National speed limit pushed as gas saver

[PokerPacker]

Absolutely awful decision. But Chimpy has been the Prez for the last 8 years, so what can you expect?

and that has exactly what to do with congress? :doh:

[Duckus]

I don't think people are reading the article. All this is is ONE Senator who mentioned that the idea might be interesting and wants more facts on it.

People are slightly overreacting. This is not going to happen. This is just a hypothetical discussion that most of us are having on if it is constitutional or not. There is no law, there has been no big discussion, and it is probably not going to even happen.

[twa]

I would be interested in any modern study proving it effective, my own experiments show it to be false with most vehicles with overdrive.

My vehicles seem to drop mpg slightly at 70-73,and then even more about 80.

The old 5 speed standard being the worse at higher speeds(it is also the oldest)

[#98QBKiller]

99, this has gotten to page 3 without a response from you. What is youir opinion.

As for UFC 86, what's up? Headed out to a certain bar? Who's your favorite?

I think it's a bad idea and people already have the right to drive slower for the sake of saving gas if they so choose. We don't need a law to make us do it.

I think me and some buddys are going to order UFC 86.

If I was putting money on the main event I would bet on Rampage, but I don't expect it to be easy for him. Forrest almost always comes through when he's put in the underdog role and when people underestimate him plus he's bigger and has better jiu jitsu than Rampage so he has an advantage on the ground. But it's hard to take Rampage down and he's a very good boxer so Forrest has to watch out on the feet. Should be a good one though.

Are you going out somewhere to watch it?

[Larry]

I would be interested in any modern study proving it effective, my own experiments show it to be false with most vehicles with overdrive.

My vehicles seem to drop mpg slightly at 70-73,and then even more about 80.

The old 5 speed standard being the worse at higher speeds(it is also the oldest)

Actually, I'd be willing to bet that most cars today are optimized to get the best gas mileage at <whatever speed and conditions are used in the EPA gas mileage test>.

For some reason.

[SnyderShrugged]

My brother in law started doing "Hypermiling" and claims he has increased his MPG on average of 10 MPG (from 32 to 42).

Any validity to these techniques? Has anyone tried it and is it difficult to become accustomed to?

http://www.hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html

I think it would be a tough adjustment for me personally, but if it actually works, I'd be willing to try.

[SnyderShrugged]

I'm also curious about the "Run your car on water" method that a friend of mine insists is legit. He is trying to add this to his vehicle this week, so we'll soon know the results.

http://www.runyourcarwithwater.com/?hop=anjing

[Koolblue13]

Alright, I'm sure some of the car guys can back me up on this, but your MPG has zero to do with your MPH. You can use twice the fuel at 30 than 80 if you're in the wrong gear.

If your car is spinning the motor around 1,400 RPMs or less, you're not burning much fuel regardless of your speed.

It depends on your gears and trans more than your motor.

Want more fuel efficient vehicles? Make Detroit put more gearing in your trans. I bet you could even make cars like the old rigs used to have with a twin speed trans. Most people couldn't drive them and it's more work, but it'll save a lot of fuel.

Again, it's RPMs not MPH.

FWIW

[Fergasun]

Heritage Foundation look at the effect of the law in 1986. Link to their report is here.

Vacationing Americans taking to the road feel that they are crawling at on ly a bit more than a snail's pace. Interstate truckers feel that the speed limit drives up the cost of transporting goods. Drivers in the plains states who travel vast distances on almost empty roads feel that it causes needless and costly delays unwarrant ed and ill-advised intrusion by the federal government into an area traditionally reserved to the states remains federal law-despite the fact that its original purpose no longer needs seeking.

As it turned out, however, the energy actually saved was minimal-at best 1 percent of gasoline consumption or about the same amount a driver could realize by increasing the pressure of his radial tires from 24 to 26 pounds.

Once this argument was debunked, proponents of the NMSL advocated that it saved lives as a rationale.

To make matters worse, the limit; as with Prohibition, has turned almost all Americans into chronic law-breakers. Few drivers have been spared the frustration of driving dutifully at 55 mph only to be passed by almost every car and truck on the road. This drags the concept of law itself into disrepute.

Warner is a moron because he hasn't looked at the actual savings.

The notion that the 55 mile per hour speed limit helps conserve fuel has worked its way into the conventional wisdom so thoroughly that few drivers even question it benefits of the limit are minimal. As early as 1978, Dr. John Eberhart of the Department of Transportation's Office of Driver Research found that the limit at best reduces fuel consumption one percent. Findings did not stop the Department of Transportation from continuing to claim that the NMSL could save up to 400,000 barrels of oil per day. Independent studies, meanwhile, indicate that the actual savings, if any, would be even lower than Eberhart estimated.

[twa]

My brother in law started doing "Hypermiling" and claims he has increased his MPG on average of 10 MPG (from 32 to 42).

Any validity to these techniques? Has anyone tried it and is it difficult to become accustomed to?

http://www.hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html

I think it would be a tough adjustment for me personally, but if it actually works, I'd be willing to try.

Yes they are effective...simply removing excess weight, smooth acceleration and braking,increasing tire pressure,tune ups...all do more than changing the speed limit.

Example

An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

So going on a diet will help your gas bill

Koolblue13 is correct in that better gear ratio's to reduce RPM's increase MPG substantially....which is what overdrive is.

added

those with pickups can simply remove the tailgate and get 25 or more mpg,from less weight and wind resistance.

[SnyderShrugged]

Yes they are effective...simply removing excess weight, smooth acceleration and braking,increasing tire pressure,tune ups...all do more than changing the speed limit.

Example

An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

So going on a diet will help your gas bill

Koolblue13 is correct in that better gear ratio's to reduce RPM's increase MPG substantially....which is what overdrive is.

thanks TWA, very interesting stuff. I had never really heard of hypermiling until this weekend when I road with him and saw that he kept coasting in nuetral.

[Koolblue13]

Koolblue13 is correct in that better gear ratio's to reduce RPM's increase MPG substantially....which is what overdrive is.

Exactly. Forget using MPH in your equations.

Use RPMs instead.

If your car is lighter, tuned up better, tires in good shape/ rolling easier your car will move easier. The easier your car moves, the less fuel to move it.

Watch your RPMs when driving. If you stay under 1,400 RPMs you aren't burning much fuel.

(and yes, overdrive=gears)

[twa]

I'm surprised they haven't utilized 2 speed differentials more,perhaps the cost,weight factor?

[IONTOP]

I'm not sure if this senator realizes that some people still get more than $4.25 of value out of a gallon of gas... I'm not going to start ****ing until it hits $5/gallon... Because I love driving that much... Sure it's expensive, but to me, it's worth it... I work a mile away from my house, I think it'd take about $10/gallon for me to stop driving and start biking... That gallon of gas can get me to and from work probably 10 times, so I'd gladly pay $.50 for a roundtrip ticket to work...

[Koolblue13]

I'm surprised they haven't utilized 2 speed differentials more,perhaps the cost,weight factor?

That is what had said earlier. Just like the old Macks had. I would think it would be a little better with cast aluminum and billet, but more expensive.

[cjcdaman]

Are you going out somewhere to watch it?

I'm ordering it, as well. See ya in the MMA thread later tonight.

[twa]

That is what had said earlier. Just like the old Macks had. I would think it would be a little better with cast aluminum and billet, but more expensive.

Yeah,thats why I mentioned it.

I know chevy went to the six speed auto, :whoknows: so perhaps they figure a better cost ratio that way :whoknows:

Seems like the the option would be worthwhile for some,of course @ $4 bucks a gallon alot more things become cost effective :laugh:

[#98QBKiller]

I'm ordering it, as well. See ya in the MMA thread later tonight.

See ya there man

[joeknows]

.....those with pickups can simply remove the tailgate and get 25 or more mpg,from less weight and wind resistance.

this has been mythbusted...... however the weight of the gate may be relevent but im sure it is not a substantial amount......

[PokerPacker]

this has been mythbusted...... however the weight of the gate may be relevent but im sure it is not a substantial amount......

i believe they proved that having the tailgate DOWN made MPG worse, but removing it made it better.

[Larry]

i believe they proved that having the tailgate DOWN made MPG worse, but removing it made it better.

That really doesn't make sense to me. (Although, there's no natural law that says the universe has to make sense to me.)

[Koolblue13]

If the tailgate is up, it creates a pocket of air over the bed, making it more aerodynamic.

If the tailgate is on and down, it screws it up and if it's off, it flows almost as good as the gate being up. Less weight too.

[PokerPacker]

That really doesn't make sense to me. (Although, there's no natural law that says the universe has to make sense to me.)

yeah, i was surprised by it too, but when I heard the explanation and saw the model they had demonstrating it, it made perfect sense.

[SkinsFTW]

If it's stupid explain why

It's stupid because most vehicles get better gas mileage above 60, sometimes even 75MPH.

Not only would this cost more time to do everything, it would cause more dangerous driving because people would still pick their spots to speed and would be less careful due to having to look for cops the whole time.

Not so much a problem in cities like San Diego or LA where cops are rarely seen on the interstates and everybody drives 90 in the fast lane, but in places like Norfolk/Virginia Beach and highways throughout VA (also Oklahoma and a lot of rural areas across the country) the cops like to hide in bushes or behind trees and the old ladies would feel even more comfortable blocking the left lane for hundreds of miles while going 52MPH, causing even more reckless and pissed off drivers.

People should vote out anyone in congress who believes that this is a good idea.

[Larry]

It's stupid because most vehicles get better gas mileage above 60, sometimes even 75MPH.

Completely leaving aside your insulting description of Oklahoma, and your claims that people who speed dangerously are the fault of speed limits, I assume you've got some kind of support for this first claim?