How to Get Better Gas Mileage In a Lifted Truck

It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible to increase your truck’s MPG. Raised trucks generally have poor gas mileage because of their increased height and tire size.
As soon as you lift your truck, its aerodynamic efficiency is reduced. Driving increases wind resistance, which necessitates the use of more force. Furthermore, depending on the lift kit you use, the weight of the lift kit can influence how much gas you need to use. Again, if your truck has to work harder to move, its gas mileage will suffer. Your choice of tires may have an impact on your mpg. Fuel economy is reduced by using larger, heavier tires.

How To Get Better Gas Mileage In A LiftedTruck

Use Cruise Control

Inconsistent speed is a frequent reason for poor mileage. Simply put, accelerating requires more gas than maintaining a constant speed. Driving causes you to inevitably speed up and slow down, getting fewer miles per gallon (MPG) unless you’re only concerned with speed. Use cruise control on the freeway to prevent this by keeping your speed constant.

Lighten The Load

Your gas consumption will decrease as you haul or tow less weight. Look inside your truck’s bed and consider whether or not you really need to carry that rusted toolbox or bag of cement with you wherever you go. Any equipment you’re hauling in a Jobsite trailer follows the same general principle.

Plan Ahead

If you have several errands to run, run them all in one trip to save on gas. While you’re at it, plan your route to be as efficient as possible. The majority of modern GPS applications (like Waze) can be used to find the fastest route, which is not always the shortest. Performing this will help you avoid wasting fuel in stop-and-go traffic.

Avoid Idling

Idling wastes gas almost by definition. The more active you are, the better. Given that, the following is a general rule of thumb for stoplights: one minute of idling burns about as much fuel as starting the engine. Keep your engine running if the light is only temporary because you’ll probably burn less fuel. In a similar vein, avoid drive-throughs whenever possible. When you can, leave your truck there while you retrieve your food from inside.

Why Lifting Your Truck Lowers Its Gas Mileage

Your lifted truck might not get as good of a gas mileage as it did before, according to Hard Working Trucks, which explains why. The taller, heavier tires and the higher ride, both changes that occur when your truck is lifted, are “mpg killers.” The truck is less aerodynamic and faces more wind resistance because the truck body is higher. 

Take into account your driving style first. Fuel use rises when driving quickly and forcefully. Avoid prolonged idling, which can harm your engine as well as waste fuel. Drive smoothly instead. When driving down the highway, try to avoid jerking the wheel. Better mileage is achieved by smoother, shorter trips. Whenever possible, try to avoid idling your car’s engine on long trips.

Adding less weight to your lifted truck is another way to increase gas mileage. Start by removing the roof rails, lightening the cab, keeping the vehicle’s front end aligned, and maintaining tire pressure. The roof rack, as well as using the appropriate fuel, should be removed as well as any extra weight. Use only regular fuel; extra-octane fuel will only harm your engine.

Advantages To Lifting A Truck

Off-roading requires high ground clearance, which can only be achieved by raising your truck and fitting bigger tires to it.

For maximum traction, the “higher suspension keeps all four wheels on the ground, and the larger tires improve differential clearance.” Towing is also aided by the higher suspension, which has more space to settle before bottoming out.

Another advantage of raising a truck is the ability to observe approaching traffic while seated at a higher vantage point.

Is Fuel Economy Affected By Lifting A Truck?

It is true that lifting a truck and fitting it with new, larger tires will reduce the truck’s fuel efficiency. Lifting a truck between 6 and 10 inches is acceptable, but doing so will change its factory settings and geometry, which will reduce its efficiency. 

The truck’s size and weight are increased when you add bigger wheels. This results in the truck requiring more power to move it, which increases fuel consumption. Even if the front of the truck is raised using a leveling kit, the fuel efficiency will still be reduced. 

When the truck is loaded, the use of a leveling kit keeps the truck’s nose raised, which increases wind resistance. Fortunately, there are several ways to improve your truck’s fuel efficiency even after lifting.

How Can Pickup Fuel Economy Be Improved?

You’re not the only one who has ever pondered how to improve a lifted truck’s MPG. A full-size pickup truck will never come close to the MPG of a Prius. However, you can improve your truck’s mileage by following a few simple steps. Although EPA estimates don’t always match actual MPG, keep that in mind.

For instance, removing all off-road accessories will result in a 3–4 mpg increase in fuel efficiency for your truck. Always remember to take off-road gear out of the car before driving to work. A few hundred pounds of off-road gear can be removed if your engine is small enough. Even though these advantages might not be apparent, they can accumulate over time.

If your pickup truck’s fuel efficiency has been declining over time, it’s probably time for a tune-up. Simple machines that run on fuel, fire, and air are engines. Examining every part associated with this could have an impact on fuel efficiency.

Check your spark plugs, air filter, oil, and anything else visually by opening the hood. Anything that needs to be updated should be sought out. The process of replacing a spark plug is straightforward and inexpensive. They use the same air filters.

If you do everything in this guide and your truck still feels sluggish, try adding a tank of premium fuel or using a fuel injector additive. Engine efficiency may be impacted as carbon accumulates in the engine. To remove that carbon and increase fuel efficiency, use a higher octane fuel or additive. Just once every few months should be sufficient to use these items; you don’t need to do so every time you fill up.

Keep any extra parts and accessories off your truck if they aren’t necessary so that it will feel lighter. Choose a lighter fifth wheel, preferably one made of aluminum or a composite material, as your first option. If your truck weighs less when you arrive at the weight station, even if you don’t notice it right away, you will be pleased. 

Use lightweight components whenever you replace any truck parts. You can use aluminum, carbon fiber, or any other composite material for your body panels instead of steel to reduce the weight of the truck. Although purchasing a new hood will be expensive, you may save a lot of money on fuel. 

You should consider upgrading to lighter components for your wheels, gear cases, and cross members as well. Anti-corrosion coated materials are widely available today and can improve your truck. Even better, these improvements will increase your truck’s resistance to road chemicals and salt.

Do Lift Kits Affect Performance?

How we answer your question will depend on what you mean when you say “performance.” The typical response is: not significantly. By using a lift kit or a leveling kit, the vehicle’s center of gravity is raised. A higher center of gravity has more obvious effects on lift kits than leveling kits. Higher the lift, the more pronounced and powerful the center-of-gravity effect is.

When making turns or curves, it may alter how the car responds. Strong crosswinds have the potential to alter the system’s dynamics. You may notice a change in ride quality as a result of a suspension lift kit’s actual modification of suspension parts.