best gas mileage tires?

skrivan · 03-13-2012, 12:14 PM

Does anyone have good advice for choosing new tires that give best gas mileage on the highway? or doesnt it matter much....?

c7train · 03-13-2012, 12:35 PM

Hard to tell since trying multiple tires on one rig is pretty pricey, obviously steer clear of mudder type tires, but in the end, there are many other factors when considering how to achieve better MPG. I think any person you ask will have an opinion (probably all different), but think of it in motorcycle tires. A fat wide tread=less smooth on the road, close thin/lower profile tread=smooth and will be more efficient, each tire has it's place, be it road or mud or dirt. Happy medium is key in most cases.

Good luck!
C.

Gnarvan · 03-13-2012, 01:23 PM

I'm not sure it matters much but in theory some tires are better than others for fuel economy. A tire with a stiffer sidewall that doesn't flex and allow the contact patch to change size will generally give you better gas mileage. It's all about the rolling resistance. Like everything there are pros and cons. A really stiff tire pumped up to a high pressure will (in theory) give you better mileage but you will lose ride comfort and traction.

In the world of big trucks there have been enough mileage tests done on different tires to help you pick one that will save you some fuel. When you drive 100k+ miles a year earning a living saving fractions of a mile per gallon can add up to make a big difference. Tractor trailer tires usually run at 100psi. I run the tires on my van at 60psi.

rockbender · 03-13-2012, 01:33 PM

I know that people have been happy with the Michelin LTX's (all season) as well as the Firestone Destination's. Any highway tread will be quieter and should be more efficient than an all-terrain (AT), which will be quieter and roll better than a mud-terrain (MT) as a general rule. Other rules of thumb would be to try to stay within one size of the stock tire, with a skinnier tire typically being a more efficient roller than a wide tire.

We have been putting the Firestone Transforce AT tires on our pickups at work and they seem to do pretty well, but could still be a bit on the over aggressive side for a mostly all highway use tire.

Choosing an E-rated tire that you could run up to 80 PSI in would probably help as well.

ehc0720 · 03-15-2012, 10:19 AM

I just put the new Michelin LTX AT/2's on mine, also I changed wheels. I thought about putting wider wheels/tires on but thought it would hurt mpg so I stayed with stock sizes. I have taken the van out twice with the new tires and got 15.7 and 15.9 mpg on those trips. '04 EB with 5.4L.

Ford_6L_E350 · 03-15-2012, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehc0720

I just put the new Michelin LTX AT/2's on mine, also I changed wheels. I thought about putting wider wheels/tires on but thought it would hurt mpg so I stayed with stock sizes. I have taken the van out twice with the new tires and got 15.7 and 15.9 mpg on those trips. '04 EB with 5.4L.

So, what were the previous tires and the previous mileage?

Mike

ehc0720 · 03-16-2012, 11:23 AM

I recently purchased this and the tires and wheels needed to be replaced they were so bad, so I don't know what the mpg was. I was just responding that I stayed with the OEM size narrow wheels for better mpg.

Silver350 · 03-18-2012, 08:27 PM

I would guess that an "LTX M/S2" is about as fuel efficient a truck tire as exists. But I have no personal experience with them.

webbmac · 03-18-2012, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver350

I would guess that an "LTX M/S2" is about as fuel efficient a truck tire as exists. But I have no personal experience with them.

I would vouch for this. I have them (285/75/16E) on my Chevy and love them, especially since most of my offroading is in soft stuff where a less aggressive tread doesn't matter too much. They seem huge for 33", and that float us helps a lot in the conditions we encounter. A big bonus is that they also come with a 70k mile treadlife guarantee.