draging a boat anchor with a parachute...

[the great him]

so the other day i was driving my wifes car(to my dismay), a 2008 toyota yaris sedan 5spd, and i was like wow, this car can just cruise along effortlessly like at 70mph and i take my foot off the gas and i dont instantly start slowing down, it just keeps coasting. and i thought to myself, man i wish my 4runner did this... and i just figured that it was because her car is so much smaller and more aerodynamic... then the other day i was in a G-ride(GSA or government vehicle), a big 15pas chevy van and it also just effortlessly glided along/coasted down the freeway at speed with no throttle imput. then i was like well maybe its not the aerodynamics thats the issue here, cause a big van is in no way aerodynamic. so my question to you guys is this; A- has anyone else notices this, and if so what did you do to fix this, and B- is it really just that the 4runner has so much drag or is their something wrong with my runner?

a few weeks back i was coming home from mt hood and coming down the mt, and i kicked my 4runner into neutral and tried coasting down the hwy its a good 20+% grade in some spots and my 4runner would just slow down, not even keep a steady pace... what gives. would replacing wheel bearings help this, i think they could, but they are not making any noise so i dont want to toss them if its not gonna help?

 

[4-Ripcord]

Its a lot of stuff

Tires- both of the vehicles you mentioned have highway tires designed to have a low rolling resistance, that is not the case on your truck by a long shot.

Drivetrain- Both of the ones you listed are 2wd. You have an extra differential and driveshaft to turn and not to mention the transfer case.

What can you do? Change the diff fluids for starters, lube the driveshaft and U-joints. Change to an All terrain tire if you can stomach to do so.

 

[PNWRunner]

I was just thinking about this on the way home from fishing. It really did feel like I was dragging a parachute. I know I have noticed this before but it doesn't always seem to act like that. I would guess the elevated angles on all the drive train components are to blame, which I why I want manual hubs so badly.

 

[Dous]

LOL I think the same thing every time I am on the highway. I always feel like there is some type of parasitic drag coming from somewhere; I guess its just the combo of tires and weight that create tons of rolling resistance

 

[the great him]

Its a lot of stuff

Tires- both of the vehicles you mentioned have highway tires designed to have a low rolling resistance, that is not the case on your truck by a long shot.

Drivetrain- Both of the ones you listed are 2wd. You have an extra differential and driveshaft to turn and not to mention the transfer case.

What can you do? Change the diff fluids for starters, lube the driveshaft and U-joints. Change to an All terrain tire if you can stomach to do so.

yeah i didnt think about the 4wd thingv and the hubs, must get that manual hub swap done... but one of the other GSAs i drive is a half ton chevy 4x4 and its still in the same boat as the van and car, they both just glide along...

i have changed out both diffs to synthetic, and have lubed the drive shafts 6 times in the last 3 months(trying to get all new grease in them). i am running an all terrain tire -nitto terra grapplers, they are E rated and im running them at 50psi...

im wondering if i should flush the tranny, ive been noticeing the temps running a bit higher than normal, i used to see temps around 150-165, now im seeing around 180... maybe if i flush the trans and use royal purple synthetic idk...
-any one used the royal purple stuff?

 

[Shibby!]

The 4R is slow and has drive train loss and drag. Especially with lift and big, knobby tires. I noticed my truck rarely rolls when I hold the clutch in with no brakes.

Often new vehicles that are fly-by-wire also are exponential in throttle inputs. That's why minivans feel peppy (although they are pretty powerful), but they have response because you think you'll applying 1/4 throttle but the computer is modifying that to 1/2 or more.

People don't buy 4R's to have a fast vehicle. I drive slow, sometimes people get pissed off, but I enjoy it. Especially when I go to switch from 1st to second with a soccer mom driving an $80,000 diesel merc SUV riding my ass. I don't race off lights and coast as much as I can in the city if I see the light is red or traffic is stopped. I'm cheap and don't want to throw money into wasted gas mileage but also flog my truck trying to keep up with lighter, faster cars or those who don't realize what their driving habits have for repercussions. They're also probably the first to whine about gas costs.

/rant.

 

[4-Ripcord]

Yeah I saw that you had All terrains after I posted, ignore that. Still not a prius tire though..

It could definitely be partly the transmission then. Higher temps means its encountering a lot more friction than it normally does.. or its not cooling as well. Either way a flush sounds like a capital idea!

manuals hubs help a lot more in the city than they do on the highway, but its still less stuff turning and creating resistance.

 

[the great him]

im surprised no one has told me its my snorkel thats creating all the drag...

 

[JWaldz]

Mine slows down as well going down grades. I've tried it in N just like you did. Nothing I can do about it unless I want to go back to completely stock everything. What kind of mpg do you get right now? I've seen close to 180 on my scangauge for the tranny temp. It mostly hangs around 160-170. You're going to end up playing a game of cat and mouse. All the maintenance might help your mpg but I don't think it's gonna change the engine braking feel.

I suppose the biggest thing is lessening your resistance. Anything you can think of that might possibly cause drag. I don't know who all on the forum has manual hubs. Maybe reach out to them and see if they can do a test for ya over a week or so. Might check with some of the people on here with more stock rides as well. Have them try out the same thing. Then post results.

 

[the great him]

before calculated im seeing like 15mpg mix... so i figure thats like around 17/18 mix... i have seen over 20 on road trips if im easy with it and use the cruise control. and for a rig that tips the scales at over 5k thats not bad if you ask me

 

[JohnsD90]

I don't see the issue, the 4runner has good deceleration, saves your brakes, i like that it slows down when i let off, the higher the rpm you are at the more it will slow you down. I always downshift, get usually 19-21 mpg, just got 21.5mpg my last tank town and highway driving (75mph).

 

[mikebontoft]

it is simply characteristic of your Toyota to do that. programming of the transmission, engine speed off-throttle and deceleration... many things. Same with the other vehicles.

 

[ryankmasuda]

Your tires also have a larger foot print which also means more friction. But I haven't noticed that in my 4runner. If I'm speeding and see a cop I can usually hit the overdrive button and it slows me down fairly quickly. If I don't hit the overdrive it seem like I can cost quite a bit but as expected it does slow down.

 

[Rockdawg84]

kid one more thing to consider is that for street driving, whether city or highway, take your tires to the max they are rated for. I can pick up 3-5 mpg going from 35psi to 50psi in my MTZ's that are E load. Tire pressure makes a huge difference. Off Road air down to 15 and watch them grip:surfer:

 

[Sawgunner]

I think it could have something to do with how much undercarriage is exposed on the front of the 4R. The front bumper is so high compared to many vehicles that instead of smooth body, you get lots of air smacking into the skidplate, front of the tires, and suspension components. That can't help.

 

[JWaldz]

kid one more thing to consider is that for street driving, whether city or highway, take your tires to the max they are rated for. I can pick up 3-5 mpg going from 35psi to 50psi in my MTZ's that are E load. Tire pressure makes a huge difference. Off Road air down to 15 and watch them grip:surfer:

Yea, but then it rides like ass and is very uncomfortable. I ride my 35 MTZ E loads at 37 and that's pushing it. Not to mention risking bad tread wear.

 

[the great him]

im already running 50 psi... i really dont give a chit about tire wear, i want MTs so the wife ok'd me to run these higher in the name of better mgp... so yeah -i love her

 

[Singtoe]

There will be less tire wear running higher psi any way.

To be honest, tire wear will be more even and no cupping at the higher psi.

The ADD when not engaged only spins the Half shafts. The front diff , drive shaft, and transfer case sit idle during 2wd driving. Manual hubs just stop the half shafts from rotating as well.

Tires and aerodynamics make up for the parasitic drag. Get a roof basket and see how it slows it down even more.

 

[the great him]

Get a roof basket and see how it slows it down even more.

have one.... with 5 big lights across the front

 

[Dark Lord]

have one.... with 5 big lights across the front

Yup, I took my basket off. I bought it with the truck. Driving back from Florida I was getting anywhere between 14 and 17 mpg, usually around 14 (holy shiz!). Granted I was doing about 70/75mph the whole way, that is still bad. Since I removed the basket I'm averaging 19/20 city/highway.