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Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ?
Posted By: SuperStockWagon
Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/02/14 07:44 AM
Ok you guys/gals that own or have owned 5.2 Durango's..Will a 98 Durango with a 5.2 get 15-18mpg highway if driven 60-65mph?
Not sure yet but think it has 3.55s with 31/10.50/15's and is 100% stock.. also it has the select-trac 242 t-case.
Posted By: sabbfan
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/02/14 05:47 PM
It should, I had a similar year Durango with the 5.9 and got around 16 with it.
Posted By: HotRodDave
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/02/14 06:31 PM
Probably get 17 or 18 with the cruise set on 65 on level ground.
Switch to a 235 75 15 tire will help a lot and be cheaper to buy, those 31-10.50 make a lot of drag.
Get a set of the orange 4.6 ford fuel injectors at the JY for a little MPG bump.
a 205 t-stat helps.
Posted By: SuperStockWagon
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/02/14 08:55 PM
Thanks guys..hoping it has 3.92's with the 31 10.50's,if it has 3.55's will switch to smaller tire. Its going to be mainly used in town shuttling kids.
Posted By: HotRodDave
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/02/14 09:28 PM
The 3.92 and big tires really put a hit on the mpg. It is the width of the tire more than the height. I never realized it till pushing my wifes around the shop, waaaay harder to push with the wide ones when the steering wheel is turned even a little bit, even straight pushing it was noticably harder. I have owned and driven several of them and trust me you do not want the 3.92 even for town driving, the performance difference is almost imperceptible. A 318 with a 44re and 3.55s is faster than the R/T I have now.
Posted By: Fat_Mike
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/02/14 11:25 PM
A 4X4 might get 15 MPG, but I wouldn't bet on anything above that. Edit: Don't be surprised if you get slightly less...
Posted By: all spooled up
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/03/14 12:57 AM
my 2000 5.9 4x4 3.55 gears 31/10.5 tires has got 19 mpg on flat land at 65 mph and has 190.000 miles on her.
Posted By: ahy
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/03/14 03:28 AM
I got 15-17 real world with a 5.9/3.55 and stock tires. Highway miles were at 70+ so you should do better with a 5.2 driven easy (and stockish tires).
Posted By: poorboy
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/03/14 04:32 AM
It might get 15-18 on the highway, but around town, hauling kids from point a to point b, expect 10 mpg, maybe a little less, and that will depend hugely on how its driven. That is a lot of mass to get rolling after the stop light, every other block. Gene
Posted By: sthemi
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/03/14 05:38 AM
Yes,
the around town stuff is the killer, Highway should be in the 14-15 range.
If around town shuffling the kids is what you intend to do, buy a minivan, neon or PT Cruiser..
Posted By: HotRodDave
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/03/14 07:06 PM
Quote:
It might get 15-18 on the highway, but around town, hauling kids from point a to point b, expect 10 mpg, maybe a little less, and that will depend hugely on how its driven. That is a lot of mass to get rolling after the stop light, every other block. Gene
Very true, my wife would get 8 mpg average in her 2000 5.9 with 3.92 (not R/T) while I would get consistent 16.5 every time I drove it.
Posted By: therocks
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/03/14 10:22 PM
My 99 5.9 got about 11 or so in town.Highway I would get about 16 to 17.Now when the wife drove it was lucky to get 8 in town.Rocky
Posted By: RODHALL
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/04/14 03:56 AM
depends on how it is driven... heavy right foot, always panic stopping... 8-10 would be my guess.. easy on the gas, able to let it roll into corners and stops, not jerking it all over the road... 16-18 maybe even 19 or 20 could be had...
Posted By: 360view
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/04/14 12:21 PM
IIRC Popular Mechanics magazine published an owners survey of Durango owners back in the late 1990s, and the 5.2 got 0.75 MPG better than the 5.9 V8. I believe both were in the 13's.
I also seem to remember that the 5.2 V8 version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the PM survey was reported by owners as getting about 2 MPG better than the 5.2 Durango.
I wondered why?
Was it weight, aero, 4wd desgn, JTEC software, etc
Posted By: YYZ
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/04/14 01:33 PM
Quote:
depends on how it is driven... heavy right foot, always panic stopping... 8-10 would be my guess.. easy on the gas, able to let it roll into corners and stops, not jerking it all over the road... 16-18 maybe even 19 or 20 could be had...
That's about right.
Points of comparison are a pair of '99s - my buddy's 5.2/4WD/3.92s that he bought new (and still has) and my former 5.9/4WD/3.55s
Mileage was worse with 235/75/15 snows than with the 31s - an upgrade to the later 16" rims with a narrow tread and low rolling resistance tire would probably help.
The Durangos are heavy - 5500# IIRC and larger than the Grand Cherokees. Though for whatever reason they seem to be disproportionately hard on fuel for what they are.
Posted By: BBR
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/04/14 04:32 PM
My '98 5.2/4x4/SLT/3.55/235/75-15 tires weighs 4800lbs according to the grain scale. 157k miles, bought new in 98.
Gets 11-12 in town and at 70mph, 18mpg. Slow it down to 60 and I have been over 20mpg with it.
Posted By: High Impact
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/05/14 03:09 AM
Quote:
Probably get 17 or 18 with the cruise set on 65 on level ground.
Switch to a 235 75 15 tire will help a lot and be cheaper to buy, those 31-10.50 make a lot of drag.
Get a set of the orange 4.6 ford fuel injectors at the JY for a little MPG bump.
a 205 t-stat helps.
Tell me more about these injector's and why it would be better. I imagine you've tried it so what was the out come??
I just bought a beautiful 99 Durango with 66,000 miles and a seized up engine. Not sure why it seized on the people but Im gonna be replacing it with a low mileage 5.2 from a 97 Dodge truck. I already replaced the upper intake gaskets so that's done and im gonna pull the pan to make sure its sludge free and probably install a new oil pump for cheap insurance but wondered about what else I should do to make it better.
Posted By: Silver70
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/05/14 03:56 PM
I averaged 18 in mine, not highway, just mostly local and shorter trips.
Posted By: 360view
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/06/14 01:30 PM
If the engine is out of the vehicle consider milling the cylinder head and block to get the quench clearance to 0.040 inches or better, and the static compression ratio to 10.5 or better.
Going from a "real world" compression ratio of 8.8 ( versus nominal 9.1)
to true 10.5 should improve fuel economy in both city and highway by 8% or more
Posted By: YYZ
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/06/14 01:50 PM
Quote:
Quote:
Probably get 17 or 18 with the cruise set on 65 on level ground.
Switch to a 235 75 15 tire will help a lot and be cheaper to buy, those 31-10.50 make a lot of drag.
Get a set of the orange 4.6 ford fuel injectors at the JY for a little MPG bump.
a 205 t-stat helps.
While you have the engine out, it's a good idea to carefully flush the cooling system. That generation of Durango is notorious for clogging up heater cores for whatever reason.
Tell me more about these injector's and why it would be better. I imagine you've tried it so what was the out come??
I just bought a beautiful 99 Durango with 66,000 miles and a seized up engine. Not sure why it seized on the people but Im gonna be replacing it with a low mileage 5.2 from a 97 Dodge truck. I already replaced the upper intake gaskets so that's done and im gonna pull the pan to make sure its sludge free and probably install a new oil pump for cheap insurance but wondered about what else I should do to make it better.
Posted By: HotRodDave
Re: Real World MPG 98 Durango 5.2 ? - 09/08/14 11:29 PM
I zero decked the pistons and ran .039 head gaskets on a 318 magnum and was shocked how much difference it made, more so at higher speeds. That was the only mod at first on that truck.
The injectors help more at lower speeds by atomizing the fuel way better, the ferd injectors have 4 splayed nozzles instead of the dodge injectors with one straight stream nozzle. The flow rate on both injectors is supposed to be the same.