How can I maximize fuel economy on a stocker?

keep your tires inflated to spec.

...you have no idea the effect that has on mileage...

I am well aware of that. I had an 05 Corolla that I got 29 mpg out of with the factory recommended pressure. I bumped the tires up to max pressure, cycled the AC, used cruise control a lot, coasted to stops. I was getting around 41 mpg when I sold it. New owner gets 37.
 
yes my stock 99 xj 5spd 4x4 with michilen ltx 235/75/15 gets 20 around town and 21-23 on highway and i dont even have cruise yet
maybe get a electric fan. i think im gonna get one this next week.
flexalite 120

20 around town! That's crazy. You didn't transplant an Isuzu diesel, did you? What town is this? I don't think it's Chicago.
 
You can read online some of the White Papers issued by Kenworth or Cummins regarding fuel economy. Below 50 mph it is the rolling resistance (tire size & type; then drivetrain), above 50 mph it is wind resistance.

Narrow ribbed tires (have a look at the "steer tires" on a big truck; or those for city delivery), with a reasonable inflation pressure (too high a pressure is a safety problem) is a big part of the answer. Stock tires at no than 70-series is a good idea in "highway, all season" type.

Synthetic gear lubes is a second. Same with engine oil. Jeep engines do fine on 10W-30, use a quality filter as well. Minimize idle time, avoid drive-thru and plan driving route to maximize steady-state speed (speed limit is something to never achieve around town).

On the road the penalty for running 70 mph (time saved) is not offset by fuel economy penalty (acceleration penalty) for trips under 300 miles. Running 65-66 works better for not having to slow down or pass "slow traffic", etc.

Progressive shifting is not quite applicable to Jeeps, but a steady, long acceleration from stopped back to cruise speed is great. I do it regularly with the overhead readout. Get a vacuum gauge to learn how to accelerate reasonably.

Nice photo of good looking air dam above, thanks for posting that.
 
First mileage test in the new Jeep was good! 302.1 miles ÷ 16.903 gals = 17.87 mpg. I paid $2.39 a gal for regular vs the $2.69 a gal premium the truck has to have. This first tank alone has saved me over $60. This thing is almost going to pay for itself.
 
i live on edge of rural urban city. Quad cites on the mississippi river
lots of coasting! and all stop signs turn into yield signs ;) i only run my tires at 36psi. the flexalite fan should be in today soo well see how much that helps.
 
Keep your tire pressure up on the max rating on the tire. Mine is 35 PSI. Run synthetic oil including differentials. Oil change interval doesn't matter for gas mileage. Keep air filter clean. Put a vacuum gage on the dash and drive with that as a guide. Nothing else matters. (Drive slow and draft trucks, etc.)


I beg to differ about the oil change interval. When I was driving 200+ miles per day I could get better fuel economy by changing the oil every 1500-2000 miles. Of course, I changed it myself, having it done by a garage costs more than any fuel savings you'll get. This was back when gas was $4.00/ gal. which was more of an incentive.:looser:
 
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