Does the size of tires affect gas mileage?
Cars can be made more fuel efficient by using tires.Motorists are familiar with the concept of maintaining proper tire pressure.Proper rolling resistance will not be possible if the tires are over inflated or under inflated.Motorists wonder if tire size is also a factor.
The impact tire size was examined in a recent issue of Car and Driver magazine.An article titled Plus-Size Models: Testing the performance effects of upsizing wheels and tires appeared in the April 2010 edition.They used the stock steel wheels for the 15-inch test, and also went to the aftermarket, based on the findings in the article.One sentence offers a succinct summary: "What's immediately apparent from the results is that as the wheel-and-tire packages get larger and heavier, acceleration and fuel."
The question of whether tire size affects gas mileage is not a new one.It was examined in the December 2000 issue of Land Line Magazine, which is described as a business magazine for professional truck drivers.The article looked at how tire specifications affect fuel economy.The technical editor of the magazine interviewed two experts in this field.When low profile tires first came out, they were about 4% more fuel efficient.The low profile sidewalls are stiff.Flex is reduced but only slightly.Smaller tires weigh less than larger tires, so less energy is needed to get them rolling, and also to stop them.
The experts warned truck drivers that they should not switch to smaller tires.
The added cost of re-gearing to keep your engine's most efficientrpm range outweighs any gains in fuel economy if you switch to smaller tires.Power and economy are affected by transmission, drive axle ratios and tire size.You throw the equation off if you change one.There is no difference in mileage due to tire size.
The answer to this question can have nuances, conditions, and variations.There is a different answer for truck drivers than there is for the typical driver.If your vehicle's transmission would be negatively impacted by new tires, it is a good idea to consider other factors, such as the size of the tire.Depending on the conditions you drive in, safety should be a priority.The experts at Dunn Tire can answer your questions.