SultanGris: "... leveling will lower your fuel economy"? What's your basic premise behind that? Lower coefficient of drag might make a minuscule improvement if anything. Why do you believe it would decrease your fuel economy at all?

 

Paw paw and desert dog what type of lift do you both have and desert dog the lights look awesome are both your trucks 4x4

 

Ordered the Rough Country add-a-leaf. Tired of driving around going uphill all day.

 

Thanks Lherna07; all of my trucks were 4x4s including this one. The lift was a 2-inch Daystar leveling system.

 

The smaller hole you have to punch through air the better your gas mileage gets. Raising your truck 2 inches, means you make a bigger hole in the air and creates more drag. To think it is miniscule you would be wrong. I bought a front reciever hitch that mounted under the front and came with warnings in big letters adding this can affect fuel mileage. So if a tiny bar stuck up under the front can effect fuel mileage I know that raising the whole front end 2 inches is going to have a major impact on fuel mileage. That said you have to define major, anything that affects my mileage consistently more than 1-2 MPG is major... It may not seem like a lot but it adds up in a hurry, 36 miles to 72 miles less traveled per tank.. But then again if I really cared about fuel mileage I would not raise the dam thing, probably would not have bought a truck if I really cared... But thats my opinion....

 

Like the fender flares, where did you get them? Did the leveling and bigger tires mess with fuel economy much? What about the tranny, more frequent downshifts, etc? Looks really good.

 

I've got a masters degree in aerospace engineering and many years in ground and flight testing. There is minimal change to the Coefficient by simply raising only. One could theorize that the additional space under the vehicle increases airflow and could improve the Cd. Lifting doesn't cause drag problems... It's the tires add that add incredible unsprung weight and road friction that affect the gas mileage. That's my two cents anyhow.

 

Leveled my truck Saturday and put around 200 miles on it and the difference is not even noticable. Tires are the biggest culprit for gas mileage decreases.

 

Exactly, Paw Paw. Although I will readily admit that some lift kits are awful heavy and that extra weight adds to poorer fuel economy. Of course it is no worse than carrying a passenger or two.

 

Does anyone know about the fender flares on Desert Dawgs truck? Would like to get a set.