wheel size

[digger]

do the wheel sizes on a car have any impact on fuel used ?

i.e. is there any difference between 16 or 18" wheels

thanks for helping a thicko

[ronttuk]

diferent wheel rim sizes for the same car usually have different tyre sizes ie- 13/60-185 would mean 13" rim the tyre wall is 60% of the width which would be 185 m/m if you had for instance 14" rims the tyre size would alter ie- 14/50-205 so the circumference will be approxmatly the same.

if you did put an incorrect tyre wheel/size on a car it would alter the gearing and the speedo reading so it could make your fuel economy worse or better but to put a bigger wheel on to lower the revs of the engine would make the car slower on acceleration therefore needing more throttle to get the same speed as most of your fuel is used in acceleration not at a constant speed this would lower fuel economy around town but possibly give you better mpg on a run if the engine has enough power to cope with the extra load.

cars are devoloped costing £1,000,000 to get the best all round performance so i think its best to stay with the manufacturers specifications unless you are doing somthing radical with the vehicle.

hope this helps

[Wookie]

If you are trying to squeeze evry last drop of economy out of your car, then getting very road-biased tyres (if in a 4x4) that are correct for the gearing and making sure they are pumped up properly is your best bet.

 

Then it's just keeping the air filters clean, maybe fitting something like a cyclone or an induction kit to it too.

 

If it's been owned by someone that's never driven it far or fast (like my car - driven at under 30 around town by my sister), then it might need a few good fast runs to clear all the coke out of the engine. That's my excuse anyway. Otherwise dump a bottle of redx in the tank and see what comes out.

 

Wookie

[NorfolkBoy]

"Otherwise dump a bottle of redx in the tank and see what comes out."

 

Aaaahh RedX.....That brings back memories

 

Off topic but...... I remember giving my old Mini 1000 a dose of that.... the black smoke that emerged at the exhaust was nearly enough for my Ma to call the fire brigade.... But I didn't notice much of an improvement but with only 38hp I was probably being overly optimistic anyway.....

[ziplex]

do the wheel sizes on a car have any impact on fuel used ?

i.e. is there any difference between 16 or 18" wheels

thanks for helping a thicko

 

Digger, What vehicle is it? reason I ask is if it's a fairly recent turbo diesel you can do as i've done and fit a 'Tunit' type box..........i've contact details for a real good chap who sells them and they do work very well for both a performance hike AND an improvement in economy. (no financial interest on my part, just a recommendation).

[digger]

thanks for the replies gents

zip,ita 2lt tdci mondeo.thereason for my question was because im buying one on friday and have a choice of two,one with 16" and one with 18"

[ziplex]

thanks for the replies gents

zip,ita 2lt tdci mondeo.thereason for my question was because im buying one on friday and have a choice of two,one with 16" and one with 18"

 

Oh, it all makes sense now , still have a look at the boxes i've mentioned Digger, they're a no brainer for a diesel engined car. See, amongst others, www.dieseltuninguk.co.uk.

[pin]

I think the choice is cosmetic for the most part, depends on what you think suits the car. Some people like a larger wheel, some don't.

 

18's will generally be more expensive to replace than 16's but that depends on the exact specification of the tyre. For instance a 16" tyre which has a 30 profile ratio and is ZR rated will cost more than a cooking 18" tyre.

 

Personally I think the 18s look better on that car.

[me and my lad]

USE THIS

[Lord Geordie]

If you want good MPG from a car then take the following into consideration

 

1 when motorway driving feather the throttle (just enought throttle to keep the car at the speed you want)

 

2 Stick to around 60MPH

 

3 Don't Brake hard take note of the traffic round you and slow before junctions etc. If poss try to time your junctions so you can stay in 2nd and get straight out.

 

4 When you pull away IF it is safe to do so do it slowly and don't try to go from 0-60 in 4 seconds

 

Tyres will make VERY little if any difference at all.

 

Redex is a waste of time i know of people who's cars have FAILED their emmisions test after using the stuff.

 

Check your air filter-tyre pressures-and service your car at regular intervals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LG

[pin]

If you want good MPG from a car then take the following into consideration

 

1 when motorway driving feather the throttle (just enought throttle to keep the car at the speed you want)

 

2 Stick to around 60MPH

 

3 Don't Brake hard take note of the traffic round you and slow before junctions etc. If poss try to time your junctions so you can stay in 2nd and get straight out.

 

4 When you pull away IF it is safe to do so do it slowly and don't try to go from 0-60 in 4 seconds

 

Not forgetting :-

 

Don't drive with the window open

Try not to use the aircon all the time

Take anything you don't need out the boot

Adjust the tyre pressures for the load you are carrying

 

Not that I can do any of these things. I always seem to have hide poles, deeks and all the rest of it in the boot, I smoke so the window is always open, I have a heavy right foot and I will get the garage to check the tyre pressures when it goes in for a service

[elowarr]

I have recently changed the wheels on my Car from 16" to 18" the tyres went from 205x50x16 to 215x35x18 to keep the rolling diameter the same as to not affect the gearing and speedo. the only downside is that there is not alot of sidewall and you feel the bumps more and they are easier to kerb plus the tyres are dearer.

[Axe]

I'd go with the 16" rims for many reasons. Firstly the lower the profile of tyre the more expensive it will cost to replace. Importantly for me anyway is the ride comfort, again the lower the profile the harder the ride. Another crucial point to remember is kerbs etc, I have 17" rims with 225/45 tyres, the rims have had it where i've hit kerb stones or large pot holes.

 

We have three TDCI Mondeo's in our fleet two with 16" one with 17" rims, we have not seen any difference in fuel economy in the cars, except those driven with lead boots.