New battery

So, I was getting my grub on at Weinersnitzel the other day when my battery decided to die. Thankfully there was a Kragen across the street. I ended up purchasing an Optima Red Top because it was the only battery they carried that matched the original manufacturer's specs for cranking amps. Like I always say, if something breaks, don't just replace it, upgrade it. And putting a top of line battery under my hood was a good investment.

MPG Breakthrough!

Took a road trip up to the mountains recently. Ran into some snow and some awesome off roading. When I returned to the pump, I was surprised by the numbers I saw. These strongly suggest that the truck is getting well over 20mpg on the highway!

New headlights

While cleaning the air filter, I noticed one of my headlights had burned out. I made a trip down to Kragen to pick up a new one. I am a fan of bright headlights. However, I hate when big trucks or sport compacts have lights that blind oncoming drivers. I decided on the XTRAVISION Sylvania lamps. They are one step up from my current lights and offer slightly better performance. Another reason I did not go for brighter lamps, that were not that much more, is that the life expectancy takes a nose dive. I feel I got the best value out of these as they will last a lot longer than a higher performing bulb and they are still better than my stock lights.

Filter Cleaning

In my quest to achieve 20 mpg, I am going to have to dig deep into this machine. First thing is to clean the AEM air filter. I purchased an AEM Dry Flow filter cleaning kit for $9.95. It was a thorough cleansing. They ship you two 12 oz bottles to get the job done. I have a newer Dry Flow model that doesn't require oil. It is currently outside in the sun drying.

Intro

Hey guys, I am going to start using this to document the build up of my 1999 Chevy Silverado Z71. My beast is a long bed, single cab with 4 wheel drive. It currently has a loud cat back exhaust system along with a AEM Brute Force cold air induction filter. I'm currently getting 14.6 MPG (combined) with new tires (Firestone Wilderness, $600 for a set of 4). My ultimate goal will be to knock down as close to 20 MPG as possible before I apply a lift kit. Any feedback is appreciated!