Does bobbing a deuce gain feul economy?

[deuceiswild]

The whole Deuce and nothing but the Deuce or... just bob it.
I havent even gotten mine yet but I was wondering as a partial DD would it be worth dismembering a piece of military history to gain feul mileage and drivability? My first instinct says positively not but deisel nearly 3.00 a gallon again says well maybe. any thoughts. Does anybody else even care about the feul economy of their trucks or am I just being too conservative?

 

[wreckerman893]

Common sense would say that losing a bunch of weight (stock bed, one axle and the spring pack) would get you a gain in milage. That might be true if you keep your foot out of the pump but the temptation is hard to resists.

My bobber would haul ass with the lower weight and less rolling resistance.

One of the good things about the deuce is being able to cut your fuel cost by running UMO, WVO and other flammable stuff mixed with some diesel.

If I wanted fuel milage I'd buy a Prius.

 

[papabear]

When I was a kid...well like 20 years ago..my Dad and I were walking down the street of our local town...about a thousand feet max.
We came upon a friend of Dad's and started gabbing about his new Caddy...prolly about 1960 ish.

I said...gosh that's a big car...bet it uses lots of gas!

He said...well...If ya can't afford the gas...don't buy a big Caddy!!!

 

[doghead]

PB, did that Cadillac look like this?

 

[doghead]

Or like this one?


Either way, you must be one cheap SOB, if you were worried about fuel mileage, when you were that young(wasn't gas about 5 cent/gal, back then).

 

[MO MV man]

I have never figured my mileage.

I can say, from mucho experience, that a bobber is WORLDS easier to drive.
You will WANT to drive it every chance you get.

When she needs fuel, she gets it.
A LOT of folks ask about MPG when they see the truck and I say, "It's a toy, tons of fun to drive and mileage is not a concern".

If you drove it everyday? That's a different story. It'd get expensive quick.

 

[deuceiswild]

I figured that the loss of weight would be a given however with such a low final gear ratio the motor would still have to turn fairly high to reach road speed. there comes a point when physics says a lighter isnt better thats why I ask.a lighter lawn mower doesnt get better feul economy it turns what it turns to cut the grass. would like to hear actual numbers from the bobbed world. When the weather gets bad my wife will have to drive the 4x4 and me the deuce thats why I ask. If I can get around 15 MPG I would drive it everyday but if it wouldnt do it even bobbed then I would just leave it alone. I will definitly use my fair share of WVO and other waste oils but there isnt enough around to yeild a benifit not here anyhow.

 

[bulldog_mack13]

PB my grand dad said the same thing. If you can afford the car you dont worry about the gas. I wouldnt say your cutting up a M35A2/Military history that cant be found again and again and again and again .. can I say that enough times? Bob it , enjoy it.

 

[doghead]

15 mpg is not gonna happen. Not without changing the axles.

10mpg might be possible, but not average...

Look at the fuel rates for the IP, for any given rpm.

 

[mikew]

When I first bobbed mine I kept track of milage. At that time I was running stock tires.

As Wreckerman said, milage is very dependent on how far you push the RPMs.

I tend to drive around 2300 rpm or so, about 50 mph, and get about 10 to 12 mpg. If you push it to 2600, about 56 mph, it will drop to 8 to 10 mpg.

But when you run 60% WMO and 40% diesel the cost per mile is pretty cheap!

 

[MO MV man]

I second (and third) the statements above.
15 mpg just isn't going to happen without a gearing change.

Put 395 tires on it and it'll do 55 at 2100RPM or so......less RPM equals better MPG? Well......in a perfect world.

I've never pushed my Deuce over 2300 and that's only at shift point.
Never tried steady-state cruising at 2300 or 2600 but I guarantee you I'd be rollin' with the 395's!

But any "MPG gain" from the larger diameter tires would take quite some time to recoup with the expense of HEMTT wheels
added in.

 

[JOAT 0311]

Does anyone have mpgs for turned up fuel 1/2 way and 395's. I assume it will be around 8-9. Thanks

 

[rwbrown72]

This is a funny thread! I wonder if anyone has checked the MPG of say.... a F16 or a navy destroyer? Wonder if we took one of the deck guns off a ship if we could go a mile for 100 gallons less! LOL...
These trucks can pull 10K pounds at 45 mph. They were not built for speed or mpg. Just my .

P.S. Do you still need a CDL if you bob it?

 

[MO MV man]

rwbrown72, you hit the nail on the head.

Let's all take a deep breath and absorb what we're asking here......
These are toys for most and daily driver for few.

If you're going to use it for inclement weather only why is MPG a concern?
It's not like the bad weather lingers for weeks.
Around here, snow and ice don't tend to stick around on the roads for long.
MO DOT puts down the hydrochloric acid on the road to thaw/remove ice and snow (and your paint.....and rust everything it touches.....) and, generally, things are good to go with a "normal" vehicle.

No CDL needed here.

 

[trukhead]

TO IFTA or not to IFTA....

After reading some horror stories about some states having sh&%^%t$ about MV's and them being historic verses commercial, maybe losing an axle is a convenient way to avoid some hassle. We need to elect decent politicians that respect us and not give us problems.

 

[Bobbed4x4]

Well, I've just finished putting in around 3,000 miles in various dueces this summer. I drove my bobber from California to Montana and got around 10 mpg, and just last week drove an uncut deuce from Las Vegas to Montana and averaged around 10 mpg. The biggest difference is I drove the uncut deuce at 55 mph the whole way, and the bobber at 67 the whole way. I'm sure if I were to put lock out hubs on the bobber and slow it down to mid 50's I could pull off 12 mpg pretty easily. As far as drivability goes, a bobbed deuce would easily get my vote for any type of daily driving duties.

 

[swbradley1]

Someone asked the day I drove it work how much fuel my Deuce used. I just told them if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Like Gimp told me the other day, he drives it so much because it is so much fun. I drive mine for the same reason. I have driven it so much the last 6 weeks that no one pays it much attention anymore. I run fresh ULSD in it with a gallon of new Rotella-T per half a tank and throw some additives in to clean it.

sw

 

[hklvette]

i don't bother keeping track of the mileage in my M35, because for me its a functional toy. It can out-pull anything we own, and goes through snow the same.

 

[Heavysteven]

I think the only gain by bobbing would be drive ability. You are limited by the drive train when it comes to mpg's.

Even though the multifuel can run on most anything you need to watch the quality of the fuel before it goes into the tank. Simplely make sure it's filter and has no water.

 

[porkysplace]

if fuel milage is a concern don't buy a duece get 1008 with the gutless 3:08 gears