What is the best time of day to drive on I-405 heading North?

if you can hit the road by 6:00 AM, that would be a great start. Once you get past the 10, you should essentially be home free. You can always grab some breakfast on the road, like at one of the fast food places in Gorman.

Be sure to gas up in Fresno, which will be the cheapest gas you'll see until you head back down the mountains. I always get off the 41 around Shaw Ave, and usually find cheap gas around Shaw & Blacstone. However, the last time I was up in the area, I found a cheaper gas station by using gasbuddy, an app for my iPhone.

Sigalert.com is also a great tool. They have an app for that, as well.

Well it depends on when you need to be there. Traffic is smoother before and after rush hours. If you leave at 6 you'll beat the heavier rush hour traffic on the 405 but might run into more in a couple of hours up north. Personally I'd take off around 10 in the morning so you're leaving and arriving after and before rush hour. Google Maps can give you a good itinerary with current traffic conditions and shows you sigalerts.