps loose too much fuel when at Idle. Other than that, I fail to see why you keep replying for an argument - do you not have anything else better to do?

Also, if the EPA ranks the Jeep as 15-16 City and 17-19 Hwy, How does that make your 15.3 mpg Jeep Wrangler 2.7% above EPA?