Make A 80 3FE better for road trips?

[OneTime]

I have a 92 3FE with 200,000. How can I make my rig better for road trips? Honestly my uses are more for hauling gear, bikes etc to far off places, then running serious trails. I already know that if I stay with my current rig rather than upgrade to something more powerful and comfy I need new seats, and upgrade my center console to something with an arm rest.

This is my goal. (not sure if possible with a 3FE) I like to be able to run at 75-80 mph and get at least 15mph. Right now I can do both, but not at the same time. I currently run 33x12.50 with stock 4.11 gears. If I run at 75mph I get about 12 mph. Conversly I can get 15 mph but have to run 65 MPH or below. Which is fine, but not on 500 plus mile road trips.

Im willing to spend about 4 grand to make it happen. Anything over that and Ill just sell and go to another rig. I dont like the wide tires that the PO added. I'd rather a 10x50 or narrower. I had planned on dropping down to a 33x10.50 or maybe even a 32". I really dont want to go down to 31" I wil if I have too. I figure about 1200.00 in new tires. I also am considering going to 4.56 gears. I think 4.88 is too low for my highway use. It's not a dd and dont do much in town driving with it.

I'd also like to add a rear locker when the regear is done. I figure about 2,000 to re gear and add the locker. Which leaves me about 500.00 for comfy seats. The rig already has a poormans Kaymar rear tire carrier and a brush gaurd. So i think a Yakima rack, a few extra lights and I'll be good.

Do you think, with 33x10.50 and 4.56 gears I can pull 75-80 mph and still get about 15 MPG and not get passed by big rigs and the slightest hill? Oh, one more thing. I have a custom exhaust thats 2.5" all the way back. Helps a lot!.

 

[upcruiser]

My rig is a '92 with around 195,000 at the moment too. I'm running the stock gears and 33x12.50 BFG MTR's. I am also trying to increase fuel economy and for me, I think the most cost effective ways to do so are going to be switching down to a 33x10.50 AT for long trips and trying to reduce my roof load/roof rack. Right now I have a Conferr basket and usually travel with a decent amount of gear on my roof. The 3FE seems pretty sensitive to drag, especially at speeds over 55-60mph. I'd avoid putting alot of things on a roof rack if I were you. My other plan was just to keep the speeds to 65mph and below. My goal is to hopefully see 15mpg and honestly the best way to achieve that is to drive slower on the highway.

 

[AndrewP]

Like they say, you can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear...


Seriously, enjoy it for what it is. For better economy, drive slower, take all the armor off the truck, don't carry any weight, and it might get 14mpg.

If a loaded 15mpg+ is your goal, I'd suggest a 4 cylinder Taco.

 

[Hltoppr]

The best mileage I got with my 1992 80 series was 15; usually in Mexico, where my speeds were 50-60mph on the road. Ironically, my Troopy with the 2F gets much better mileage than my 80 series....

The key to a 3F is to keep the speeds down (take some secondary roads...the view is better anyway), keep items off the roof, and the rig as light as practicable.

I always ran the stock sized 31x10.5R15 tires, too...

-H-

 

[AndrewP]

the 2F gets much better mileage than my 80 series....

The key to a 3F is to keep the speeds down (take some secondary roads...the view is better anyway), keep items off the roof, and the rig as light as practicable.


-H-

I've noticed this as well. My 5 speed, 2F powered FJ60 can routinely get 14-15 mpg on the highway. My 80 gets 11-12. Likely a combo of weight and the auto box.

 

[Sloan]

Save the $4,000 and just drive slower.

 

[OneTime]

Ok since the general concession is drive slow. My answer. Get a Subi WRX as my new DD and MT Bike, Road trip veh. YEEE HAAA I feel the need for speed!!!! Not a bad combo to have 80 and WRX..

 

[Hltoppr]

That's darn near perfect!

-H-

 

[Grim Reaper]

I'm trying to get 12mpg on a 454 Burb right now LOL

MPG is a combination of the following

Weight
Parasitic loss (drive train drag, aerodynamic drag)
Gearing.

The Toy in-line 6 is more of a low end torque motor. The gearing was set to match the tire size and optimum engine RPM. You may increase the MPG by regearing but it may also go down becasue it spinning the engine faster. When I regeared my 22RE 4Runner to get it back to the stock range my MPG did come up as well as ability to maintain speed on hills on the hwy.


Weight...any weight you can lose the better. Especially on rotating masses. Heavy wheels and tires hurt performance on many levels. Takes more power to spin then up and keep them at speed, more brakes to slow them down. Aluminum rims, narrow tire would help. As an example...My last truck ran a 35x12.5 BFG Mud on a 15x10 Steel and weight 92LB. It was a HUGE decrease in performance when I put them on. I had that in mind when I got this truck. The stock Chrome Steels (HEAVY) with 235x75x15's that came on my 4Runner were 62lb. The AR OutlawII with a 33x12.5 BFG AT I replaced them with are 68lb. If I went down to a 33x10.5 I would probably be at 62lb.

Heavy wheel tire combo also hurts ride and makes the suspension work a LOT harder especially on dirt roads.


Parasitic loss with aerodynamics. Roof rack wind drag is a biggie.
Wind resistance goes up exponentially with speed. That's why there is such a huge MPG change between 65 and 75. The power needed to maintain 65 may be around 50% but may jump to 75% to go 80. Couple that with Engine rpm and its becomes a significant change.

Parasitic Loss in drive-line. The weight and width of the tires again figure into this. Tire design as well. a 33x10.5 AT tire if going to get better MPG then a 33x12.5 mud. Its less weight and less rolling resistance. The AWD is a killer. the FJ62 people are claiming 17-18 on stockers with conservative driving. Same motor. Its spinning all that extra drive line and the extra weight of the 80.

Go to a more conservative tire pull the racks run light and split the difference on the speed is going to be the best bang for the bucks.

I kept all of this in mind when I built the 4Runner out That replaced a 6,000lb K5 on 35's that got 9 on a good day). The 33x12.5 were a deal I could not pass up ($350 for 4 95% or better and two 50% or better spares) otherwise it would have been 10.5's. I did a 200+ mile round trip in some pretty hilly areas last weekend and got 21.5 MPG. :wings:

 

[Pokey]

You could try 255/85s or 235/85 33.3" tall and skinny tires. Should lighten up your wheels somewhat and feel better on road with a little lighter feel. If you have flares- you could use those with 1.25" marlin spacers and get a bit more stability(wider track) which helps both onroad and offroad tippyness.

Before i dropped 4k into all that stuff---id first figure out if you need all the capacity of a Landcruiser. If you can get away with a Tacoma that would seem to the the easiest solution. If you need the added capacity of a Cruiser- then you might sell yours and add that cash to the 4k......and invest in a newer rig.

Personally im not a big fan of the 100 series---and its not going to get much better mileage to justify all the extra $$ over your 80. An fzj is a sidestep which could get you 50k less total miles than your current rig if you find one with lockers and if you run 255s-ome low lift-stock shocks-no roof stuff and tube bumpers/no 2cnd /3rd row seats......you can get 15mpg and run 70mph. 75-80 will yield less. TAco is a taco- maybe not enough space for you but if it is----that would be your better option.

My 94fzj w/123k on the clock gets 15mpg at 70mph or less and runs 255mts-sliders-low lift-deleted all leather-cloth front seats only. Slee Shortbus bumper/Warn8k/tube rear bumper in the making. 13mpg around town. I doubt at 200k miles tho--it will be doing the same. The reality of an aging engine is wear which equates to slightly less efficiency(lower mpg)

Good tune up-lighter weight oil-amsoil fluids-slight timing bump-tall skinny tires- lose the kaymar and a few rows of seats-........that would be the recipe if youre engine has stock compression numbers...........IF YOUR ENGINE IS Tired--and has lost some compression--- you need to think about the realities of tradeoffs(slowing down) vs. sticking with the 10-12mpg you have. Personally id see how long you can make that one run---bank your $$$ and save it for the diesels coming to our shores in the next few years.

 

[OneTime]

Grim Reaper and Pokey. Thanks for all the info. I have considered upgrading to a FJZ80. My luck would be I'd loose the HG on the way home from the purchase. I think my best bet is to go with a thin lighter tire. Loose the Kaymar. Think I can find someone who will want it? LOL! That way can get a good hitch bike rack and keep the bikes off the top of the roof. I need to pull out the rear seats too. Thanks for all you help guys!

My Daughter will be driving soon. So I'm trying to get her turned on to a hatch back Subi WRX that we care share. That way daddy gets his speed fix. Just need to find a way to keep the High School boys from driving it. OhYea, the badge and gun :gunt: I have, should do nicely. Nothing like pulling over a teenage kid and saying "Boy, Why are you driving my car?"

 

[Hltoppr]

I think you'd be better off giving a teenager the Cruiser....I can only imagine what trouble I would have gotten into in a WRX....:smileeek:

-H-