Tires and Gas Mileage

[todd99]

I am trying to figure out what wheels and tires I am going to buy for my truck and I was wonder what effect bigger tires will have on my gas mileage. I know it is commonly said that bigger tires will hurt your gas mileage. Did any of you see a change in your MPG when you switched to bigger tires? I am thinking about switching to 275's on all four.

[Longhorn Man]

275 is the width

a tall tire will make it harder to start off from a stand still, but if you are on the freeway more than not, it'll help your MPG.
In all reality, small differences won't be noticed, esp if you don't correct your speedo for the change.

[Zoomin]

Depends on what kind of driving you do. I think the height of the tire would be a bigger factor than the width. A taller tire will hurt your in town mileage and a taller tire will help on the highway.

As far as rolling resistance from the extra width, keep them aired up and the difference will be negligible.
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[todd99]

As far as tire height I am going to keep the same size (about 30"), I am thinking about going with 20" rims but I am not sure about width and there for the sidewall ratio. I am also lowering it so wind resistance should be reduced. I was mostly thinking about the increased drag by the extra tire/ground contact.

[Zoomin]

275's are going to be the same width regardless of the aspect ratio or the rim you use.
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[todd99]

I am aware that 275 is the width.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by todd99

As far as tire height I am going to keep the same size (about 30"), I am thinking about going with 20" rims

Generally, wheels are heavier than tires. Larger-diameter wheels will result in a heavier wheel+tire package, and that will have a negative impact on your fuel mileage as well as make your suspension and brakes work harder.