Would it be possible to remove the drive shaft ,the rear end and the side shafts to the rear wheels on a 2006 Honda CRV. Make it into a front wheel drive only.I know on the 2008 models the front wheel drive gets 3 MPG more than the 4 wheel model.Just wonder if it would screw up something else?
For 3 MPG’s it’s not worth the effort
You can pick up 3 mpg by just ensuring the tires stay properly inflated. Is the car still under warranty?
I’m in agreement with the other replies. The missing 3 mpg on the front wheel drive only version is probably due to not hauling around the extra weight of the all wheel drive unit. Keep your vehicle in tune, check your tire inflation weekly and revise your driving habits. I have a 2001 Cherokee Sport that’s rated for 16 mpg City, and 20 Hwy for it’s 6 cylinder engine. In reality it gets 20-22 City & 26-28 Hwy. Which is GREAT for a Cherokee.
Hardly worth any of your effort. Look at epa figures for 2006. The difference is the same in city and 1MPG better on the highway.
Trade yours in for a 2008 FWD or even better a tin box FIT if your not happy.
If you exceed the speed limit, slow down. It’s estimated that you can save about 20% by driving 65 insteade of 75; 10% by drivin 55 instead of 65. Also, keep up with maintenance, especially oil changes and the air filter.
Everyone here who has posted so far does not know the answer to your question as seemingly they have not done this and are just guessing. I don’t know too and can admit to that.
I will say, however, that a right angle gearset as found in a differential in a vehicle with a longitudinal driveshaft has some power transfer frictional losses; moreso than a front driver with an east-west engine layout with no right angle gearset.
I can’t say for that specific vehicles…but I did do that once with my 76 Bronco. The drive shaft broke and I couldn’t afford to get it fixed. So I removed the shaft and put it 4wd and drove around for about a year in fwd. Worked fine.
As others have pointed out, save your money and learn to drive for better fuel economy; that will easily get you an additional 5 mpg! The AAA and other organizations have lots of pamphlets on driving habits that save you money. If you live in a cold part of the country, installing a block heater greatly reduces fuel consumption after those cold morning starts.
Let me get this straight, you drive an AWD SUV and you want to butcher the AWD for a few MPG? If it is possible, it isn’t worth it. Trade it in for the vehicle you really want.
I’m not sure of what exact mechanism your vehicle uses to sense the need to send power to the rear wheels, but whatever it is, it will most likely be most unhappy if you were to simply disconnect the rear drivetrain.