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on the API performance symbol to make sure you get one that has friction-reducing additives. This will not only help your gas mileage, but increase the life-expectance of your truck's engine.

AERODYNAMICS

Truck beds are notorious for causing drag. Air flows over the top of the truck and into the bed, where it pushes against the tailgate, cutting gas mileage. A simple trick to fix this problem is a truck bed cover. Relatively cheap, these covers eliminate the drag problem by allowing the air flow to continue uninterrupted by the tailgate.

TIRES

Tires play an important part in increasing our gas mileage, and yet only 4% of us check our tire pressure on a regular basis. If tires are under-inflated, gas mileage drops quickly; 0.4% for every lost pound per square inch in all four tires. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that about 30% of all vehicles had at least one tire that was under-inflated by at least 8 psi. 5% of the vehicles in the survey had all four tires seriously under-inflated. By keeping them at the manufacturer's recommended inflation level (found in the owner's manual or on the door jamb tag), you'll increase mileage by 3.3%, which can save you a whopping $0.11 per gallon.

Nitrogen is a new face in the tire-scene. While used for years to inflate tires for airlines, space shuttles and NASCAR vehicles, the gas was delivered in canister form and was not cost-effective for passenger cars and trucks. Recent innovations in nitrogen filtering systems have changed all that.

Passenger cars and truck tires can increase gasoline mileage by 5-6% by airing-up' with nitrogen, and increase the tread life of their tires by 10-15%. Steve Willyard, manager of Tom's Tire World in Abilene, TX took a few minutes to explain why nitrogen is so much better for your tires and makes such a difference in improving gasoline mileage. "Air is 83% nitrogen already," Willyard said, "but with pure nitrogen, the other contaminants are filtered out."

So what? I wondered.

The number one cause of premature tread wear in tires is wrong inflation due to rolling resistance of tires. Because nitrogen is 4-5 times larger than oxygen, it won't dissipate through rubber, oxidize around the valve core or degrade tire from inside out. This keeps the pressure inside the tire a constant. Nitrogen is also not susceptible to outside temperature, hot or cold, and eliminates dissipation due to expansion or contraction of air pressure. For these reasons, it keeps tire pressure constant 5-6 times longer than regular oxygen.

No one is going to make a fortune providing nitrogen for family vehicles, Willyard said. His company only charges $30 for set of four tires to be inflated with nitrogen, and to maintain it for life of tire. It takes a bit longer to air, as the tires must be aired up with traditional oxygen, deflated and re-inflated with nitrogen.

An increasing number of businesses around the country, both tire companies and car dealerships, are offering nitrogen as an option. At a savings of $0.17-0.20 per gallon, not to mention the increased life of the tire, it's an idea worth checking out.

By following a few simple steps in regards to maintenance, aerodynamics and tires, gas mileage in trucks can be greatly improved. Looking at all the information available, maybe that boy of mine will end up with a truck after all!

Learn more about this author, Debby Dyess.
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