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Date:         Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:28:13 +0000
Reply-To:     rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Todd Last <rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Better MPG - wheels and tires ?
Comments: To: Joel Sell <justthesells@YAHOO.COM>

The taller tire will have more sidewall which will better absorb defects in the road. To the degree that the tire deflects, in theory, this would decrease mileage over a very thin hard rubber tire. (Take a look at the wheels and tires on high mpg specialty cars - they are almost like a hard rubber bicycle tire)

However, a thin tire - much like the jokers who put 25" wheels with low profile tires on SUVs, is going to give you a bottom jarring ride.

In theory the thin tire will give better mileage, however the question is if this would translate to any real practical gain in a real wold situation. Personally, I'd go for the tall sidewall - particulalry if I were going to drive on anything other than smooth freeway.

Todd '88 Westy

-------------- Original message -------------- From: Joel Sell <justthesells@YAHOO.COM>

> I am interested to see where the "under the front end aerodynamics" thread goes, > but I'm also wondering about wheels and tires. Short of purchasing racing wheels > which I think are illegal to use on the street, what are our options for > lightening up our wheels? Also, Is a 14" wheel with a tall tire better than an > 18" wheel with a low profile tire? I know that thinner is better, and it seems > that as wheels increase in diameter, they also increase in width ,but assuming > you could stay thin, is a tire with a tall sidewall better/worse than a tire > with a low sidewall? How about overall diameter? > August '06 Popular Mechanics says that "rotating weight of a spinning tire is > 1.5 times its actual mass- so this is an area where trimming pounds really pays > off". > Any thoughts on this? > Joel in Philly


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