Another Tire Question Thread
 

So i bought an old truck (‘86 f150) some months back, which i like, but the fuel mileage is terrible (21 l/100km)
Im wondering how much of a difference it would potentially make to swap the mud tires for normal all terrains and what all terrains would be recommended.
Theyd be used for mostly highway, some gravel, and light offroad (farm and hunting).
On the other hand what else can i do to get better mileage/economy?

Changing tires on my F350 made a noticeble difference in both Road noise and fuel mileage
Cat

It is a Ford pee poor gas mileage. I like Michelin tires

Changing mudders to factory size would def help. As far as recommendation - I'm on the second set of Bridgestone Duellers from Costco. Very happy.

Just changing a single size bump up caused my F150 to drop 1L/100KM. Changing to muds will absolutely affect mileage. Going to a heavy duty 10 ply from a standard load will affect mileage. Basically, the taller, heavier and more aggressive a tire is, the more your economy will drop.

The milage won’t get worse due to that’s as fast as the fuel pump can pump it
For better milage change it to a Chevy.

Suggest the narrowest/smallest/least aggressive tires you can put on that model will give you best economy. however tires are a small part of economy. Smallest engine with turbo will be required to get a significant hit. New plugs and well tuned engine also critical. Lastly a light foot on gas pedal will go a long way to improve mileage.

Umm, incorrect.:thinking-006: As Tirebob already noted, anything that makes a tire either heavier or wider diameter will have a negative effect to fuel economy. Rolling resistance will also affect fuel consumption, and this can be affected by tread pattern, the air pressure, the structure of the belts in the tire carcass and how deep the treads are as that applies to the overall
weight of the tire.

It’s all physics, sometimes it’s helpful to think of the air the vehicle is driving through, pretend the air is water if you wish to exaggerate its effects. A skinny tire does not have to push as much air out of its way as it travels as does a wide tire, so it is more aerodynamic and more energy efficient. A wider, taller or more heavily constructed tire will weigh more, it’s easy to note how extra weight makes it more difficult to both accelerate and decelerate (there are no obese Olympic sprinters). Lots of people don’t stop to think about how heavier tires decrease their braking performance both due to their increased weight but also due to their wider diameter bringing that additional weight further out from the centre of the axle, effectively becoming a longer ‘lever’ fighting against the brake rotor. That’s a double-whammy strike against them there. Some people might think to change their differential axle ratios when they go to a much larger tire, but how many bother with installing a big brake kit to help offset their braking performance loss?

Tires are quite literally where the rubber meets the road, they are the most significant single change to be made as far as a vehicles performance is concerned, and while acceleration is a performance aspect, so is cornering and braking, and winter or wet traction too. I never comprehend why some people cheap out on tires.

Also remember to change your oils in the differentials and tranny. Amazing how many vehicles running around that haven't had this done. Makes a difference too. I pulled pulled one cover off and it was like glue instead of oil.

Hmmm, ill have to do that, sounds like a rather easy maintenance job! I know it hasnt been done since i owned it.

Make sure to post what you did and how much your milage increased

x2 if they are the A/T's. The other duelers not so much. I would have bought duelers A/T's this time round if they came in the tire size I was looking for but unfortunately they did not. Ended up going with Continental Terrain Contact A/T's. +10k on them so far, very pleased with them.

One should see an improvement in economy but I wouldn't expect miracles likely 1-to-2 L/100km. Tires can only do so much.

First off before spending money. What size are these tires. What size does the door say for stock. No where do you say they are a bigger or wider tire then stock. If they are stock size and just mud tire tread fuel milage saving will be negligible google fuel milage for that year of truck. Pending on your engine size your not that far off. After all it’s not an eco boost

A good handling tire is better than economy, and often leads to it. Once I increased the bite with an A/T style, my Bronco’s backend stopped breaking away from the road on cornering ( stiff locker). I run the stock Wrangler SRA on my F150 for highway (wouldn’t recommend them as a set replacement).

What's your gearing on your differential, which transmission, what engine, and tire size (and type) you are running right now? Any engine mods? Is the truck stock?

Lots more to the equation.

I’m still running the Goodyear k02 and love them. I won’t buy another tire from Kal tire that’s for certain, actually both the wife and I.

Should probably take your battery cables off and touch them together, because that resets the oxygen sensors :)

Cooper XT4

I would guess - If it's the same tire size maybe 1-1.5 mpg you won't notice it, be hard to measure. Same as trying to drive with a lighter right foot or having your a/c on.

Just a thought as to Cabers rolling resistance theory - mud tires have more voids so less tread contacting pavement. Soooo should get better mileage ?

And ya try to get good tires, if ya think about it all you have is like about a 4x10" road contact per tire protecting you and your family.

It’s the impact of each tread as it contacts the ground that creates resistance. Take as an example the skinny tires on a racing bicycle and compare those to the knobby tires of a mountain bike, there’s a reason Lance Armstrong and those types don’t run knobbies. Another example is the tires on transport trailers, ever see knobbies on those? Think that industry is concerned about fuel economy?