Weels/tires for best milage?

[NemesisDP]

The wife drives a 07LBZ ccsb and is getting 20mpg. It was getting 23-24 with stock 245/75-16's. It's got 285/75/16's now. I want to buy new wheels and tires but want to get the milage back up. Was thinking of 275/50/20's. What do you guy's recomend or what have you gotten good milage with? Just ordered electric fans and full synthetic oil for all the way around. She drives 100 miles a day round trip to work.

 

[Redbone]

I dropped a solid 2 MPG going to the 265/17's last summer. Put the stockers back on for the winter with a highway tread, and it jumped immediately 3 MPG.

I'm convinced that rotating weight is at least as important, if not moreso than tuning in establishing fuel economy. Most wheel and tire specs give their weight. I'd definitely make that at least part of the criteria. FWIW, forged wheels seem to run a little lighter for a given size and design than the cast counterparts, if I remember right.

 

[Alligator]

Stick with stock for best mileage. Mine went down from 18-19 on the freeway at 80 to 16-17 at 80 with my 20's.

 

[McRat]

There are a few things working here:

Diameter - This affects two things, vehicle height and gearing. Getting the truck down on the ground is good for mileage. But those with 5-sp's might benefit with the taller gearing that larger dia's can provide. 6-sp's like small tires.

Tread - Aggressive A/T or M/T tires won't do well compared to All Weather or best - Ribbed Highway.

Width - The wider the footprint, the greater the rolling resistance.

Weight - Heavier wheel/tire pairing reduces city mileage. Much like carrying weight in the bed.

Plies - "E" rated tires get better mileage than "D" rated because they are stiffer.

Pressure - Run the highest recommended pressure. A tire with a 44PSI max is harder to roll than a tire with a 80PSI max.

Alignment - If your tires are "toe-in" or "toe-out" excessively, your mileage will suffer.

 

[blackduramax07]

Stick with the stockers. They are short and narrow w/ small narrow wheels. That equates to less weight. In turn, you will see better mpg. The worst part is they are ugly as hell.

 

[Buccanoles]

There are a few things working here:

Pressure - Run the highest recommended pressure. A tire with a 44PSI max is harder to roll than a tire with a 80PSI max.

I was about to ask this question. I have 33" Nitto Mud Graps, dropped my mpg from 24 to 17 anyway, I think the cold psi on the sidewall says 60psi. Is that what I should run in them? Right now I am running 50psi. I know it wont make a huge deal but I'll take anything I can get.

 

[turbo_bu]

Anyone running dually tires as singles???? I keep throwing around putting on some 235/85 R 16's on my CCSB to get a slightly taller tire on there. I'm trying to reduce engine RPM at ~70 MPH to get some mileage back. For me, drivng mixed (town / country) at ~60 MPH equates to ~21 MPH. Get out on interstate, ~70 MPH, mileage starts to go down.

Just trying to reduce the RPM the most without coughing up the ~$1500 for the 6 speed kit.

 

[Coop]

I ran 235 85 16s on a 96 Burban diesel. I liked them because they gave me a higher profile without the added width.

The tire did well towing a 10K trailer and also they did well in snow without pulling the truck around in slush like wider tires do. Overall I was satisfied with them.

Mike

 

[RENODMAX]

i can tell you which ones not to get-305/50/20s haha

 

[ceb0217]

i have 6 215 85 16 and i get about 20 city hiway and a little more when i tune it up with the super chips and about 14 haulling camper/trailer to the coast through the mountians

 

[NemesisDP]

Best milage I have gotten is with 265 75 16's. 245's and 285's killed the milage

 

[JOHNBOY]

265s on pyos aired up gets the best for me.

 

[othrgrl]

I have one customer that runs some pizza cutters (245-90s or something like that) on stock rims on his LBZ and he gets 22+ mpg on hot tunes. Another customer running my LLY economy tune on his 04.5 EC SB 4x4 gets 20+ city and 25+mpg highway on 285-75-16s Bridgestones (some sort of non-aggressive AT) on stock rims. I'm working on converting that tune into an LBZ tune to see how it does on the pizza cutter truck. I'll let you guys know how it does and what size those tires are - he'll be driving 15 hours on that tune with those tires next friday.

Oh and my heavy 20s with 305-50s on them kill my mileage, especially on "mileage" tunes. Mileage tunes like the one my LLY customer runs to get 25+mpg only get 17-18 highway with my rims and my truck is lowered. Tow tunes and hotter tunes get me 20-22mpg highway with the 20s on.

 

[NemesisDP]

Just went to Disneyland from New Mexico to Phoenix where I'm at now and have averaged 20mpg at 75-90mph. With 285/75/16's. PPE set on level 6 with no lift pump. With lift pump on at low psi I normaly see 1-2 mpg better.

 

[turbo_bu]

I have one customer that runs some pizza cutters (245-90s or something like that) on stock rims on his LBZ and he gets 22+ mpg on hot tunes.

Don't suppose you know what size / brand of tires those pizza cutters are???? I haven't seen any tires with those spec's listed.

 

[wikdlmm]

ive got 20x10 eagles wth 285/50/20 and i get 19.3mpg empty at 70mph if that helps

 

[othrgrl]

They are an off brand 255/85-16.