What would be better for mpg?

Forgive me if I missed a thread on this, I searched and didn't find anything.

I just bought a 4x4 mgm 2013 Trd offroad dcsb. I'm planning on eventually doing a 3 inch lift.

My question is what would affect the mpgs the least amount? A bigger wheel and smaller tire or bigger tire and smaller wheel? My uneducated guess would be a bigger wheel and smaller tire. Like a 17-18inch wheel with a total 32inch total wheel and tire size.

Any thoughts?

 

better for mpg would be not lifting it and driving like an egg is under the accelerator...

 

Lol, I figured that...I'm trying to get the best of both worlds. I want a lifted truck, just wondering how I can sacrifice the least mpgs.

 

Well, if a lift is a must and dead set at 3" then the tire choice would be my best guess. Size and tread?

 

Do the lift and leave the stock wheels on it. I have that on my standard V6 and average about 20 mixed driving. Change the wheels and expect lower MPG.

 

If MPG is a big concern then your best bet is to figure out what size tires you are going to run. Then find a few different wheels and tires that you like and go with the lightest combination of the two.

 

okay the question is more wheel or more tire for MPG, not what will yield the best MPG overall. we all know what affects MPG so stop beating a dead horse.

more wheel, less tire. less rolling friction. and weight if you run alloys

 

Hmm any pics of your set up with the stock wheels??

Well I want 33's but I don't want to hack up my truck too much. So I figure 32's wouldn't be too bad, they're not that much bigger than stock.

I want a mud tire or an aggressive all terrain tire. I'll be 90% city/hwy driving and I'm not wanting to spend over a grand on tires and only have them last 35k miles. I would like to see at least 60k on whatever tire I choose.

I'm planning on kmc xd spies, not sure about off set or back spacing yet. I'll go with whatever will cause the least amount of rubbing. The size of the wheel I get will be determined on the intel I get from this thread lol

So if I got more rim and less tire and still have a 32 inch tire/ wheel size with a mud tire, would that hurt the mpgs less than a 16 inch wheel and a beefier tire to get the 32inch package?

Thanks for everything to all that share their expertise

 

you want the tire to last a long time, get the Michelin M/T, you should get an easy 60,000/70,000....I could have gone more miles, but I wanted to upgrade rims and tires...

you increase the overall height/diameter of your tire, your MPG will go down....total weight might make a slight difference, size of rim no change if skinned with an equivalent total diameter/same circumference tire as stock.....

good luck...

 

A tough order to fill -

If the look of a lifted vehicle with stock rims and tires suit, that would be my best guess at a compromise of each (MPGs and aesthetics). Raising the vehicle will hurt your MPGs but less so with the stock rim and tires. Bumping ups the tire size; MPGs will suffer a bit. An aggressive off road tread; MPGs will suffer more. In the end, you might be best suited getting the look you want (lift, tires, and rims) and drive as fuel efficient as possible. Conservative driving techniques is generally the biggest contributor to improved FE. As others have stated, drive like you have an egg under the gas pedal, another under the brake pedal, and a stack of egg cartons in the bed of your truck.

Good luck!

 

Here's an example with XD Spy wheels and BFG ATs. (I don't think spies are available in a 16)

They are within .1" in diameter and a 265 width tire so the difference in diameter and rolling resistance is a wash.

17 inch spy 30 lbs
265/70/r17E bfg AT 53.3 lbs 31.8 circumference
For a total of 83.3 lbs

18 inch spy 37lbs
265/65/r18E 53.1 lbs 31.7 circumference
For a total of 90.1lbs

With this combo the 17s should give you slightly better mpg as you will be running 28 less pounds of unsprung weight.

Honestly your driving habits are going to make more of a difference than the wheel size you run. I'd stick with 17s, the setup is lighter, the tires will be 30-40 dollars (per tire) cheaper for the same size, and you will have more sidewall for the times you're off road.

 

It is possible to get nearly stock mileage with big tires if you change the gears. I did it a number of times 15-20 years ago with older 22re powered trucks. 33 or 35 inch tires and 22-24 MPG highway. Of course a set of gears and proper install costs quite a bit. On those trucks it was the only way to make them get out of their own way. But like has been said light wheel/tire combos are generally best and tread design has a lot to do with mileage too. I've seen an almost 2mpg difference just going from a Michelin ltx to a General Grabber AT2 on a second gen. Same wheels, same size tire, just more aggressive. And 60k out of a mud tire is a LOT to ask. Also if you're primarily city driving a mud tire is about the worst choice anyhow. I got about 80k out of a set of BFG A/T's once. Pre KO days though.

 

The thing to remember is that as you bake the wheels/tires larger, you are essentially up-gearing your drive train. 85GT 79FJ40 is correct. If you go a quality shop that specializes in lifts, you should be able to plan the lift, tires and gears needed to get nearly stock MPG and keep your Speedo on target.

 

This.

 

if all other things are equal , I see it exactly opposite of this. the friction stays exactly the same. alloy is lighter than steel, usually.

if you're determined to do a lift, and know the diameter tire size you want to finish with.....

less unsprung weight, less rotational mass = less rolling resistance.

should be smaller rims (less weight) with tires to fit smaller rims making the overall diameter you want. smaller metal bead in the tire meeting the rim = less weight. more rubber should weigh less than more steel/alloy.

 

3in lift, 265/70/17 bf goodrich rugged terrain tires on alloy rims. trd cai, dynomax catback, on an access cab prerunner and i get 17-17.5 in the city driving conservatively. and i get 19-21 on the highway as long as i stay below 70. 68mph seems to be a sweet spot for the best mpg.

 

I lifted my tacoma 3inches with tire size of 265/75/16 and average 16-18 city and 19-22 highway well averaging about 70-75. Found my trucks sweet spot to be 73. Thats even well pounding on the gas pedal.

 

Dont lift it and get bigger wheels and tires if you are concerned about MPG's. Simple as that.

 

Rubber is heavier than alloy, and potentially steel.

Given the desire for a 32" overall diameter, a larger diameter wheel with a lower profile tire will be lighter, and highway handling will be better due to the reduction of sidewall flex.

However, offroad performance is compromised, as the narrower sidewall is more prone to pinch damage, and the ride is rougher.

Then there's the aesthetic issues... IMHO, 32" rubber on 18-20" wheels looks like shit (that's like a 285/65-18). I wouldn't go less than a 70 series comparable profile on a tire that is going to see any offroad use. Slimmer than that is fine for a street truck on street tread, but it's not going to be a 32" tire either.

 

This.

Good size for a balance of appearance, performance, and weight compromise.

Also have to consider that tires seem to get exponentially more expensive as you move to 18" and larger. My 5-lug has 215/70-15, and I've considered going to X-Runner wheels, but those 18" tires are hella expensive.
I'll likely go to something in a 17" when these are worn out.