MPG change going from A/T to highway tread

[Stevedbvik1]

Steve, I have been thinking of trying more of a highway tread tire on my Tremor for summer use. I'm in Ohio, the general grabbers handled the ice and snow last winter very well.

I was looking at the Firestone destination le3. According to tire rack they would be 7 lbs. Lighter per tire.

I'd like to try it, I think i would get my use out of both sets before they dry rot. I have wasted money on dumber stuff.

Let us know if you try it. Have you checked the weight difference on tire rack?

According to TireRack they are 7lbs lighter than the Generals . Same diameter and revs per mile. Still kicking it around.

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[deleriumtremor]

According to TireRack they are 7lbs lighter than the Generals . Same diameter and revs per mile. Still kicking it around.

To help you calibrate any expected fuel savings, in my example above when I went to my factory sized K02's on OEM rims from the 35" Nittos and much heavier aftermarket rims, I was saving about 39 lbs per corner and a LOT of rolling resistance, this netted the roughly 3 MPG savings combined.

 

[Frenchy]

According to TireRack they are 7lbs lighter than the Generals . Same diameter and revs per mile. Still kicking it around.

In general you can safe a little for MPG. It may be small but of want to run a dedicated snow/winter set and a summer/OffRoad set then its not a bad idea. Weither or not you choose to have two different wheels is your choice as well.

 

[Dgc333]

FWIW, the EPA Highway rating between difference between an FX4 and Tremor is 5 mpg. The only difference between the two that would impact mileage is the tires and a slight lift on the Tremor. I leveled my Tremor and saw ZERO difference in mileage so I would say that most of that 5 mpg comes from the tires.

Like others have said the tire cost will not be offset by the gas savings.

When it is time to replace my Grabber ATx tires I will go with a lighter P-metric AT tire that has a more street focused tread like the BFG Trail Terrain or General Grabber APT.

 

[THLONE]

It is all butt dyno speculation. Your mileage will vary.

 

[Todd Chapin]

I went from stock Hankook dynopro to 31.9 " Cooper rugged trek a hybrid at/mt. My milage dropped by 2 mpg but for me it is worth it to have a much stouter and taller tire.

 

[Aonarch]

Width, heigh, rolling resistance, weight, air resistance, etc are all factors in MPG.

I've thought about trying to snag a cheap set of Bronco take offs for road trips and going with a 255/80/17 on my Tremor wheels.

 

[1pt21gw]

Out West, could be the gasoline.

Took a 2100 mile trip up and down the West Coast in March, and Oregon had the best gas and got 24mpg! California gas @ 18 mpg, Washington gas was @ 20 mpg. All from Chevron, and all using 91 Premium due to a Tune. Mostly freeway 70-75, trying to keep it under 2k rpm.

Odd that CA gas was $6+/gal, and OR was $4.35/gal and WA was $5.10/gal at the time. I have noticed that the computer's mileage / and miles to go estimate is just that, an ESTIMATE and it is constantly adjusting depending on the last tank, how you have been and how you are driving. Crazy algorithm it is.

Tried lately to change tire pressures, no big change and the comfort of 28-29 lbs psi on a 275/65-18 AT tire that is very quiet is too nice!

 

[YaBoiNewton]

Hi Steve,

I do not have much experience with fuel economy impact of AT vs Highway. I think the key metric here is rolling resistance, not an easy metric to find between tires as I recall....I think today with a focus on fuel economy, tire construction will be to obtain the best reduced rolling resistance possible... I think you will see very little difference...kinda like picking fly shit out of the pepper. Probably more effective to increase tire pressure a few psi.

Most likely benefit is going to be tire noise reduction with Highway tires... JMO...

Best,
Phil

As a young engineer I hear older technicians, mechanics, etc. talk constant smack about how engineers lack common sense, but then I engage with my peers similar to you and wonder how the hell all these people have come to that conclusion.

Thank you for the free common sense knowledge drops, Phil.

 

[Aonarch]

As a young engineer I hear older technicians, mechanics, etc. talk constant smack about how engineers lack common sense, but then I engage with my peers similar to you and wonder how the hell all these people have come to that conclusion.

Thank you for the free common sense knowledge drops, Phil.

It is the bean counters who ruin everything.

 

[Dgc333]

As a young engineer I hear older technicians, mechanics, etc. talk constant smack about how engineers lack common sense, but then I engage with my peers similar to you and wonder how the hell all these people have come to that conclusion.

Thank you for the free common sense knowledge drops, Phil.

It is the bean counters who ruin everything.

FWIW, I have been an engineer for 45+ years and have heard all the derugatory comments about engineers. The common thread with all of them is the folks making them do not know the big picture and why things are the way they are. I have always taken the time to explain why things are the way they are and most times people accept that and stop complaining.

One thing you learn real quick as a new engineer is everything is a compromise and budget constraints are the single biggest driver.

 

[NetRedding]

I have a 2022 Tremor with the General AT’s on it. Wondering if anyone has swapped back and forth from AT’s to highway tread and if so have they seen MPG change? Just thinking ahead for next winters 4k plus road trip when the AT’s won’t be needed. Also because I have a chance to pick up some Michelin Defender LTX’s quite cheap. Thanks in advance

I changed out the stock Hankooks on my 2019 FX4 to same-size Cooper Discoverer AT3's and lost 1.5-2.0 mpg. It was a bigger difference than I expected.

 

[Blmpkn]

I changed out the stock Hankooks on my 2019 FX4 to same-size Cooper Discoverer AT3's and lost 1.5-2.0 mpg. It was a bigger difference than I expected.

Your loss was due to weight, not tread pattern.

 

[Aonarch]

FWIW, I have been an engineer for 45+ years and have heard all the derugatory comments about engineers. The common thread with all of them is the folks making them do not know the big picture and why things are the way they are. I have always taken the time to explain why things are the way they are and most times people accept that and stop complaining.

One thing you learn real quick as a new engineer is everything is a compromise and budget constraints are the single biggest driver.

100%

I'll give you three options but you can only pick two.

 

[JohnnyO]

Width, heigh, rolling resistance, weight, air resistance, etc are all factors in MPG.

All-terrains have more rolling resistance than all-seasons and mud-terrains have more rolling resistance than all-terrains.
I lost a solid 2 mpg on the highway when I put all-terrains on my old Sport Trac, stock size, but the OE tires were so horrible in snow that it was downright dangerous to drive.

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