Tire Size & Weight on MPG

[CJ SCION]

Way more than I expected, wow is all I have to say. See the mpg increase by decreasing tire diameter by 3/4" and the weight of tire and wheel by 16 lbs. Went from 35x10.5r17 Kenda Klever to 285/75r17 Patagonia AT Pro.

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[Twisted10]

i went from stock 35" bfg's to 38" patagonias on my 392.

gas stations love me.

 

[dchemphill1]

You also have to factor in your lift. Raising the jeep creates more drag as more air flows under the jeep and creates turbulence behind thus a force pulling back on the Jeep. You are correct, larger tires (mass) will require more force to turn them. In your case you had a couple of changes which helped your mpg.

 

[Jeep Wick]

Way more than I expected, wow is all I have to say. See the mpg increase by decreasing tire diameter by 3/4" and the weight of tire and wheel by 16 lbs. Went from 35x10.5r17 Kenda Klever to 285/75r17 Patagonia AT Pro.

16 lbs is a lot. They say unsprung weight is 10x static weight of the vehicle. 16x4x10 equivalent of 640 lbs, not to mention the mechanical advantage of smaller diameter tires.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Nobody bought a Wrangler for efficient and economical transportation, did they?

 

[6.2Blazer]

16 lbs is a lot. They say unsprung weight is 10x static weight of the vehicle. 16x4x10 equivalent of 640 lbs, not to mention the mechanical advantage of smaller diameter tires.

What you saying is correct, except it is really rotational mass and not unsprung weight. This means anything that spins such as tires, driveshafts, etc... has more "weight resistance" than just the static weight. While a lot of rotational mass is unsprung, not all of it is.
This is the reason high level drag racers and stuff use items like gun drilled axle shafts and other high dollar materials in rotating parts in the engine and drivetrain. Saving 1 lb. in an axleshaft is like removing 10 lb. from the body (estimated amount, but it's a lot).

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