just drove 50 miles on the freeway here in san diego. reset the computer and drove 65 mph with the tail gate off. saturday morning so no stop and go driving just straight 65 mph. my trip computer showed 23 mpg.

i am about ready to turn 18k miles so is it safe to say i have now broke in the motor?

thanks,
david
out of socal

 

Break in is comlpete at different miles for different folks, depending on how you use your truck. For me it was at about 22000 when the mileage leveled off and stayed steady.
Mike
###

 

by the way removing the tail gate dont do dittly. the myth busters did a extensive test tail gate up and down and the truck with it up actualy went 11 miles further!!!!

 

Drive it like you stole it.

 

You beat me to it. Thank God for those guys! They also proved that it was far more fuel efficient to drive with the windows down then is was to drive with the AC on. I think most of us already knew that.

 

I have seee those episodes and believe the tailgate results (it makes sence to me) but be carefull how much trust you have in them. Sometimes I think they dont have the best contol groups or the most accurate of measuring instrumentation and some stuff gets a half hearted effort. just trhowing my own .02 out there.

 

yeah, but can you trust two guys from san francisco that look like that?

 

I was mostly just joking. But there testing looked pretty extensive to me. Think about it do you really think all that air going over the cab really does a 90 degree turn into the bed and then hits the tail gate? It makes more sense that buy the time the air reaches the tailgate that it is still mosty inches above it or maybe just barely hitting it.................ive never seena any benifet of removing it or lowering it. I belive it is truely a Myth and its totally busted!!!

 

Careful there...the Myth buster test was tail gate up, tail gate down. It was not tail gate up, tail gate off. Taking off the tail gate saves weight and does not produce an additional air pocket just behind the bumper like it would when down. I can't say one way or the other about up vs off other than the truck is faster in the 1/4 with the gate off and showed no difference in up/down posision (personal test).

 

so your telling me that removing 50lbs makes a big difference? thats hard to belive on a 7k truck..................

 

Guys, I have a well ventilated tailgate. The myth busters was up or down....off is different... stuff used to blow out of the backof my truck all the time...now it doesn't even empty jerry cans are ok. With the gooseneck enclosed trailers a half full Jerry Can would float in the air and I lost a heavy mudflap that was laying flat on the bed. Since I did the tailgate nothing blows out. Mileage is on average up about .2mpg....not worth the cost but not losing everything and being able to see little cars behind you when parking or stopping quick is great. Plus this tailgate is bolted on and unless you have the right wrench its hard to parking lot steal. ks

 

Just as an added side note anout the whole up-down gate discussion, often overlooked is the fact that a lot more stress is put on the cables while being driven around with it down. hit a pothole of any considerable size, and youve got a 50 lb lever jumping up and slamming down on the attach points. Ive also seen the unfortunate results of backing into telephone poles, hydrants and trees with a lowered tailgate. OUCH.