TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

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Tony
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TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by Tony »

Ok guys, here's an interesting one regarding all the hype about tyre width and HT / AT / MT's and their related fuel consumption.
So ..... Wider uses more fuel - correct?? AND MT's use more than AT's, which in turn use more than HT's - this is a fact .... right??
Ok, here's what I have found out on my last two runs down to the W/Cape. You guys all know my GU - it came with BFG 305 65 17 KM2 muddies. I drove down in December on these tyres and had a blowout on my return trip and promptly replaced all 5 tyres with Cooper STMaxx's these are classified as AT's and I went a little narrower i.e. 285 70 17. Last month I drove down again on the new ones, both trips were towing a trailer. In December we were 4 up inside with a number of light items on the roofrack as well as a bicycle lying on top of the trailer. Last months trip we were 2 up inside and nothing on top.
Here are my findings:

Jhb to Hanover (BFG MT 305's) ODO = 669.10 GPS = 712.10 Litres = 134.72

Jhb to Hanover (Cooper AT 285's) ODO = 672.10 GPS = 715.15 Litres = 133.24

Is this a "busted myth" or what!!
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by Rodney »

I am no expert but lots of small things make a difference.

I have a 2000 Citroen C3 diesel that comfortably does 20km on 1 litre at 130/140km/h. But hit the southwester or southeaster near Cape Town and that easily drops to 16/17 km litre.

I have noticed on my Y61 3.0l that a side or front wind whilst the roofrack is on( but empty ) noticeably negatively affects my consumption travelling for about 125 km on the same route on a regular basis. When I turn around and travel mostly with the wind consumption back to normal. So I remove the roofrack for daily travelling (absolute schlepp).
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by Alex Roux »

I moved from 33" (Muddies) to 31" (ATs) on Shortie.
They are narrower too.
Highway consumption improved from 6 km/l to 7 km/l.
Skilpad, Shortie, Toro & Masewa
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by Peter Connan »

I went from 33x12.5 AT's to 32x11.5 Muddies to 265/70R16 HT's to 255/85R16 muddies.

No repeatable difference in fuel consumption, except in soft sand, where the narrow tyres have a noticeable advantage.
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by Tinus lotz »

Check asb net eers julle odo teen julle speedo met verskillende bande julle sal skrik ..my bakkie meet 9% onder met 285 75 16 teen die speedo ...maw die odo wys 100km en gps wys 109
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by SJC »

Tony wrote: 19 May 2018 12:23 Ok guys, here's an interesting one regarding all the hype about tyre width and HT / AT / MT's and their related fuel consumption.
So ..... Wider uses more fuel - correct?? AND MT's use more than AT's, which in turn use more than HT's - this is a fact .... right??
Ok, here's what I have found out on my last two runs down to the W/Cape. You guys all know my GU - it came with BFG 305 65 17 KM2 muddies. I drove down in December on these tyres and had a blowout on my return trip and promptly replaced all 5 tyres with Cooper STMaxx's these are classified as AT's and I went a little narrower i.e. 285 70 17. Last month I drove down again on the new ones, both trips were towing a trailer. In December we were 4 up inside with a number of light items on the roofrack as well as a bicycle lying on top of the trailer. Last months trip we were 2 up inside and nothing on top.
Here are my findings:

Jhb to Hanover (BFG MT 305's) ODO = 669.10 GPS = 712.10 Litres = 134.72

Jhb to Hanover (Cooper AT 285's) ODO = 672.10 GPS = 715.15 Litres = 133.24

Is this a "busted myth" or what!!
I had 255/85r16 on both my patrols previously (st maxx & dunlop mt2's), currently got a second hand set of 285/75r16 BFG km2's on.
My consumption is slightly more with the current set, maybe 0.3km/l more. not 100% sure.

Got better fuel consumption with the dunlop mt2's, than with the st maxx's. (there goes the at give better fuel consumption than mt theory.. :biggrin: ) The MT2's got quite an aggressive mt threat/pattern compared to the st maxx's.. But they are slightly narrower than the st maxx's although it is theoretically the same size tyre.
IMG_3098.JPG
IMG_3098.JPG (424.39 KiB) Viewed 7462 times
But as Tinus said, double check the odo compare with gps distance traveled. These two sizes are not the same diameter tyre.
285 305 17.jpg
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by mvcoller »

The OP compared 285/70 x 17 with 305/65 x 17

when comparing the two, the OD size for each size is:
305/65 - 828.30mm or 32.61"
285/70 - 830.80mm or 32.71"

So the size is very similar, the 285/70 is 2,5mm (or 1/10th on an inch) taller than the 305/65. I bet you if you fit new tyres, after just 5000km, that will be the OD difference between your front and rear tyres. It is really insignificant.....
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by Jules »

Please explain this

Jhb to Hanover (BFG MT 305's) ODO = 669.10 GPS = 712.10 Litres = 134.72

Jhb to Hanover (Cooper AT 285's) ODO = 672.10 GPS = 715.15 Litres = 133.24

Is the 669.10 GPS the kilometres travelled and 712.10 Litres used to travel that ???? what then is the 134.72 ??

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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by Picasso »

Jules wrote: 22 May 2018 12:00 Please explain this

Jhb to Hanover (BFG MT 305's) ODO = 669.10 GPS = 712.10 Litres = 134.72

Jhb to Hanover (Cooper AT 285's) ODO = 672.10 GPS = 715.15 Litres = 133.24

Is the 669.10 GPS the kilometres travelled and 712.10 Litres used to travel that ???? what then is the 134.72 ??

Shalom
Well.. I understood it in the following way

BFG
The distance traveled indicating on the trip meter (ODO) was 669.1 km
The actual distance traveled according to the GPS = 712.1 km
The difference between ODO and GPS is most likely due to the bigger Tyre diameter ~ 6 %
The fuel consumed over this distance was 134.72 liters or between 19 and 20 Liters / 100 km depending on km reading.

same principle for the Cooper tyres

:salute:
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Re: TYRE WIDTH/TYPE VS FUEL CONSUMPTION

Post by iandvl »

Jules wrote: 22 May 2018 12:00 Please explain this

Jhb to Hanover (BFG MT 305's)

ODO km = 669.10
GPS km = 712.10
Litres = 134.72


Jhb to Hanover (Cooper AT 285's)

ODO km = 672.10
GPS km = 715.15
Litres = 133.24


Is the 669.10 GPS the kilometres travelled and 712.10 Litres used to travel that ???? what then is the 134.72 ??

Shalom
I understood it as I highlighted it above.
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