Remove the excess weight on your work vehicle
Stripped vehicle courtesy of azprostrip.com
For those of us who have a work vehicle, it is an asset that must be protected.
Some deliver goods; others haul off metals to be recycled; some just use their ‘other’ car for the daily commute. The work vehicle has the advantage of also being expendable in that it is not the primary means of transportation used in a given household.
Optimizing the life span of your work vehicle will undoubtedly save you thousands and generate more income. It will complete more tasks the longer it lasts. With an emphasis on gas mileage, here are ten simple things that can be done that cost no money at all and will reduce the weight of your work vehicle. This will therefore improve gas mileage and overall performance. The vehicle will also excel quicker and has a shorter braking distance.
BODY:
1. Rear muffler and tail pipes can be removed. If you do not like the sound of a muffler-less vehicle, you can just remove the tail pipes.
2. Power antenna can be removed.
3. Also, any outside panels that are for vanity can be removed. Together, this is an additional 3 to 7 lbs of weight that can be lost.
4. On some cars, the grill can be removed without interfering with the airflow of the engine. This averages about 5 lbs. on most cars and can get up to 15 lbs. on larger trucks.
5. You can remove two lug nuts per wheel; more than two is extremely dangerous.
6. Removing the locking apparatus inside the door panel will eliminate around 10 lbs total. Using the traditional “turn and click” works just as well.
TRUNK:
7. You can remove the carpeting and all excess paneling inside the trunk. Carpeting is very heavy, and the panels are there to provide the appearance of a solid container. This is another 8 to 10 lbs. of excess weight.
INTERIOR:
8. There really is no limit to what can be removed inside your vehicle. However, for those who still need a passenger vehicle, you can do a few quick things that will retain the comfort of your car. Pull out the carpet through the inside of your vehicle. You can use floor mats if necessary. Even the dashboard can be removed, along with any head rests, without compromising the vehicle.
All non-essential door panels should be removed. In a coupe and a sedan, the weight loss is the same because most coupe doors are large. Excess plastic is never a good thing, especially when it is protruding.
9. For some, the glove box and the center console serve the same purpose. Removal of one can reduce an additional 5 to 10 lbs. depending on the vehicle. But, if you feel comfortable, you can keep insurance and registration attached to one of your sun visors.
10. You may also remove the cruise-control. This will drop roughly 12 lbs in the typical vehicle, and also provide some horsepower to the engine that was diverted to the cruise control.
Though car specs vary, most car experts agree that reducing 100 lbs. of weight is the equivalent of adding 10 horsepower.
None of the above tips cost a car owner any money and will help to give all drivers a measurable difference in both performance and gas mileage.
—Javier Johnson
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