Leveling...does it hit Highway MPG?

[Andymax]

For the folks that have done a simple leveling (Not a lift) on their 1500's...Can you advise if you took a hit to your highway mileage? I love the look, and would like the bit of additional clearance, so I would likely go with simple Bilstein 5100 method. However, I drive a ton of highway miles and highway MPG is important to me. Anyone with relevant experience...what's been your experience?

 

[Rlaf75]

I doubt changing a strut will have an effect on gas mileage. Changing tire size can though

 

[busa2009]

4x4 18mpg


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[WXman]

Yes, aero is the critical component to fuel efficiency and a leveling kit is drastically altering the air flow going under the truck. Between a level kit and a slightly larger tire it's easy to see a 1-2 MPG loss per tank.

 

[Finn5033]

Yeah I can’t speak to the level alone because every time I’ve leveled my truck I’ve added a larger A/T tire as well. While I’m sure leveling alone would effect it, it’s likely the heavier more aggressive tires that will be the bigger factor

 

[Andymax]

I am staying with stock wheels and non-AT tires, for at least the next 100K-ish miles. I just put Michelin Defenders in stock 275-55-20 on it. Yes, Aerodynamics is the key concern I have. Honestly if it costs me more than 1mpg I'll likely drop the idea. 2mpg loss would cost me approx $800/year in fuel.

 

[Shots]

I've done levels with no tire changes on several trucks and it does make a difference. It's been minimal on my DT though. I installed my current wheels/tires in July, and drove with stock rake for about 2 months. I installed a 2.5" kit in September and mileage was slightly affected. It's not a lot, but there is a difference. It's only around 1 mpg or so. I don't really drive on the freeway much (maybe twice since I bought the truck) so I can't give a fair calculation on how bad, but it's a little worse. I don't trust 1 trip as a fair assessment though because it could be any number of variables that affected the mileage on that trip. Around my rural roads though, where the speeds are slow and wind resistance isn't as much of a factor, I'm a bit under 1 mpg difference. So I'd say you're probably looking around 1 on the freeway without changing tires.

 

[ferraiolo1]

It certainly does at higher speeds. It decreases your aero efficiency. Although changing the tires will cause a bigger hit.


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[Johnny_H]

Keep an eye on your mileage with the Michelins. I had them on my 2017 and lost around 1mpg with them as well as some ride comfort. Same size stiock 20’s. That being said they were probably going to last 60,000mi and had amazing grip and durability in all conditions with absolutely zero road noise.

I’d like to know your thoughts on ride quality and mileage with them on a gen5.


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[Idahoktm]

Yes, aero is the critical component to fuel efficiency and a leveling kit is drastically altering the air flow going under the truck. Between a level kit and a slightly larger tire it's easy to see a 1-2 MPG loss per tank.

Raising the front end 1.5" is not going to have a drastic effect on aerodynamics. Bigger tires are the main culprit in mpg loss.

 

[Richard320]

If you want it level, lower the rear. Then you'll be in aero mode all the time.

 

[WXman]

Raising the front end 1.5" is not going to have a drastic effect on aerodynamics. Bigger tires are the main culprit in mpg loss.

Distance from ground to bumper is so important to aero that Ram went to the R&D and cost required to put an active air dam on the 5th Gen truck, so I respectfully disagree with you. Every inch matters when it comes to air flow under/around a vehicle.

 

[scottmoyer]

You WILL see a hit. Like others have said, it will be minimal. I lost about 1 mpg when I leveled my Silverado with the same tires. I lost another 1 mpg after I replaced with E rated, oversized tires.

 

[ram813ltd]

ram air suspension aero automatically lowers front 0.6 inches (does it really make a difference unless theres a lot of highway driving.) concern about mpg is my least concern when buying this truck

 

[Idahoktm]

Distance from ground to bumper is so important to aero that Ram went to the R&D and cost required to put an active air dam on the 5th Gen truck, so I respectfully disagree with you. Every inch matters when it comes to air flow under/around a vehicle.

I didn't say it doesn't make a difference, I said it's not drastic. If you lose 1 mpg with the leveling kit that's approximately a 5% reduction in fuel efficiency. IMO, 5% is not drastic.

 

[mikeru82]

Distance from ground to bumper is so important to aero that Ram went to the R&D and cost required to put an active air dam on the 5th Gen truck, so I respectfully disagree with you. Every inch matters when it comes to air flow under/around a vehicle.

That's true, but this difference is barely noticeable outside a wind tunnel. I've raised my front end 1.5 inches, as well as removed both front air dams. The difference in fuel economy for me has been less than 1 mpg for those changes. Most of my driving is done on highways with a 60 mph speed limit or lower. It might be more noticeable for someone who's driving on roads with higher speed limits.

 

[Whoa_Ram]

I didn’t see any MPG lost when I added the 2” leveling puck on my truck. I do have the active shutters and the aero lower valance as well so not sure if that helps any at all.

 

[Andymax]

This is about what I expected. My inclination is to leave it alone and live with the raked look. One minor test will be a bit of off-roading I'll be doing next week while hunting. I do sorta regret not having the air suspension...had it on my Grand Cherokee and it was awesome.

 

[ferraiolo1]

Just lower the rear two inches.


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[Andymax]

Keep an eye on your mileage with the Michelins. I had them on my 2017 and lost around 1mpg with them as well as some ride comfort. Same size stiock 20’s. That being said they were probably going to last 60,000mi and had amazing grip and durability in all conditions with absolutely zero road noise.

I’d like to know your thoughts on ride quality and mileage with them on a gen5.


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I put the Michelin's on two weeks ago and promptly drove from Ohio to Minnesota. The weather was fairly crappy both out and back so I didn't think much about the reduced mileage at the time. I am concerned because I've had a few shorter runs since and have noticed a drop in MPG, though again I was chalking it up to windy days. I'm a bit surprised because I've had these tires on two other vehicles and had no such drop. Of course the vehicles and tire sizes were different. I looked at the weight of the tires too...not much diff between these and the factory bridgestone dueler H/L's. Jury is still out but I am keeping a sharper eye now and will keep you posted.

As for the ride, I'd say they are a bit softer of a ride than the Duelers, but no less comfortable, and I've enjoyed the ride for sure. I'm using them for winter tires on my stock wheels...will switch them out after winter and put the good wheels and Duelers back on.