How do rims affect gas mileage

It was examined in an article in the December issue of Land Line Magazine , which is described as a business magazine for professional truck drivers. The article examined the issue of how tire specifications can affect fuel economy. Low profile sidewalls are shorter, and therefore stiffer. That reduces flex 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, however, offered a word of caution lest truck drivers assume they should switch to smaller tires:. It is probably not worth switching to smaller tires, since any gains in fuel economy would be offset by the added cost of re-gearing to keep your engine operating in its most efficient rpm range. Remember, power and economy are affected by transmission, drive axle ratios and tire size revolution per mile. Change one, and you throw the equation off.

As with many questions related to cars and tires, the answer to this question can have nuances, conditions, and variations. This, however, was as close as we could get to testing the same tire in every size. We used the stock steel wheels for the inch test and went to the aftermarket for the larger wheels, as most owners would do. We asked the folks at Goodyear why that might be, and they postulated that the added width may have given the outside tire more grip, which would increase body roll and could therefore decrease the load on the inside tire enough to lose 0.

Buy Now. Subjectively, both the inch and inch wheels and tires were in the sweet spot of grip, braking performance, ride comfort, and steering feel. Moving from inchers to 18s barely degrades ride quality, and the additional grip is welcome. We do know that the heavy, inch setup suffered from the most impact harshness and seemed to tax the suspension the most.

In contrast, the two smallest wheel-and-tire combos showed a propensity for more understeer on the skidpad but provided a more controlled and supple ride. The inch wheels definitely look the coolest. And remember, unless you believe it is better to look good than to feel good, take our advice and stay away from extremely low-profile sidewalls and massively heavy wheels. Every driver wants to know how to improve fuel economy. Greener cities are also made possible with fuel efficient vehicles and alternative transportation.

The laws of physics dictate that stationary objects want to remain that way, so moving those objects demands energy. The more resistance your vehicle has to get moving, the more fuel it will burn. Here are ways you can reduce the amount of rolling resistance your tires produce and get around more efficiently:.

Check your tires for the appropriate air pressure on a monthly basis. The deeper the treads, the worse your gas mileage will be.

Tread helps your tires grab the asphalt in inclement weather and when you have to brake suddenly, but the average urban motorist only needs so much grab. At the other end of the tread spectrum are the chunky, knobby, off-road treads. Wicked looking and capable of clawing through the fudgiest mud, but they will degrade your fuel economy significantly.