1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Wheels and mpg

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by John Ka, Jun 3, 2015.

  1. Jun 3, 2015 at 6:48 PM
    #1
    John Ka

    John Ka [OP] Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2015
    Member:
    #156689
    Messages:
    23
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    John
    Vehicle:
    2015 black tacoma
    exhaust air filters wheels and tires
    i was thinking about increasing my wheel size up to a 17. At the moment I've got the 16 inch wheels. I know i'm only going a mere 1 inch up but a bunch of people are telling me that it slashes mpg? is that true for any of you tacoma people?
     
  2. Jun 3, 2015 at 6:53 PM
    #2
    S and J

    S and J Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Member:
    #148981
    Messages:
    329
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Scott
    Las Vegas
    Vehicle:
    2015 AC SR5 Off Road Package
    Are you increasing your tire size as wheel (total diameter) or just rim size?
     
  3. Jun 3, 2015 at 6:54 PM
    #3
    John Ka

    John Ka [OP] Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2015
    Member:
    #156689
    Messages:
    23
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    John
    Vehicle:
    2015 black tacoma
    exhaust air filters wheels and tires
    putting in whole new wheels as in new rims and tires bumping it up to 17
     
  4. Jun 3, 2015 at 6:58 PM
    #4
    S and J

    S and J Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Member:
    #148981
    Messages:
    329
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Scott
    Las Vegas
    Vehicle:
    2015 AC SR5 Off Road Package
    So you are going from a 265/70/16 to a 265/65/17? If so, your actual tire will be the same size and will not affect your mpg.
     
  5. Jun 3, 2015 at 7:09 PM
    #5
    steelhd

    steelhd Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2013
    Member:
    #118650
    Messages:
    3,522
    Gender:
    Male
    Eastern WA
    Vehicle:
    2011 DCSB TRD OR
    Mileage decreases with both weight and tire diameter. Going from a 16 to 17 wheel won't make too much difference. Increasing overall tire diameter (and to an extent width) will. Increase both overall diameter and weight and its a double penalty. For example going from a light 30.6" P265/70-16 tire to a heavy 32.5 to" to 33" 10 ply LT285 tire will have a noticable impact.
     
    VandalTaco likes this.
  6. Jun 3, 2015 at 8:18 PM
    #6
    VandalTaco

    VandalTaco Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2014
    Member:
    #145129
    Messages:
    1,045
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Will
    Moscow/Idaho falls, Idaho
    Vehicle:
    07 DCSB TRD SPORT
    OME 887 lift, 16" XD addicts, 285 duratracs, leather seats, badass JL/Focal stereo
    If you are really concerned, find the weight of your current wheel/tire setup and try to pick something close to that. You won't likely get it spot on, and still may see a slight decrease in mileage, but it won't be too bad. If, as steelhd put it, you increase tire diameter/load range significantly you will see a noticeable drop in mpgs. I dropped about 2 mpgs from switching to 285s.
     
  7. Jun 3, 2015 at 8:38 PM
    #7
    Dilleytech

    Dilleytech Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2014
    Member:
    #133824
    Messages:
    258
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jakob
    White salmon, Washington
    Vehicle:
    07 AC SR5 4x4
    Front ARB bumper, LR UCA's, OME 885/90021 struts, Ome shocks rear, general springs HD leaf pack.
    I was wondering the same thing. Assuming your tire is the same size.. It comes down to what weighs more? A higher percentage of metal rim or rubber tire.. What ever combo wieghs more would give the worse mileage.
     
  8. Jun 3, 2015 at 8:57 PM
    #8
    VandalTaco

    VandalTaco Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2014
    Member:
    #145129
    Messages:
    1,045
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Will
    Moscow/Idaho falls, Idaho
    Vehicle:
    07 DCSB TRD SPORT
    OME 887 lift, 16" XD addicts, 285 duratracs, leather seats, badass JL/Focal stereo
    Well the resistance to rolling will increase if the weight is farther away from the center of the wheel...if that makes sense. It's a combination of weight and the position of the heavy parts of the wheel/tire. The further the weight is from the center, the more torque required to turn it. So if the heaviest part of the wheel is the part touching the tire, and then that radius is increased, it becomes harder to rotate even though the total weight could stay the about the same.
     
  9. Jun 3, 2015 at 9:02 PM
    #9
    VandalTaco

    VandalTaco Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2014
    Member:
    #145129
    Messages:
    1,045
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Will
    Moscow/Idaho falls, Idaho
    Vehicle:
    07 DCSB TRD SPORT
    OME 887 lift, 16" XD addicts, 285 duratracs, leather seats, badass JL/Focal stereo
    Yeah I don't think you will notice anything from 16 to 17.
     
  10. Jun 4, 2015 at 9:00 AM
    #10
    Rick06taco

    Rick06taco Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2014
    Member:
    #139059
    Messages:
    52
    Gender:
    Male
    Arizona
    Vehicle:
    06 Tacoma
    None yet
    You can get better or worse fuel mileage just by changing tires. My Michelins give me noticeably better mileage than my Cooper ATPs. Both are the same diameter and wheel diameter.
    I guess street tires are designed to do that but my Coopers cost about half of what the Michelins cost.
     
  11. Jun 4, 2015 at 9:12 AM
    #11
    Fifthwind

    Fifthwind Master of None

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2011
    Member:
    #65144
    Messages:
    2,095
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Murph
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Vehicle:
    Scully
    Barcelona Red 09 DCOR- Icon 2.5" ECOs w/CDC - 14" 700lb, ICON 2.0 RR Ext rears, AP EXPO pack, Diff Wedge, Diff and Skid Drop, Discoverer S/T 255/85/16, Ride-Rite Bags w/ Daystars, ARB Bull/winch Bumper, Warn 8k, ARB CMK12, Budbuilt skids, BAMF bolt on sliders BAMF diff diaper, bedlights, hoodlights, BAMF CB, etc.
    Are the weights of the tires the same?
    The Stock rugged trails (load range B) are around 36lbs, while my Coopers (Load range D) weigh around 55lbs each, with a significant mileage drop with the increased weight.
    So if your Michelins are 20lbs less that the Coopers, you should see a mileage increase.
     
  12. Jun 4, 2015 at 11:28 AM
    #12
    NEAScott

    NEAScott Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2012
    Member:
    #73258
    Messages:
    634
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Scott
    Toledo, Oh
    Vehicle:
    2014 Chevrolet Impala Limited
    Absolute biggest killer will be the overall weight of the package. Next comes a change in diameter if there is any. Calibrating the speedo, changing diff gear ratios, etc. can bring some, but not always all, of that loss back. After that, you are pretty much nitpicking at fractions of a mile.

    Take the same wheel, mount the same size tire from two different manufacturers, and assuming for our conversation here that those packages weigh identical, you can get a difference in mileage from the frictional resistance between the tire and road from each tire.
     
  13. Jun 8, 2015 at 10:17 AM
    #13
    munkiemec

    munkiemec Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2015
    Member:
    #156986
    Messages:
    49
    Gender:
    Male
    Weight alone will only impact fuel consumption during acceleration (i.e., predominantly city driving). Other characteristics of a different tire could impact rolling resistance and aerodynamics, which will also impact fuel consumption.

    Think of a top; they spin and they spin and they spin. What slows them down is aerodynamic drag, and the friction at the point where it is actually in contact with the ground. Set a top spinning in space and it will spin forever. Same with a tire -- get the thing spinning at highway speed, and the only thing you need to overcome to keep it spinning, is aerodynamics, road friction, bearing friction, and brake friction, none of which are a function of the tire's weight.

    One of the reasons why the "weight" characteristic is often exaggerated, is because usually a "heavier" tire is also a "larger" tire. A larger tire will have greater rolling resistance (more ground contact surface area), greater aerodynamic drag (its just bigger), and sometimes hold the truck up higher, which increases ITS drag.
     
  14. Jun 8, 2015 at 10:53 AM
    #14
    Fifthwind

    Fifthwind Master of None

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2011
    Member:
    #65144
    Messages:
    2,095
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Murph
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Vehicle:
    Scully
    Barcelona Red 09 DCOR- Icon 2.5" ECOs w/CDC - 14" 700lb, ICON 2.0 RR Ext rears, AP EXPO pack, Diff Wedge, Diff and Skid Drop, Discoverer S/T 255/85/16, Ride-Rite Bags w/ Daystars, ARB Bull/winch Bumper, Warn 8k, ARB CMK12, Budbuilt skids, BAMF bolt on sliders BAMF diff diaper, bedlights, hoodlights, BAMF CB, etc.
    The statement falls short due to the material of the tire.
    If the tire were inflexible, like a train wheel, it would be closer to being accurate, but even train wheels compress a small amount during rotation.
     
  15. Jun 8, 2015 at 11:09 AM
    #15
    munkiemec

    munkiemec Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2015
    Member:
    #156986
    Messages:
    49
    Gender:
    Male
    Did you not read the part where I mentioned "other characteristics". I really really hate it when someone reads only part of what is written, and then starts arguing.

    1) the flexibility of a tire does not depend on its weight. It may be related (through *other* characteristics), but you can't say that a heavier tire is more or less flexible than a lighter tire *just because* it is heavier. You need to consider other factors as well, such as the materials that the two tires are made of, and the size.
    2) the less flexible the tire is, the less it will deform, so the less flexible tire (i.e., in the case of an "E" compared to a passenger "P" of the same size) will actually be closer to that train wheel you were talking about, and provide a LOWER rolling resistance.
    3) Changing tire pressure has the same impact as changing the flexibility of the tire. The higher the pressure, the less the tire will deform, and the lower the rolling resistance, but don't inflate that E tire to 80 psi just because it will take the pressure and rotate more efficiently, because it won't have nearly as large of a contact patch, which compromises steering and braking. The increased pressure will also cause it to bounce more instead of absorbing bumps in the road.
    4) Changing the pressure/flexibility of the tire can impact its diameter, which introduces errors in the actual measurement.
    4b) at that higher pressure or lower flexibility where the diameter is increased, the roof of the vehicle is lifted slightly, increasing drag.
     
  16. Jun 8, 2015 at 11:42 AM
    #16
    Fifthwind

    Fifthwind Master of None

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2011
    Member:
    #65144
    Messages:
    2,095
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Murph
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Vehicle:
    Scully
    Barcelona Red 09 DCOR- Icon 2.5" ECOs w/CDC - 14" 700lb, ICON 2.0 RR Ext rears, AP EXPO pack, Diff Wedge, Diff and Skid Drop, Discoverer S/T 255/85/16, Ride-Rite Bags w/ Daystars, ARB Bull/winch Bumper, Warn 8k, ARB CMK12, Budbuilt skids, BAMF bolt on sliders BAMF diff diaper, bedlights, hoodlights, BAMF CB, etc.
    All good points.
    Yes, tire flexibility and weight are not directly tied together, as the flexibility may remain the same, but the thicker material of the same flexibility requires more force to deform it.
    The corollary being that a lighter less flexible material could require more force to match the deformation.
    I'm simply trying to help you to an accurate answer.
    I did see the 'other factors' statement, which was tied to rolling resistance and aerodynamics.
    The factor I am pointing out not the rolling resistance, but the deformation factor. This can be most easily seen when an underinflated tire gets hot, as the deformation from rotation is converted to heat. As the contact pact increases in size the deformation perimeter increases.
     
  17. Jun 8, 2015 at 11:46 AM
    #17
    munkiemec

    munkiemec Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2015
    Member:
    #156986
    Messages:
    49
    Gender:
    Male
    Right...
    Ultra important thing to keep in mind; inflation pressure on the door trim is for factory tires/equipment only so that it matches that appropriate deformation *for the construction of that tire* and the load it will be subjected to. The proper tire pressure calculation can actually get pretty complex, in that a different tire may need a different amount of deformation for proper handling and efficiency, *and* to hold the same weight given a more or less flexible tire.
     
  18. Jun 8, 2015 at 12:17 PM
    #18
    Fifthwind

    Fifthwind Master of None

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2011
    Member:
    #65144
    Messages:
    2,095
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Murph
    Lehigh Valley, PA
    Vehicle:
    Scully
    Barcelona Red 09 DCOR- Icon 2.5" ECOs w/CDC - 14" 700lb, ICON 2.0 RR Ext rears, AP EXPO pack, Diff Wedge, Diff and Skid Drop, Discoverer S/T 255/85/16, Ride-Rite Bags w/ Daystars, ARB Bull/winch Bumper, Warn 8k, ARB CMK12, Budbuilt skids, BAMF bolt on sliders BAMF diff diaper, bedlights, hoodlights, BAMF CB, etc.
    Exactly.
    It is very complex, just in a straight line, and when lateral loading is added in, including the change in contact patch, lateral acceleration and suspension loading/unloading/and weight distribution, it is almost a wonder how front an rear tires can be the same for a vehicle.
     

Products Discussed in

To Top