Changing the Transmission for better mileage

warya · 2006-06-15T22:21:16+00:00

Hello. I have a '95 Dodge Dakota with a 3.9l Magnum. I love my truck but if there's one thing I have to say that I can't stand about it, it would be the horrible gas mileage I get on the highway. I was just offered a job as an independent contractor repairing computers and on some days I will have to drive as much as 320 miles per day. For all intents and purposes that equivilates to a full tank for me on the highway. Actually if I'm just steady driving with my tailgate down I can get roughly 370 miles per tank generally only having around 1 1/2 gallons left( I am assuming I have a 20 gallon tank). So I'm guessing that at max I would be able to get somewhere around 385 miles to the tank before I'm pushing it(ugh!)One of the things I've noticed about my Dakota is how quickly if shifts through the gears to get to overdrive. In my Pontiac Bonneville, shifting from gear to gear would take much longer, and subsequently be much smoother than in the Dakota. I compare the two because the Bonneville had a 3.8l engine in it. Also in my Bonneville I could easily get 420 plus miles on an 18 gallon tank. This is what I would like to get out of the 20 gallons in my Dakota.My question is, how do I do it? One solution is to change the gearing in the transmission. But this is not a good idea because of the time it would take to do so and the expense to have it done. My next alternative would be to put a different transmission in the Dakota from a similar vehicle that's been geared differently. Something like a Durango. I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking the Durango is geared more for highway driving than for higher towing capacity(like my Dakota, if not all of them).Basically what I want is a transmission that is geared more for highway than for pulling. I don't figure I'll ever be pulling more than 2 tons(Both in bed, and towed) much anymore and I believe most transmissions can handle that easily as long as you take it easy and increase your speed gradually. I would...

Jun 15, 2006 23 Replies

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Roy 20 years ago

Yup, it moves in a circular motion.

Roy

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JPH 20 years ago

I would think that having the tailgate down would create more turbulence directly behind the cab and more drag. Leaving it up would appear to give more of a teardrop airflow from the cab trailing down to the tailgate.

JPH

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clare at snyder.on.ca 20 years ago

Untill it hovers out over either the tailgate or the side. (unless it gets trapped in theturbulence directly back of the cab, where it will either stay pasted to the front of the box, or float up to window height.

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sqdancerLynn 20 years ago

Your milage doesn't sound that bad. The only way to get more would be to change the differential or change the trans.. for a 5 speed or a different OD trans with a lockup torque converter

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