Wheel weight and mpg

[Donstar]

I'm taking a fresh look at an old topic. I am about to purchase new Michelin Defender tires for my truck. (265/70r/17). I have a choice of either the LT or P rated version. The ride quality is not an issue for me nor is the weight carrying ability. I know an LT is a stronger tire and will withstand more severe use. My truck may never see hard use but it will provide me with greater confidence knowing it can take some abuse. My only real concern is the loss in fuel economy with a tire that is 8 lbs. heavier than the P rated version. I was always under the impression that such a weight difference would have significant impact on mileage. Recently I have been "hearing" that this may be only a fraction of a mpg impact and not really noticeable. I appreciate hearing your experiences.

[TxTruckMan]

You will notice it. Eight pounds is quite a bit. I noticed about a 0.5 mpg drop with a tire that was ~5 pounds heavier than stock. You should expect about a 0.5 to 1.0 mpg drop on average. You'll also notice a slight decrease in acceleration perfomance.

 

IMHO, LT is overkill on our trucks unless you off-road frequently and need the stiff/thicker sidewall for puncture protection (i.e. rocks, sticks).

[camcamaro1991]

P rated is fine, my Denali comes with Goodyear Eagle LS-2's P rated, they where the same tires on my 2013 Denali ok tire for stock, & I tow 7000lbs in the summer. I would replace with P rated Michelin if I had to buy new tires.

 

side note, I really do miss my AWD Denali, never had traction issues, theses' new truck's I can fry the tires, and when wet they are almost useless, I need tank tracks for this truck.

[amxguy1970]

^ Agreed

 

Not sure why people were complaining about the AWD not being a true 4x4, in most cases it was an image thing and they wanted to say they had a 4x4. The amount of Denali's that leave the pavement is decimal percentage, for pretty much everything else (inclement weather and dirt roads) awd was much better and safer for the pavement a denali would see. I can see why GM did from a cost perspective though, but those awd trucks were great and unique!

 

Tyler

[tom.boswell.79]

If you don't need the stiffer sidewalls for towing then go with P rating.

[tnchevy]

Don't forget that a more aggressive tread pattern will also knock off another 1 or 2 mpg's.

[pizzapete]

It will make a big difference... I went from stock tires getting around 20-22mpg average to 275/70/R18 Goodyear Duratrac 10 ply tires and I normally average no higher than 15.5mpg. Around town I get as low as 12-13. They sure look nice though!

[kstruckcountry]

I went to 10 ply on my 2006... lost no mileage. This isn't "I swapped tires mpg is down" this is 20,000 miles on the SRA's (4 ply) and 37,000 on the ATP's (10 ply). The only difference is they're stiffer, louder, and I haven't had a flat since I got them.

 

With such a mild mannered, quality tire, I'd be very surprised if the Michelins made a noticeable economy difference.

 

Personally, I'll never have less than 10 ply on a pickup again.

 

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[Donstar]

It will make a big difference... They sure look nice though!

 

 

I went to 10 ply on my 2006... lost no mileage. Personally, I'll never have less than 10 ply on a pickup again.

 

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Hence, my dilemma!

[kstruckcountry]

You'll notice people who complain about "heavier tires" costing them mpg are going to a more aggressive tread pattern and larger size as well. With a tread like the Michelin in the stock size you won't notice it.

 

For me, it's a safety and convenience thing. 4 ply are much more likely to blow out on a road hazard and that's something I don't want. Additionally, I think paying a few bucks more for some added puncture resistance is pretty reasonable. I'd rather spend a little money now to save money and time later.

 

A few years ago I did the conversion on here from rotational inertia to linear inertia... I think going to 10 pound heavier tires was equivalent to having a 200 pound person in the cab, or something like that.

 

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[CounterMeasure]

If it helps, I have 20" Michelin LTX MS/2s on my Denali, which are P-rated. I had the same tires on my last truck as well, but on a 17" rim, and I like those tires for the ride they give. The truck spends 98% of its time on the road and the tires are lovely. The other 2% is driving to, from, and on my ranch in southwest Texas, which is rocky and rough country. It isn't cliff climbing, but its definitely rough at times and 4WD is required sometimes. In 3 tire sets across two trucks, I've yet to have a tire problem from that driving, including times I'm pulling a 20' trailer with my Ranger and other toys. As such, stepping up to a LT tire has never cross my mind. Now if I lived there, or my place was even more remote, maybe...

 

My truck has the 6.2L, and if I just cruise to the ranch at 75mph, the truck gets 19-20mpg with those tires.

[JerryCanada]

I run 10 ply A/T tires on mine. Did it affect the mpg's? Possibly. But if I wanted to talk about that time I made 40mpg I would have bought a Civic, not a truck.

[brmudd]

I put snow tires mounted on a set of old factory steel rims. Rims much heavier than the current factory, tires more aggressive, and of course was running winter gas. I lost 2 mpg on the highway during the winter.

[Donstar]

I run 10 ply A/T tires on mine. Did it affect the mpg's? Possibly. But if I wanted to talk about that time I made 40mpg I would have bought a Civic, not a truck.

However, I bought another truck rather than switching to a car because the mpg's have improved significantly. I am at a stage in life where I don't need a truck but prefer the drive and looks over a car/small SUV. The looks of the Michelin P and Lt tires are the same and I may choose the stronger tire unless it negates the improved mpg's! Tim Horton's and Starbuck drive-thrus can be brutal on your sidewalls!

[LaserBlueZ71]

In the past, I have noticed wider tires harm MPG more than say a tire that is narrower but a bit taller. Wide tires have a bigger contact patch, which is good for traction in some cases, but it also adds a huge amount of rolling resistance.

 

Example, I have seen better MPG with say, a 34 inch tall tire that is 11 inches wide, over a 33 inch tire that is 12.50 inches wide. Don't get carried away with the width. Also, the lightest A/T truck tire is the Duratracs. Check a tires weight before you buy. Some smaller Toyo A/T tires are still in the 70+ pound range. Compared to stock tires that weigh 45-48 pounds, it is a HUGE difference.

 

More sidewall, less wheel. Tires can flex, wheels can't. Always go for a smaller wheel and more sidewall. Big wheels like 20s and 22s put a real damper on performance and economy.