Lower Gear ratio better mpg?

[djvx]

Is this guy for real? LOL

Get out your. 4" angle grinder and you could fit Dana 60 ring and pinion to fit, I hear....LOL

I for one have achieved over 21 MPG on a VX....and it is done exactly as. Riff Raff explained...

A lightweight tall skinny (contact patch) tire will deliver....and locking up the Torque Converter helps a lot, too.

I had great luck with Yokohama 315/75/16. And Buckshot Mudders 78-16....narrow but 36" tall!

As for the spelling bee....I use a tiny PDA with big fat fingers, to post and reply, so if I make a mistake....I just usually leave it, cause its easier than tryin to fix it on this micro keyboard....LOL

Not to highjack this thread or anything. . .but
Hey Big Meat, may I get some more info in regards to your achievement of 21 mpg, Locking up the torq converter is done how?.... Maybe we need a MPG improvement thread - or maybe there is one already. I'm no greeny by any means but a suv this small, with a 6 cylinder ought to get better than the 10- 12mpg I get.

[JHarris1385]

Without doing any ratio changes of my 10-11% increase in tires...I roll about 15.7 average per tank. I ride 265.75.16. My procomp rims are not too light. I have acheived 17-18 before but the work involved was not worth my time. It concerned acetone.

[djvx]

Without doing any ratio changes of my 10-11% increase in tires...I roll about 15.7 average per tank. I ride 265.75.16. My procomp rims are not too light. I have acheived 17-18 before but the work involved was not worth my time. It concerned acetone.

I don't understand exactly what you mean.

[Grif]

I don't understand exactly what you mean.

There is a recent urban myth about adding small amounts of acetone to gasoline to increase its efficacy.

[RickOKC]

VX PROs - What's the max tire height before having to trim the cladding?

I made a quick little spreadsheet calculator. Here is a preview:

TireSizeCalculator.xls

Modify? Improve? Delete?

[JHarris1385]

There is a whole nuther thread on that. I personally raised mine. No side effects. Trust me, before messing with my VX I did the RESEARCH. It works but...the time, and the money spent on the acetone isn't too worth it for me. I have thought about trying it again but have yet to come close. Find the old thread and post questions there.

[Ldub]

VX PROs - What's the max tire height before having to trim the cladding?

I made a quick little spreadsheet calculator. Here is a preview:

TireSizeCalculator.xls

Modify? Improve? Delete?

There are too many variables, re: different wheel offset/width, for a definitive answer to this question.

[RickOKC]

There are too many variables, re: different wheel offset/width, for a definitive answer to this question.

Dang it! Of course that will make a difference.

[Ldub]

Then praise almighty Ldud is a genious. All hale Ldud!!! Oh yea did you go back and correct your spelling yet.

Anyways, enough caffeine venting. I found out the the rear size ring gear is 220mm (8.66"). I did find a kit that changes Isuzu to a DANA 44 which would give more options on ratio's. Only It may only be for smaller gear sets. I'll have to call and find out for sure.

Oh...almost fergetted...

Isuzu DID use a Dana 44 rear axle in some models.
I dunno where you're seeing this conversion kit, but I'm all ears, speshully iffin it'll work on the front axle...

BTW...now that I've had more time fer thinkin' on it & such, I figger I might just use "Then praise almighty Ldud is a genious. All hale Ldud!!!" as my new siggy line...
Of course, I'd need your permission, & I'd prolly take another whack at the spelling on that "G-word"...

[Riff Raff]

VX PROs - What's the max tire height before having to trim the cladding?

As L-Dub indicated there are many variables. However; on a 100% Stock "non-lifted" VX, the maximum tire O.D. hovers between 32.6" -- 33.3". The key is to use the skinniest/narrow tire available and the Stock OEM rims when using 16" or 18" tires. Use the narrowest rim width allowed for 15, 17, 20, 22 size tires. The skinnier the tire and the narrower the rim width, the less likeyhood trimming will be required on the VX cladding.

Here are the skinniest & tallest tires that will fit without "lifting" by rim size:

33/9.50-15LT (32.7" O.D.) (i.e. BFG - A/T)
255/85R16 (33.3" O.D.) - Use with 1999 VX rims (16x7)*
285/70R17 (32.7" O.D.)
265/70R18 (32.6" O.D.) - Use with '00/'01 VX rims (18x7)
275/70R18 (33.0" O.D.) - Use with '00/'01 VX rims (18x7)
275/60R20 (32.9" O.D.)
285/50R22 (33.2" O.D.)

* The winner is 255/85R16 (33.3" O.D.) mounted on 1999 OEM 16x7 VX rims. Your VX will look like a Stage-Coach with wagon wheels from the 'ol West, but there's your answer.

Disclaimer: The tire sizes listed above may or may not require cladding trim. Since VX's were hand-made; no two VX's are exactly alike and what clears on one VX may rub on another VX. Still, the above tires will fit on a 100% Stock "non-lifted" VX with little effort.

[VXR]

one is considered the wiki-tire-pedia

LOL

[MMOROLEON]

TANKS AND THE NEXT TIME I WILL OPEN A NEW FORUM... I JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW

[l.groves]

I called about the DANA 44 kit and it will not work on the vehicross 12 bolt. No other ratio's are available that would make a difference. 4.10 only but would be of little benefit for mpg. Thus ends my quest....

[Triathlete]

There are some options for the rear...4.77 which are rare and hard to find (a pair is for sale now on planetisuzoo.com) and 5.38's from Indy 4x. No 5.38 for the front 10 bolt though...unless you do a SAS with a Waggy D44.

[LittleBeast]

I called about the DANA 44 kit and it will not work on the vehicross 12 bolt. No other ratio's are available that would make a difference. 4.10 only but would be of little benefit for mpg. Thus ends my quest....

Yes, that is exactly what everyone was trying to tell you originally, and having replaced both my diff's in my garage myself I would have told you this and saved you some time, but I didn't feel you had respected the VX family here, and quite frankly I didn't appreciate your calling out some of our most respected and loyal members, many here consider each other brothers, and you don't mess with someone's brother and make many friends. I hope you can redeem yourself now that you see how tight of a group we are here.