4 cyl. mileage, lift & tire size

I have been lurking around here for a while, and last week I took the plunge
and bought my first Wrangler, a new '05 4 cyl. 6-speed SE.
Initial cost and mpg were very important, as this will be my daily driver
and I cover a lot of ground.

After my initial outing in mud (the day after I drove the new jeep home), I
observed two things that I would like to change but I do not want to kill my
mpg (23mpg so far, but it is not broken in yet, hoping for more). The two
changes are that I would like to add 2-3" of lift, and a bigger tire (215/75
stock). Hoping for around 3-4" of lift total including the tires.

I was thinking of coil spacers and 235/75 tire, or perhaps a 30x9.50
I wouldn't even mind a 31x10.50 if it wouldn't kill my gearing (live in the
mountains of WV, got to be able to pull up those hills).
Though I realize the 31's will fit without a lift, I want the lift to get a
little extra clearance at the rear so I won't drag my receiver as I need to
be able to tow a small utility trailer from time to time. On the first
outing I manage to drag the receiver while backing up, lost the little
"JEEP" plug that goes in there. Had to turn around the next day and drive
all the way back up in the mountains and retrieve it.
Poor me, having to go 4 wheelin' again !
:-)

Anyone here had any experience with this?
What is the most reasonable and inexpensive way to get that 2-3" of lift?
What about increasing tire size?
How did it affect your mpg?

Thanks,

Bryan

I wish you had bought a six.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Bryan wrote:
>
> I have been lurking around here for a while, and last week I took the plunge
> and bought my first Wrangler, a new '05 4 cyl. 6-speed SE.
> Initial cost and mpg were very important, as this will be my daily driver
> and I cover a lot of ground.
>
> After my initial outing in mud (the day after I drove the new jeep home), I
> observed two things that I would like to change but I do not want to kill my
> mpg (23mpg so far, but it is not broken in yet, hoping for more). The two
> changes are that I would like to add 2-3" of lift, and a bigger tire (215/75
> stock). Hoping for around 3-4" of lift total including the tires.
>
> I was thinking of coil spacers and 235/75 tire, or perhaps a 30x9.50
> I wouldn't even mind a 31x10.50 if it wouldn't kill my gearing (live in the
> mountains of WV, got to be able to pull up those hills).
> Though I realize the 31's will fit without a lift, I want the lift to get a
> little extra clearance at the rear so I won't drag my receiver as I need to
> be able to tow a small utility trailer from time to time. On the first
> outing I manage to drag the receiver while backing up, lost the little
> "JEEP" plug that goes in there. Had to turn around the next day and drive
> all the way back up in the mountains and retrieve it.
> Poor me, having to go 4 wheelin' again !
> :-)
>
> Anyone here had any experience with this?
> What is the most reasonable and inexpensive way to get that 2-3" of lift?
> What about increasing tire size?
> How did it affect your mpg?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bryan

What kind of real world mpg are the 6 cyl.'s getting?
Every mile counts as I do a lot of driving as part of my job and every penny
in the tank is one less in my pocket.
So far I am satisfied with the performance of the 4 cyl., even here in the
mountains.

Do the 6 cyl. motors get into the 20's on mileage?

Bryan




"L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> I wish you had bought a six.
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/

"Bryan" > wrote in message
...

> I do not want to kill my

if mileage is a factor youd better leave well enough alone. nobody buys a
tj with mileage as a consideration.


> 23mpg so far, but it is not broken in yet, hoping for more

? either your math is poor or the 2.4 does a whole lot better than the 2.5
did.


> What is the most reasonable and inexpensive way to get that 2-3" of lift?

that would be the 7slot redneck tj lift. see
http://7slotgrille.com/tech/zjtjlift/index.html


> What about increasing tire size?
> How did it affect your mpg?

without regearing youre screwed.

--
Nathan W. Collier
http://7SlotGrille.com
http://UtilityOffRoad.com

"Bryan" > wrote in message
...
> Do the 6 cyl. motors get into the 20's on mileage?

lol......best i ever got in my '03 (auto/rubicon) was 14.9ish. ive run only
a single tank through my '05 and got 12.

--
Nathan W. Collier
http://7SlotGrille.com
http://UtilityOffRoad.com

The mileage I double checked. Start with full tank. Drove about 350 miles,
fill tank, divide by gallons used. Used a calculator.....

My last tank was tick over 20, but I had been 4 wheelin' up in the mountains
on some logging roads and pulled my trailer cross county to the landfill, so
mpg was down a tad.

Based on "seat of the pants" I would be inclined to say that the 2.4 runs a
lot better than the 2.5 wranglers I have driven myself. The report HP is
higher, so maybe it makes sense the 2.4 would deliver better mpg.
A friend of mine and former 2.5 Wrangler owner seems feel it runs a little
better.

Regearing? That might be an option.

Would I be right to believe that, at least theoretically, if I lower my
gear, but match it with the correct tire size, then I may end up with
basically the stock overall setting?
Or is that too simple. A quick calculation would suggest to me that if I go
to a 31" tire, and increase gear to 4.11, then I end up with almost the
stock 3.73 gearing (well, 3.68, reasonably close).

Thanks for the tip on 7slotgrille, I will have to do some reading on their
site.

Bryan



"Nathan W. Collier" > wrote in message
...
> "Bryan" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> I do not want to kill my
>
> if mileage is a factor youd better leave well enough alone. nobody buys a
> tj with mileage as a consideration.
>
>
>> 23mpg so far, but it is not broken in yet, hoping for more
>
> ? either your math is poor or the 2.4 does a whole lot better than the
> 2.5 did.
>
>
>> What is the most reasonable and inexpensive way to get that 2-3" of lift?
>
> that would be the 7slot redneck tj lift. see
> http://7slotgrille.com/tech/zjtjlift/index.html
>
>
>> What about increasing tire size?
>> How did it affect your mpg?
>
> without regearing youre screwed.
>
> --
> Nathan W. Collier
> http://7SlotGrille.com
> http://UtilityOffRoad.com
>

"Bryan" > wrote in message
...
> The mileage I double checked. Start with full tank. Drove about 350
> miles, fill tank, divide by gallons used. Used a calculator.....

wow.....certainly better than ive ever heard of in any tj. perhaps the move
from the 2.5 to the 2.4 was a smart move afterall.


> Would I be right to believe that, at least theoretically, if I lower my
> gear, but match it with the correct tire size, then I may end up with
> basically the stock overall setting?

exactly. raise the gear ratio with bigger tires, lower the rear ratio to
balance out the overall drive ratio to regain the power/mileage you had
before.


> Thanks for the tip on 7slotgrille, I will have to do some reading on their
> site.

thats a pretty good article on a cheap tj lift alternative. the only thing
i would add to it is to either relocate your track bar about 3/4" after the
lift, or get adjustables. as soon as i find a lift that triangulates front
and rear (so that i can throw my track bars away) ill be lifting my '05.
until then ill ride stock. i dont like trackbars. while youre on 7 drop by
the forum or the live chat (awaiting registration code, already paid for).

--
Nathan W. Collier
http://7SlotGrille.com
http://UtilityOffRoad.com

Small cars with small engines get good mileage. You may learn with
your four wheel drive vehicle weighting in at about thirty five hundred
pounds that the six and four cylinder get the same mileage as the
equation is how much energy must be used to move that weight at highway
speeds. With the exception with larger tires you won't be able to
maintain traffic speeds, therefo use less gasoline.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Bryan wrote:
>
> What kind of real world mpg are the 6 cyl.'s getting?
> Every mile counts as I do a lot of driving as part of my job and every penny
> in the tank is one less in my pocket.
> So far I am satisfied with the performance of the 4 cyl., even here in the
> mountains.
>
> Do the 6 cyl. motors get into the 20's on mileage?
>
> Bryan

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 21:38:03 -0700, "Nathan W. Collier"
> wrote:

>"Bryan" > wrote in message
...
>
>> I do not want to kill my
>
>if mileage is a factor youd better leave well enough alone. nobody buys a
>tj with mileage as a consideration.
>
>
>> 23mpg so far, but it is not broken in yet, hoping for more
>
>? either your math is poor or the 2.4 does a whole lot better than the 2.5
>did.
>

I don't know, Nate. My '95 with a 2.5 regularly gets about 21. I
haven't checked the wife's '94 with the 4.0, but I suspect that it
gets about the same.
My son, OTOH, has an '02 with the 4 cyl, and his mileage
sucks...around the 15 mpg.
You'd think with all the advances in the last 10 years the mileage
would be better, not worse..

--
Old Crow
'82 Shovelhead FLTC 92" 'Pearl'
'95 Jeep Wrangler YJ
TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51, SPUNGER#2

"Old Crow" > wrote in message
...
> My son, OTOH, has an '02 with the 4 cyl, and his mileage
> sucks...around the 15 mpg.

this is what im used to from the tj 4 cylinder. never owned one, but know a
lot of guys who do and their mileage is usually as bad as mine.

--
Nathan W. Collier
http://7SlotGrille.com
http://UtilityOffRoad.com