Megatron

Well I know this is an old post but I'm going to bring it back to life ha-ha. Well after 6 months of no vibrations I started to get one at highways speeds. After playing around with some shims I finally decided it was the drive shaft itself causing the problems. I think running it out of alignment to long has lead to its inevitable failure. So in light of this I ordered a new aluminum 5" diameter one piece driveshaft. So over the next couple of days I will get it put in and tested out. Came with a no vibrations guarantee lol. I also made the switch to the larger U-Joints that are found in the manual version of our trucks. Or so I'm told. 1480 versus the 1410. What's a little more strength?? 100$ that's what lol. I will post pictures and findings.

TaylynQuay, like Moses said welcome to the forum. I know Moses posted a good link that covers everything from gearing to power curve of the Cummins. It has since turned into a lengthily read but all of it is great knowledge to have. Your question is about gaining fuel mileage. One thing I must point out is that with your setup (lift, tires etc.), like me, you really are just tying to get back to the mpg you lost in stock form. I have the 06 3500 Mega and my father has the same. He has more mileage on his but his is 100% factory with factory spec tires. His truck is control group for basing my modifications and the effect they have. To start, I jumped straight to the 8" lift, 20x12 wheels, (now) 38"x15.50 tires, bumpers and everything. Around 9-10k# on the scales. I left the engine stock at first. Well this dropped me down to around 10-12 mpg while my father stayed in the 20-23 range... So like you the quest to improve my situation was on or should I say gain back what I lost Now Moses points out that gearing is a thing key but the effects of gearing really (in my opinion) are just to get your cruise speeds back into the desired RPM range. This is were your engine is most efficient. Well gearing is one of the last things I planned for upgrades (mainly its something I felt I had to outsource the labor on until I read Moses's awesome post on gear installs. Now its back on for a DIY project, just not right now lol). My attention was on bolt on and tune capabilities. So with the standard run down of aftermarket parts I began my quest. First on deck was air in and air out theory. Magnaflow 5" turbo back exhaust with a S&B intake and filter. Now most will argue that 5" is overkill, well it is.. but 4" to 5" had no ill effect either. So 5" it was lol. What I'm a guy I like bragging rights ha-ha. Well this combo did gain some increase. Maybe 1 mpg on the average. But sound was better for me and the power increase was slightly noticeable. I say win.. Next was intake S&B elbow, grid heater delete and GDP raised intake plenum. Now with these items you start crossing a line of simple modification parts to performance/dependability altering. For instance the grid heater delete. Did I gain anything or did I loose something?? The trio landed me about another .5-.75 mpg but now anytime its below 30 out I have to plug my truck in. Did I feel a power increase through the midrange?? A slight notice but nothing to brag about. Plus maybe its in my head that it was more power lol. After that came an AirDog 2 165 lift pump and water air separator. It really didn't show up on mpg or performance scale but it did give me better filtration and rights to some neat theory's on air in the fuel. Its more of a maintenance thing. Next was a tuner. Now the market for these things is off the chart. You can research them for days and read claims of this and that plus you can find countless haters of every type. That being said I went with EFI Live. Its not a typical tuner but it has similar results. I say better. This tuner allowed me to install a 5 way switch and have 5 tunes on the fly. Stock, MPG, Towing, Street and Performance. This modification is where my MPG saw the biggest increase. Now you would think that Stock or MPG tunes would offer the best for MPG well that turns out to be incorrect on my truck. When set to performance I saw the biggest increase of mpg and power out of any previous modification. It jumped me up to around 19-20 mpg. Why you ask?? same question I had.. I think with the miss-match of tire size and gearing in my truck the rpm range is out of alignment with cruising speeds. This is the only explanation I can think of that ties a power increase to a mpg increase. By increasing my power curve through fuel delivery and timing I managed to encompass the rpm range of my cruising speed. This resulted in better fuel efficiency. At anytime if I switch to any other tune or even tunes from different tuners the results are the same. I lose power and mpg. Now keep in mind my power tunes are not crazy coal rolling with transmission breaking torque. I don't support the Coal Rollers of America. To me power can be made cleanly and should be. The fact remains that everything Moses has showed us is that its all about the engine being at its efficient range for power. If you can mange to operate your vehicle in this window you will regain lost mpg. I have never reached back to the stock level that my father has, and he reminds me every time I see him lol. But I have started to get a more respectful number in the MPG game. I have a few more things sitting on the shop floor right now that I hope will lead me back closer to the stock mpg. To add, making power with the Cummins engine is easy and when done with respect you can gain mpg with that extra power. The question I want to know is that if I put the rest of my truck back to stock (height and stance) where would my mpg's be then?? Would I have increased it or not? I wont ever know because I love lifted trucks ha-ha. To me all these add on's are just trying to recoup what I lost but I'm not really for sure how far a stock truck could go. I have seen claims up to 30mpg on a stock truck but I have never seen it with my own eyes. Also, driving style plays a huge factor in mpg. That's a big one. Easy on the on ramps, easy off the green lights etc. Staying around that rpm range that your engine likes.

Well its been a busy year and I haven't got to post much so today I'm going to try and catch up haha. Okay, my topic is about transmission fluids. Mainly Chrysler based ATF+4 transmissions. To back up a bit I have the 2006 Ram 3500 MegaCab with the Cummins and the problematic 48RE, I meant automatic 48RE lol. My truck is sitting around 80k miles with limited modifications for performance. At around 60 some thousand miles it started shuttle shifting (Check the forums here for those details and fixes). Those problems were fixed then but they have returned again recently with a twist. Shuttle shift and not wanting to shift out of first at all. I threw a couple small parts at it and in doing so I realized overall wear was a factor and I think a bad seal deep within needed replaced. Well at 80k miles you have to be honest with yourself and assume a rebuild for this transmission isn't out of the question. So with that prospect I did some research. To be honest the 48RE doesn't respond well to performance upgrades, at least not in a stock configuration. I know the topic is fluid and I will get to that. After doing the math on a local transmission shop to rebuild with upgrades versus getting a commercial built unit with some upgrades, I decided to buy commercially. My choice was the BD Performance 48RE Performance Plus transmission with billet triple disk torque converter and new billet flex plate. The transmission comes with a matching billet input shaft and the torque converter has an enhanced stall and a host of internal upgrades. I had planned for some power enhancement later so it seemed wise to get a better built transmission first. I also got a dual stacked extruded transmission cooler from BD with its own temp sensor and electric fan setup. The transmission kit also included a remote mount transmission filter that must be installed with the new transmission. The biggest gain was the 150,000 mile 36 month warranty which no local shops would offer (mainly 3 months, not good). That was a big factor in my purchase plus BD's reputation in the diesel community for quality products. Okay back to the topic lol. Now since this transmission is new and literally sitting on my shop floor now with zero miles, I wanted to start its life off with some quality fluids. This way I could truly track what its addition to service life would be and overall quality. After reading countless forums and web pages I think I have come to understand that Chrysler engineered the ATF+4 fluid specific for their transmissions and its very important that you run that specific fluid in them. Apparently they will let others duplicate this formula but they must follow guidelines and join the secret fraternity of fluids producers.... Maybe I'm right maybe I'm wrong?? This post comes down to me wanting to run something like Royal Purple or Amsoil but not be steered either way by "I've run it for years with no problems". I'm more about the science. Yes others testimonial reports are helpful and appreciated but I like proven data. The Term "Snake Oils" comes up a lot when researching this topic. I know companies like Royal Purple have testing facilities and groups of mad scientist cooking stuff up and trying it out. My understanding is the ATF+4 is truly just a full synthetic fluid and anything less would be possible a mix of synthetics and dinosaur fluid. Now BD says to run factory recommended fluids. The new system should hold around 15 quarts (give or take a little). I know it will not be cheap to run any of the top shelf fluids. Normally I would say if you were changing fluids at 100k miles why change? Life expectancy isn't much further and the price to make the switch wouldn't pay back. Since I'm starting from zero I believe the expense will be justified assuming the top shelf fluids are truly better and not just a promotional stunt. I believe that there are fluid standards and companies like Amsoil reproduce add to these formulas with their own additives to reduce wear and shed heat easier. Much like engine oils, coolant and fuel itself. But I'm no expert nor do I have the ability or time to contact every person for their companies research paperwork lol. I'm hoping maybe someone here can shed some light on this topic or add to it. I have run Amsoil and Royal Purple in other applications before without problems and I believe both are quality products, however this BD transmission setup is close to a 10K investment in my truck. I want to see to it that it has the best fluids for a full service life and if 300$ now helps me out at 150k miles later, then I'm all in. Let me know what you all think and if you can point me in the direction of other topics here to research that would be great. I will take plenty of pictures of the transmission upgrade to share with you guys later..

Well I know its been a while since I kicked up this thread but I would like to post my findings and results. I took Moses advice and checked the angle of my rear drive shaft through the mid support with a digital level (after my eyes tried to tell me it looked fine lol). I discovered the angles where not as true as my eyes had lead me to believe. The front half of the shaft was at a different angle than the rear half. So after a few measurements, some shims and two longer bolts... boom no more shudder on take off. I wouldn't have believed a set of 3/8" shims would make a difference but man did it ever. Truck takes off like factory again. Just proof that with an hour of time and some hand tools you can fix something with noticeable results lol. I guess to look back at it, these trucks make a considerable amount of power/torque and have to get a crazy amount of weight moving at take off. So something like a degree or so of angle can be magnified into a bigger problem. It is also a relief not always thinking that maybe your ring and pinion gear is on the fritz. Thanks again, Moses, for taking time to help those who don't know become those who do know...

Well that clears up the theory "More is Better" lol. I'm a big fan of the 50/50 mix in the jug. It is made with the distilled water so no chances of mixing it with tap water. What is your take on coolant additives like Water Wetter?

Thanks for the reply biggman100. I knew there was more to it than luck lol. I build communication towers and have been familiarized with some of the structural designed bolts like the A325 and A590's. I know the process to make an A590 leaves it unable to be galvanized after it is hardened. A325's however can still be galvanized but isn't as strong. I know each bolt is designed for its intended purpose but when it came to wheel studs nobody ever says much about them. I figured they had to be a good grade bolt given their job and abuse levels. I guess I will ask another question that I haven't figured out on my own yet and that is about measuring bolt stretch. I know this is the latest craze in the way of measuring torque value, but this can only be applied to a bolt that can be reached and measured from top to bottom correct? It may sound like a stupid question, but its one I have never seen an answer for yet. I see where they do it on rod bolts but I have never seen anybody measure head bolts this way. How much more important is bolt stretch compared to torque yield?

Not really sure if this fits the general discussion forum, but since it applies to almost every vehicle ever made, I started here. The question I have about wheel studs relates to the fact it is a bolt. My question is why with bolts like head studs/bolts can you only retighten them a couple times before they are considered bad? Even flywheel bolts only get used once. To me wheel studs are some of the most important assemblies on your vehicle. Yet, if you follow retune maintenance, like tire rotations and replacement, you will re use these bolts/studs a whole bunch of times. Is there something I am missing like they are made of different alloys or hardened to different standards. Or am I missing somewhere that says I should be changing them out after 3rd time I tighten them? I have been to a few local tire shops that hammer them on with an impact wrenches and no torque values measured. Been guilty myself of twisting the old 4 way around until I saw little stars in my vision. Yet still they hold up without question. Recently one of my crew trucks did suffer a rear dually failure at the wheel studs. Now, I do know that 2 days prior another crew had rotated the tires, so I went with loose hardware that lead to that failure. After further inspection, all the other lug nuts on the truck were loose lol So what gives? Anybody have an answer??

I'm with biggman100 on the vehicle itself being added/considered in the rating factor. I know changing out a set of plugs on my 05 WRX STI was a royal pain and required special tools. Now changing the plugs on my 95 Honda civic was a dream. I also think your tool collection can make a job easier. Maybe you can take points away from the difficulty level for owning the right tools lol. I mean face it, how can you begin to put a difficulty level on a gear change without having a dial indicator or a torque wrench?? That job should not be tried without the correct tool selection. I believe it is possible to do, and Moses laid out an awesome write up on it. I think a detailed write up and a tool layout is key to your rating factors. Every project I have ever conquered was due in part to having the right tools for the job. I have even made tools from other tools to complete a specific task. I now look forward to new projects because I know I will get to buy something new to add to the tool collection lol. Don't forget fear factor.. I fear electronics lol. They don't have moving parts ha-ha. I have started reading more and bought a new Power Probe 3 kit for troubleshooting. But if not for the tool, I would still be in the corner crying lol. People should also understand that the rating is just a professional opinion on the task at hand and will vary between your skill set. I have done many 10 star jobs and thought it wasn't that bad, but I have also done a 4 star job I will never do again. I would take it more seriously if someone laid out the pros and cons of the project, true pitfall problems and the always unforeseen that is left out of the instructions by the manufacturers. That is more valuable to me, feedback from someone that truly installed it. I see stars as a challenge lol, 10 stars you say?? no problem... Junior, grab the tools it's going to be a long day!

I joined these forums after researching how to install gears in the AAM 11.5 rear axle on my truck. While researching that I found Moses' handy work at the magazine and kick butt how-to with pictures. I was like, finally a forum run by someone who can back up what they are posting! I was tired of forums being run by people who clearly have no idea what it is they are rambling on about and constantly giving incorrect info. Plus the constant bashing of people for newbie questions and things. That stuff gets old. You know, if I want to be badgered about what I am doing in the garage, I would just go talk to my wife! Forums are supposed to be about sharing information, not condemning people because they do things differently or have different ideas. If we are to support our hobbies for the next generation then it needs to be done differently than the old way. None of us are masters of it all when it comes to off-road ventures. Some may know more than others, but that doesn't give them the right to trash people for trying to learn. There are a lot of great 2 car garage mechanics out there that are trying to learn and have good knowledge to share. They may feel like not sharing this info in fear of being called out for not being a "real" mechanic. If I think I have any knowledge that can help someone, I gladly share it. I'm not a mechanic by any certified standards, but my mechanical skills can hold their own. I learn from doing things, and I have done a lot of things wrong in the past lol. I figure if I can share my failures with others, it will save you the trouble. I know this is a relatively new and small group now, but you can bet it will get big. All of us watch the content, which will make a few people mad, but if it does they were obviously here for the wrong reason. We're not the moral police, just trying to stay on topic and real, open to everyone. These forums are the way it should be for people looking for facts and support and for those trying to help. Also, I like the easy to use garage photo gallery feature for your builds. It's like having your own magazine showcase lol. Alright, back to work before I have to fire myself...If I lose too much income, these 4x4 projects will never get done!

Sorry about not responding sooner, but I have been out of the office. In response to your reply....I'm mind blown...It will take me a couple reads to soak this all in, but once again, mind blown. I wish you were my neighbor lol

Okay, after searching the internet for a few weeks on topics for correctly setting camber and caster on a solid axle front end I have come to a conclusion: Very few people know this answer and of those few that do, very few want to share it. I know the general consensus is to take your vehicle to an alignment shop and kick it in the lobby reading old Car and Driver magazines while they run your car or truck through the paces. In the end, they hand you a paper with + this, - that, drop some terminology on you, you shake your head and agree, plop 60 bucks on the counter and drive away. Well that's fine and dandy on the old Buick Le Sabre, but guys like us with lift kits, oversized wheels and tires and custom front end work, well...not so much. I have yet to find a shop that will entertain the idea of even aligning my truck. I can’t believe that there is no way a DIY can do this at home. Yes it may not be aligned within +/- .0001, but neither is yours after the first pothole you hit leaving the shop. There had to be a way they did alignments before the construction of the modern alignment machine. I believe with some time and effort, a DIY guy can get pretty close if not close enough to get within spec. My questions here are to cover the solid front axle of my '06 Dodge Ram 3500, and I assume this will carry over, in principle, to a lot of other solid axle trucks. To my understanding there are 3 basic adjustments to consider. Camber, caster and toe. Now this leads me to my first set of questions before we even go to these 3 topics. Axle placement under the vehicle. This seems to be a grey area in knowledge on the web so here goes. 1. I have an adjustable track bar that will allow me to adjust my axle left and right in the vehicle. What is the proper way to measure the placement of the front axle so you know it is truly centered under your truck? I have done some simple string lines and measurements and feel mine is good. I just want to get the proper information out in the open so I can verify my work and others can use it if needed. 2. How do you measure your front axle and know it is square with and in the truck? You know, to verify the left tire isn't further forward in the vehicle that the right tire. Now, I have read this is how you would align a solid front axle vehicle to control it veering right or left while driving. Is that true? If so I would still assume you would want to have a zero starting point for making adjustments. I also assume this measurement is probably based off of the rear axle's location in the truck. Well, since I have never had any rear axle damage or any changes done, I assume it is straight and located within spec. Or should we back this whole conversation up and start by confirming the rear axle location and making all other measurements from there?? Well if we make it through this first part I guess we can move onto my camber/caster questions: Camber. I have a basic understanding of how camber and caster is adjusted and how it affects the vehicle so no need to cover that, but feel free to if you want. I also know that with my truck the upper and lower ball joints are fixed and centered. This would lead me to believe that camber on my solid axle front end is at the mercy of the axle caster settings. Without the use of some offset ball joints of course. I recently have upgraded my ball joints to the Carli Suspension ones. Very nice and very well built. During this install is when I noticed my truck had a serious amount of negative caster, which possibly was one of the underlying issues of the poor handling. Well possibly partly lol. Most of the handling issues were poor steering components. That topic is covered by one of the other threads on this forum. Now on to caster. From where on the front axle do you take the measurement for caster? Do you really have to have a special tool or is there more of a DIY approach that can be done? I can’t believe you must have NASA grade tools with Sheldon Cooper knowledge. It’s only a few degrees. If this is possible to do at home what are some others pointers to consider? Should both sides match or is this something that has a "room for error" type thing? Like I mentioned before my truck has a long arm 4 link front end with adjustable links. I can move my front axle front, back, left, right, twisted front, rolled back, in, out you name it, so making caster adjustments should be very easy. Making proper adjustments...well that's why I'm here. Toe adjustment. While this seems to be the simplest one, I believe that it should be last. I figure with the way the knuckle works, if you made any toe adjustments before properly setting caster adjustments, it would be off?? I assume your castor must be set before taking anything else into consideration. Considerations...What are considerations to any of these adjustments and measurements when dealing with oversized wheels, tires and lift kits? To me, I can see an issue with the offset of my wheels and the intersection of the caster angle through the ball joints in correlation to the ground surface and the contact spot of the center of my wheel and tire. I see that instead of my wheel and tire rotating on this centerline I am instead actually arcing around it if you will (if that makes sense). Maybe these things only matter at high speeds, maybe not. I can see the offset being harder on ball joints but that's why I choose Carli. I understand with a lift kit people run into problems because the need to get your pinion angle on the front axle correct to reduce vibrations. Well I have installed a free spin kit with lockouts so pinion angle is not a priority. I am willing to deal with a front end vibration the 2 days out of the year I need 4 wheel drive in exchange for 363 days of correct steering geometry. For others without the free spin kit I can see your need to address this issue differently. I don't know, maybe this is all secret squirrel information, and nobody will share it. I don't deem it rocket science, but I believe it should be done properly. If an alignment shop is the only accepted way to do it, so be it. I just can’t believe that's the case, though. Any input on any of this subject would be appreciated. As always, I know Moses will break it down tech style, and that's fine by me. Attached are a couple pictures of my front end with corrected 4 link angles and new poly joints.

I would love to say a 4G device is your end all problem answer but I'm afraid I would be lying. It's just simply a coverage thing. Cellular does not focus on areas that don't see big traffic numbers. They do in some situations but only if there is a dollar to be made. I think it would solve some issues in certain areas, but the back 40 that you work with, well not so much. We need to find a way to turn the Ham radio scene into high speed internet. Those guys can reach out from anywhere lol. I personally think you are faced with an issue that does not have a do all, affordable solution. To me satellite has more of the anywhere factor you are after, but the price is enough to make you buy a fleet of carrier pigeons and send little messages back to a secretary and have them update your info. There are things in the works for a mobile boost station that can reach a lot further than the normal amps. They also provide a wireless work station for your mobile platform. This would allow you to continue using your current equipment if it is wireless. The problem is they still can only offer you the ability of the cell site you are reaching out too. Plus toss in your canyon factor and your back to square one, no service lol. If you were in a fixed location all the time you could do a simple microwave hop and get your high speed signal, but that's not the case.. Your eye for the RF equipment on the Monopine is good. There is actually 3 T mounts, 6 antennas, 3 tower mounted amps, 3 tower mounted radios plus a host of other supporting hardware and cables on that tower. Don't get me wrong, I think cellular will work in many of the locations and help you out a lot, but it still has its voids. The old rock and middle of nowhere issue if you will...or was that a rock and a hard place..

Unfortunately, I don't think the tech world has caught up to you travelers that well yet. I install communication equipment on towers for cellular use. To me that is your best bet if you're in range of said services. Satellite would have to be a great option for traveling really remote areas, but I'm not sure what prices and speed are. Plus, I thought only download speeds from satellite were high speeds and uploads were not?? I could be wrong. Just ask my wife.. All of my crews travel and we use tethering from phone to pc or configure the phone to be a mobile hotspot (assuming your phone can do it). Now speeds and data size are restricted by the capabilities of the supporting cell site and your wallet ha-ha. With us it's mainly documents being transferred back and fourth so no real size. Blueprints, RF configuration sheets, etc. Generally less than 1mb per transfer. Now if you're trying to stream movies and upload pictures, well hurry up and wait...Now a modern phone with a bigger processer will help with speeds, so don't forget to take this into consideration. The best way will always be a modem hooked to the land lines with you linked either to it directly or wireless. Wireless infrastructure is improving, but not in areas we go off-roading and camping lol. As for you, I think you're too far ahead of technology. Really, coverage outside of your Starbucks and McDonald hotspots really doesn't support that much speed and file transfer size. For years we would stop outside of the high dollar motels and do our upload and downloads before we headed off to the site. Sleeping at the Motel 6 and doing paperwork at the Hilton lol. Now there is equipment that can extend your range of cellular coverage. It acts like a booster (assuming similar to the CB radio situation). The problem is while it extends your range it really does nothing in the way of faster up/downloads. Just lets you get further into the woods/desert before you lose signal. If it was me, I would pick the best cellular carrier, with coverage in my area (and since you're traveling guess they all qualify lol), and go with an unlimited data plan. Tether your phone or choose Wi-Fi extender, keep your cell battery charged and click send. Then make a sandwich and watch the sunset while it grinds away. The recent round of cellular upgrades (aka LTE) has been relocating the radios from the ground level to the top of the tower. We then run fiber optic up the tower thus putting the radio directly behind the antenna with a direct path to fiber. This gives the highest rate of speed and data transfer possible. While this still seems to be in metro areas only, it will expand over the next few years to the more remote areas. The leader of this install, and I think they are the Devil, is AT&T. They have the jump by a year or so on Sprint and Verizon. They have more areas with this capability then anyone else. Sprint would be a strong second and third would be Verizon. (and for the most part, if you have any other cell provider, you're just buying minutes through a middle man of the Big 3). Now Verizon is my personal favorite because I think they are a better company as a whole, but that's a different topic for a different forum. I don't have any experience with any other technologies out there so my field of view is focused on what we use. Plus if you guys burn up that cellular data it means more work and off-road parts for me lol. Hope this gives you some insight to our field of work. Coverage and speeds get better everyday. However, we just haven't reached all the areas yet. Hopefully someone else may have some insight to other technologies available for your situation. I would like to see what else is out there. Attached is a photo from last month showing a new fiber LTE site on a new stealth pole we built (can you spot the RF equipment?). It is designed to look like a pine tree. So when you're traveling keep an eye out because you may already have some high speed cell service at your campsite lol.

Okay, I am onboard with the Gear Venders overdrive setup. While it has an initial cost, it is one that can truly be paid back during its service if better fuel mileage is achieved. I have an Atlas 4SP transfer case with a similar unit on the input side for reduction. I am aware of how they work and mine works fine (on my rock-crawler not my daily driver, although I thought about putting it in my truck. You have given plenty for me to research, and research I shall do! Your points about winter fuel mileage make sense. While I had hoped I could point my finger at one thing and fix that, you have shown it is a multiple of things adding up. I do switch to different oils for winter time, but I was under the impression it was spec'd from the factory this way? Your GDiesel is something I have never heard of. I am only a year into the diesel world so I still have much to learn. I plan to check this out as well. I am a fan of science and am amazed how it can effect my wallet on daily driving. This may be a dumb question but I thought I would ask, hope it makes sense. At what speed do you think "lack of" aerodynamic efficiency rules out any attempt to be fuel efficient? Now this is not something I can test given my local speed limits, but with my current truck gearing I should be running in the 80mph range (-/+) to be at the desired RPM for engine efficiency. Do you think that I would see a fuel mpg increase at those speeds, hypothetically? At least if I get a speeding ticket I could say I was trying to save some money lol. My next real question, that I hope you may have experience with, is water/methanol injection for MPG gains. Have you gone this route yet or maybe anybody that is reading this? The science seems to be there and the posted research seems to back the claims, but I have reservations about the on going cost to replenish the supply vs. the gains. At some point you have to say your still spending money on the 2-3 mpg you saved but is it still cheaper than the price of fuel?? Are there other gains besides a rusty intake plenum that you can take into consideration? As always, thanks for your knowledge and insight on all topics. You are definitely filling my brain with knowledge that is useful and I plan on putting as much of it to use as possible.

I checked my MPH vs. RPM on the way into work today and my truck says @ 65mph I am turning 1750-1800 rpms in overdrive... so ya that's off per the requirements lol. I assume the speedo to be pretty close to correct given a few neighborhood speed trap signs ha-ha. Well I now know I have some work to do in this area. Ok, I do have a good question. Why does my MPG go up the warmer it gets outside? Does the cold weather rob that much energy from the engine just keeping it warm? Is it possible the winter mix fuels at the pump are less efficient? 5 months ago when it was 20-40 degrees out I was getting 12-13 on the same trip every day. Now that it is 80-90 degrees + out I'm back up to 16-18. I have made no changes to driving style, route or vehicle modifications. Now, I know a little can be lost to letting the truck warm up but even when it was in the 40-50's I wasn't warming up long enough to call it that and I was still getting less mpg. Am I crazy or is there science and math behind it? I know diesels don't like to warm up a lot in the colder areas and I know the big trucks even run covers on the front of the trucks to slow down air getting into the radiator or engine compartments. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

Didn't see this reply. Kind of covers my questions on oversized tires lol.

What's up Rich? I will not be as detailed with my reply as Moses is, but I will back him on Jeep suggestions. For a first time Jeep the 91-95 YJ is hard to beat. I suggest going with the 91 or newer so you can have the fuel injection. It is much easier to off-road with fuel injection and trouble shooting it is really simple given modern electronics. I have nothing against the CJ or TJ, I just think your money goes further with a YJ. The YJ is still a leaf spring system witch makes things pretty simple to work with. A 4" lift kit is less than 500$ (should you plan to modify this way) I suggest getting the 4.0 inline six engine. That is the one thing I wouldn't budge on. It's expensive to add power later. The 4.0 is really the perfect match for the YJ. Not too much power that you break things and powerful enough to get the job done. As for the transmission.. I like automatics but every Jeep I ever owned had a manual. The manuals are easier to work on in my opinion but I cant see the fault either way. That's on you. If you off road a lot you will wish it had an automatic, especially after a good day of feathering the clutch up some rocks lol. The only advantage I have ever seen with the 4 cylinder Jeep (besides price) was in the axles themselves. They have (maybe not all) a 4.10 gear package from the factory to compensate for the engine's lower power range. This 4.10 gear sits on a bigger carrier. We used to take these axle assemblies and put them in our 6 cylinder jeeps and get the 4.56 or 4.88 gear sets with a track locker so we could run 35" tires. I have built a couple this way and as long as you finesse the trails you won't break things. As for your tire size, that really depends on your terrain. Most would have you believe the largest tire you can possible fit in the fender well but I say match it to your riding terrain. If your not climbing 4' ledges I don't think you need 46" tires. Plus it all comes down to the axle modifications and gearing. If you're going to stay stock then I wouldn't go past a 33". this will keep your center of gravity lower and maintain a better gear ratio for fuel economy. The factory transfer case (NP231) and axles (Dana 30 & 35) really aren't that bad if you don't abuse them. I ran 35" tires with lockers for many years and the only thing I ever broke was a u-joint. And that was due to incorrect driveline angle. You can modify the factory T-case with a Terra low kit (assuming they are still in business) and regain some strength and lower gearing (4:1 reduction on low). In the end I have gone over the same trails that broke Dana 60's with my Dana 30/35's and barely scratched my diff covers. Its all about the driver. If you're hard on parts then you need parts that are harder. Also, the aftermarket world for the Jeep YJ is huge. There is nothing you cant get for this vehicle in OEM or full custom. Hope you get your Jeep and maybe will see you on a trail someday.

I have a couple questions: How do you determine the best gear ratio for your truck and its tire size? I've found a few sizing/gearing charts at various places on the web but I figured it was more complex than that. I know that no 2 engine designs (example: diesels vs. gas) are equal in power and efficiency range. Plus with countless variations to add to it like modifications to your engine/transmission and primary driving locations (mountains or flatlands etc.), how do you decide? Also, at what point do you consider towing a trailer part of the equation? I plan to haul a trailer, but maybe 2-5 times a year (a trailer with real weight on it that is). I pick up on the fact its about getting the engine in its optimal operating range, but at what MPH do you really strive for? I live in an area where 70 mph is what the man says, but I push that by 5 mph everywhere I go. I would say I'm 50/50 on highway vs. in town. Plus (and this may be way off topic and too complicated to answer) but after doing things to your engine in ways of cams or compound turbos and/or electronics, how does one really find out where the new peak efficiency range is without some extensive dyno/road testing? What is your opinion on it is better to build my truck for highway and pay the price in town or build a town truck and pay for it on the highway? As always, thanks for your shared knowledge and input. Sorry if my replies are all over the board, just I have so many questions about everything and I'm not great at separating them based on topics. lol

Thanks for the info, Moses! You are correct. During the last round of transmission updates we did spec as many things as we could during the build. Since the problem was there before and after, I ruled out some things like band adjustments and the accumulator. My inexperience with the diesel and its automatic transmission configuration is what lead me to suspect the transmission as the origin of the vibration. Call it fear that the 48re has problems lol. Okay. I took some time this weekend to explore my driveshaft angles and condition. Even though my truck is lifted, it has a matching carrier bearing drop bracket and the wedges for the rear leaf springs to correct rear end housing rotation. Everything looks to be close to correct (without using an accurate degree finder that is. (I have a new gauge on the way). All u-joints feel tight and the carrier bearing and bushing seem solid. However, there does seem to be and excessive amount of play on the pinion shaft going into the rear end. I am researching that currently (looking at your write up on rebuilding the AAM 11.5) so I can get an accurate measurement on play. This is one problem with not owning your truck from day one. You never really know what the last guy did with it. I have dealt with drive line angle issues in the past (lifted YJ) and I am aware of the need to be accurate with CV's and pinion angles. I spent countless hours testing different angles and joint types trying to overcome way too much lift with a short wheelbase ha-ha. What? Who hasn't wanted a 6" spring lift on top of a spring over kit?? I guess experience isn't learned from success but from failures instead. I am planning new gears later this summer to match my tire size. So even if I find that my rear is currently out of spec, I doubt I will take much action until it is time to swap them out. So if the problem truly lies within the rear it will be a while before I can confirm it. When I get my new degree finder I will make a detailed account of driveline angles. Its hard to spot little variations with an analog style degree finder. As always thanks for your replies and input. You should really write a book or two about mechanic work or even a magazine

With my '06 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 and 48RE transmission (Cummins diesel power), I notice when pulling and away and accelerating from a dead stop, like a stop sign, I will get the slightest vibration in the transmission. I assume it to be the clutch plates on the torque converter but not sure if that is right. it only does it from a dead stop and only through a few 100 rpms. it acts like trying to take off with a heavy load on a standard transmission. I compare this to a solid flywheel conversion we did on an older powerstroke ford. to save a few bucks, we ordered the solid flywheel and clutch kit that didn't have the springs in it (like factory). well that was about the worst thing you could have done to that truck when hauling a heavy load. that thing would buck no matter how you feathered the clutch peddle lol. that action is what my truck feels like taking off, just not as violent and very subtle. no matter the tranny temp or load on the hitch. never less and never more. Any ideas?

Good read there, sir. To be clear, I don't think the Fleece coolant bypass kit effects the transmission itself or its operation. I think it may effect the way the cooler mounted at the back of the block (drivers side) is connected to the coolant passages (assuming what I am seeing is some sort of water to fluid cooler for the transmission). I'm glad you know a lot about the automatic scene because my final build will be a billet transmission, and I have lots of questions lol. While I'm not afraid to buy the tools, do the research and work on it myself, I do respect what multi years of experience can offer. This is why I respect your forums and look forward to your posts. A lot of people out there have read about it (not that that's a bad thing) but few people giving advice have ever done it. I stick to posting things I have personal experience with.

Well I will toss my hat in this ring. My transmission experience is as follows: '06 ram 3500 5.9L Cummings with the 48RE. only real HP mod is a Smarty JR (Maybe 40-60 hp over stock). This isn't about cooling, more along the line of modifications. At about 65k miles, my truck started the shuttle shift between first and second. Well, my first round internet advice lead me to buying/trying the BD pressure controller for the 48re. Let's just say that was 300$ worth of stickers because it only made the problem worse. Turns out if you have a pressure solenoid problem and you increase the pressure, it makes it worse. After deeper research, I discovered the issue was the pressure solenoid itself. I found a group called Cascade transmission (on eBay), I got their shift correction kit and new solenoid kit. Install was pretty easy if you're only doing the solenoid kit, and I mean that's entry level hand tools easy. Worst part of that is draining the pan and not wearing the fluid. That alone fixed my problem, but while you have it this far apart, might as well replace a few other things! Enter the shift correction kit and servo assembly. **Warning, this kit isn't rocket science, but you need to understand some minor transmission assembly and have some skills in the memory and mechanical understand department** This kit is a valve body overhaul with complete disassembly and PERMANENT modifications. Now they include complete instructions and the correct special tools (aka drill bits and a nifty little tool for using a drill bit to create a slotted port relief for fluid). The complete 48re manual can be found on the web for free. It's a good help if you take this route. Since I don't have pictures to share on the install, I will skip the play by play. In summary, the kit does what it says it will do. The truck makes very decisive up shifts and down shifts, the only real complaint is the shift into final drive/overdrive. Every once in awhile that will set you back in the seat with a less than favorably action. Not sure what modification controlled that function, but to do over again I would skip that one if possible. These 2 kits combined totally cured any weakness of the transmission feel and cured all the shifting blues. There is no lag between gears now when it shifts, and as you slow down it downshifts the truck more like a tow/haul mode would do. Kind of reminds me of the old B&M shift kit for the TH350...just a little trickier to install haha. Onto cooling (engine first). I'm in the process of doing a Fleece Performance coolant bypass for the head to relieve the coolant pressure from the back of the head. I already have a leaking rear freeze plug. My understanding and research shows a build up of coolant pressure in the head that happens before the thermostat opens. The coolant bypass puts a secondary thermostat at the rear of the block where the coolant gets hotter quicker and allows a bypass of the front thermostat before pressure builds. Now there are many ya/no's about this floating around, but to me the theory is sound (and I also have to replace the freeze plug anyways so why not lol) Now this is where it may lead to a new transmission cooler. From what I can read about the kit, it may require deleting the factory transmission cooler on the back of the block. I am not 100% yet but maybe there is a line that feeds that plate cooler from the coolant of the engine?? not sure but I am researching it and will update as I get info. As for cooling, I planned to switch to a new standalone system (preferably the BD double stack kit) anyways. It has some major cooling abilities and should cover drag racing/sled pulling/trailer pulling. The kit is way cheaper than a new transmission, so why not lol. This is something I've read and believe: As a rule of thumb, every 20 degree F increase in operating temperature above 175 degrees F cuts the life of the fluid in half. At 195 degrees F, for instance, fluid life is reduced 50% to 50,000 miles. At 220 degrees, which is commonly encountered in many transmissions, the fluid is only good for about 25,000 miles. At 240 degrees F., the fluid won't go much over 10,000 miles. Add another 20 degrees, and life expectancy drops to 5,000 miles. Go to 295 or 300 degrees F, and 1,000 to 1,500 miles is about all you'll get before the transmission burns up. Anything over 300 degrees F should be instant failure. If you think this is propaganda put forth by the suppliers of ATF to sell more fluid, think again. According to the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, 90% of ALL transmission failures are caused by overheating. And most of these can be blamed on worn out fluid that should have been replaced. I run 15 fleet trucks out of my shop, and we have bought a few transmissions over the years. Almost every time it was heat and fluid failure. Only exception was truck #3 laying upside down in the ditch with the transmission laying on the ground. Can't blame the fluid on that one, just the loose nut behind the wheel lol. This subject should have lots of feedback given the poor history reports on Dodge/Chrysler transmissions. As I get my modifications installed I will post my findings. I have many questions, so I would love to see some more input from others. Until then be safe and watch those temps.

To date, I have no issues with the stock pump. I believe the up grade kit for our trucks is just the 09 and up model pump. I believe they can be visually compared by reservoirs, one is square while the other is round. Makes sense because the new trucks have a bigger steering gear from the factory. I will continue research and let you know what I find. I plan to do a new BD double stack transmission cooler when I do the Fleece coolant bypass. I will post a start a thread then, but it might be a month or 2 out. Still researching some things before I buy 1k in parts. Good call on the transmission lol, I have been as far as you can go with it still in the truck. I shopped out everything through Cascade transmission.

This is a topic I need to get in on. I still have stock gearing (3.73 I believe) on my 06 mega cab with 37" tires...Now I get a warm fuzzy when I look at the overhead read out and it says 19, but if you stop, hit the calculator up, and do the math at the pump...well that overhead console is a liar...lol! It's more like 12-15 on a good day. Now I understand the gearing is a major factor in my situation so I have late summer plans for a set of 4.88's front and rear (thanks to your articles and videos on the AAM 11.5 and 9.25). I have researched a lot, and I believe the 4.88 to be a viable match to the Toyo 37"?? I must admit my build wasn't based on the ultimate mpg, or else I wouldn't be running 37's and a 6" lift, but I don't see why I still can't get the most out of this set up. If there is one thing I have learned about mpg's is speed/rpm. Like you stated above, these things can really make the difference even on a heavy 9000#+ truck.