How do I get better mileage with my lifted Jeep ?

Question

I have a 2004 Jeep Wrangler that I recently put a 4 inch pro comp lift kit on with 33 inch mud tires. I love it but... I have really noticed a difference with the amount of fuel I'm using. Also , I dont seem to have the power that I did before. I've heard of some sort of turbo/power booster or something like that. Does anyone know what I might be talking about ? I'm not exacltly mechanically inclined and would love any information or tips on this. Thanks p.s. its a V6, if that helps.

Answer 1

The larger tires create drag and add weight which makes it harder for the engine to turn them. The rotational weight is increased. So it's pretty unavoidable that your gas mileage will decrease. Just make sure your tires are inflated properly and keep the jeep tuned up and mechanically clean. Thats about all you can do.

Answer 2

does power booster dont really work , try putting a cold air intake system and some pulstart pulse plugs and you'll really see the difference  

Answer 3

I started with the same lift though I've swapped to Currie Enterprises control arms now. I have 33" Goodyear MTR's fitted and had my axle diffs regeared to 4.56 ratios. My original gears were 3.07.

With the regearing done I get a bit less MPG for city driving because of the extra effort required to accelerate the heavier tyres but I can get the same MPG on highway runs as I did when the Jeep was stock.

With the regearing done you will get more torque and power back at lower speeds. If it's a manual you might find that your highest gear is useless. Before regearing mine I had to drive a couple of hundred miles back home in high winds and I had to use third gear all the way home. That would be like 4th in a six speed manual.

You may need to sort your speedo out too if you haven't already. If you have a 231 transfer case it's just a matter of swapping the speedo gear. If you have a Rubicon with the 241 it has to be done electronically. If it's an auto an incorrect speed reference could be causing problems with the revs the autobox is changing gear at.

The engine isn't a V6 by the way - unless it's been swapped out - it's an inline six - I6.

Answer 4

You should look into re-gearing the differentials, a lower ratio would definitely improve power as well as fuel mileage. The problem is that when you switch to bigger tires it takes more power to turn them.