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[theholycow]

Originally Posted by shatto

I could eleminate a lot of weight by dumping the spare tire and jack and I would weigh less if I dumped my hand truck and the coolers.
No, wait! I use that stuff, and the high shell, for work.
Darn. Have to do something else!

Weight reduction is highly overrated. On your truck it would be completely worthless. There's a link in my "sig meta thread" (which itself is linked in my sig) to a recent thread about it. Some people actually provided some real data; the only vehicles that benefit from weight loss are lightweight, underpowered (even for their light weight) vehicles -- and even then, only provided 1% MPG change for every 1% weight change, meaning you'd have to lose 10% weight to make a difference.

I've been driving gently for years. My problem is the super-sensitive electronic throttle on the Tundra. Any suggestions if it can be de-tuned?

Don't worry so much about limiting your acceleration. With most automatic transmissions, if you accelerate too lightly (or very heavily) you'll spend too long thrashing around in lower gears. Anyway, the engine produces work more efficiently with the throttle more open, since it otherwise has to waste energy sucking air past a restricted throttle (just imagine the work you'd do to breathe through a coffee stirrer vs. a jumbo straw).

The practical upshot of all that theory is that you should go ahead and accept your oversensitive Drive-By-Wire throttle. Get up to cruising speed pretty quickly and get finished accelerating sooner.

[shatto]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Weight reduction is highly overrated. On your truck it would be completely worthless. There's a link in my "sig meta thread" (which itself is linked in my sig) to a recent thread about it. Some people actually provided some real data; the only vehicles that benefit from weight loss are lightweight, underpowered (even for their light weight) vehicles -- and even then, only provided 1% MPG change for every 1% weight change, meaning you'd have to lose 10% weight to make a difference.



Don't worry so much about limiting your acceleration. With most automatic transmissions, if you accelerate too lightly (or very heavily) you'll spend too long thrashing around in lower gears. Anyway, the engine produces work more efficiently with the throttle more open, since it otherwise has to waste energy sucking air past a restricted throttle (just imagine the work you'd do to breathe through a coffee stirrer vs. a jumbo straw).

The practical upshot of all that theory is that you should go ahead and accept your oversensitive Drive-By-Wire throttle. Get up to cruising speed pretty quickly and get finished accelerating sooner.

Sounds like jets. Get to altitude ASAP.

I can only imagine what the big Tundra, with the 6-speed automatic is like.
Mine has a 5-speed and, keeping below 2,000 RPM it easily is in 4th at 30 MPG.

The problem with the throttle is there is no difference between mashing it and a regular gentle push. It jerks off the line.
I'm to where, almost half the time I can accelerate smoothly.

After you've read me a while, you'll realize the 'weight' joke.