How much difference do the weight of tires really make?

Hey all,

I’m currently weighing two sets of 295/70/18 tires.

1. Falken Wildpeaks at 68 pounds

2. Cooper AT3 XLT at 61 pounds.

I know on the surface that 7 pounds per tire may not make a huge difference but the wheels I’ll be running will be 32 pounds each as well.

I think I prefer the Wildpeak overall as a fire but the weight has me concerned about overall performance (more sluggish) & how much more of a hit I’ll take in the MPG category.

Any insight/thoughts are appreciated!

 

Added unsprung/ rotational mass affects quite a bit.

 

One pound of rotating mass is like adding three pounds to the truck. This is significant in acceleration and braking (Insert a bunch of big engineering words like rotational moment of inertia here)

Adding 7 pounds per tire is like adding 84 pounds to the truck.

Then there is the issue of unsprung mass. You suspension (shocks) will need to work a lot harder to smooth out the ride with all that mass trying to bounce up.

Lighter tires are better.

Fuel mileage is probably more about rolling resistance than this added weight. The weight will be a piece but probably not the biggest factor.

 

I have 275/70/18 and regeared because I tow. Tolerable if I didn't tow, but I'm thrilled with 5.29's on a small tire and it's only because of the weight of the Falkens. Hope that helps.

 

I put the TRD Fox kit on my truck, then a steel RCI skid, LT285/75R18 Duratracs, a 2nd battery, and a retractable bed cover. I was getting 14 combined after all that. The Duratracs are each 25 lbs heavier than the stock Michelins, and the TRD BBS wheels are 4 lbs lighter each than my stock TRD Off Road wheels. So, I had a net weight gain of 21 lbs per corner.

Then just to see how much of a difference it would make, I put my original tires and wheels back on, and the next gas tank I averaged 14.3. Driving habits were exactly the same, and both numbers are hand calculated.

Tire weight matters for sure, but I think increased wind drag from lifting/leveling the front end of your truck matters more. Not to mention all the other weight from skids, bed cover, bumpers, sliders, etc.