Wheels

[layoutshooter]

I will be having to do something with some wheels soon. My steel wheels that are behind the aluminum ones are rusting up. I can recondition them for cheap, $21 per, that takes a week. I can buy already reconditioned for $51 each.

OR

I could replace the steel wheels with aluminum. That would cut weight, costs more.

Does anyone have any idea just how long it would take to recoup the cost of aluminum wheels in the fuel savings?

 

[LDB]

What do the aluminum wheels cost? How much lighter is each wheel? Is there a benefit other than a little better mpg? I seem to recall hearing about unsprung weight when talking sports cars. There may be benefits there as well. I'm sorry to only have questions and not answers but it will be interesting to learn what you find out.

 

[greg334]

You won't really see any improvements with the extra 15 pounds you save.

 

[Rocketman]

I'm thinkin a long, looooong time. You should weigh the wheels, the steel will obviously be heavier, but i doubt it will be as much as you think. You might be able to find some wheels for sale on the net and compare the shipping weights for an easy estimate.

I once had a t/t truck that I was selling and a buddy wanted the aluminum wheels (the wheels were worth as much as the truck...lol) I made a trade with him and he re-weighed his truck. He was pretty dissappointed. I don't remember what the change was but it was very, very little for 8 wheels. Maybe 200 lbs over 8 wheels, I'm thinkin.

 

[Slo-Ride]

I could replace the steel wheels with aluminum.

No idea what ya would save in fuel, but just think how good ya would look going down the road. And ya just cant put a price on that.
Not sure but maybe Aluim wheels help dissipate heat a bit better also???
If ya wanna upgrade to 11r24.5s I got a deal just for you in the classifed section.

 

[chefdennis]

A Leo said, the wheels are "unsprung weight"..so there is no advantage there and as Greg said, the weight savings isn't enough to create a weight reduction that would improve fuel mileage and the price of those "Alcola" wheels is way up there so the ROI i would think wouldn't happen in the trucks lifetime...since the steeal wheels are on the inside and you already have the Aluminum wheels on the outside, the cosmetic affect is already there...get the ones that are already "reconditioned"....

 

[layoutshooter]

I am more than likely going with the ones that are already done. Then get my reconditioned so I can swap them out. I don't want them to get that bad again. I plan on doing this all in June when I buy my new drive tires. I have 177,000 and change on mine now. There is 6/32nds left on them and the wear pattern is nice. No weird wear. Nice and flat across the tire.

 

[ATeam]

Do your research and get the exact numbers. Calculate exactly the weight difference between aluminum and steel wheels over the number of wheels you would replace.

Then calculate the number of cheeseburgers you would have to eat to gain the same amount of weight. If you change to aluminum wheels, you can eat that many cheeseburgers without degrading your fuel economy.

 

[layoutshooter]

Do your research and get the exact numbers. Calculate exactly the weight difference between aluminum and steel wheels over the number of wheels you would replace.

Then calculate the number of cheeseburgers you would have to eat to gain the same amount of weight. If you change to aluminum wheels, you can eat that many cheeseburgers without degrading your fuel economy.

LOL!! The "cheeseburger" factor is something that I had never considered!!

 

[layoutshooter]

Do your research and get the exact numbers. Calculate exactly the weight difference between aluminum and steel wheels over the number of wheels you would replace.

Then calculate the number of cheeseburgers you would have to eat to gain the same amount of weight. If you change to aluminum wheels, you can eat that many cheeseburgers without degrading your fuel economy.

LOL!! The "cheeseburger" factor is something that I had never considered!!

 

[moose]

? Is there a benefit other than a little better mpg?

* with 2 aluminum wheels you can now use the 'balance master' or alikes ,to center the wheels on the hubs .if you never had a cupping problem on the truck before, then this will be a mute point.
* depending on truck configurations, it might give more rotations options.
* alloy wheels leaks less air then steel ones.
* grease monkeys will be as impressed with your truck.

- you can find great deals on used alloys in trucks salvage yards, pilot/busselman's, and trailers shops .

 

[Ragman]

you can eat that many cheeseburgers without degrading your fuel economy.

Twice as many if you are eating White Castles.

 

[layoutshooter]

Twice as many if you are eating White Castles.

White Castle is food for the gods! NOTHING is better!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Love them!!

 

[jjoerger]

I am more than likely going with the ones that are already done. Then get my reconditioned so I can swap them out. I don't want them to get that bad again. I plan on doing this all in June when I buy my new drive tires. I have 177,000 and change on mine now. There is 6/32nds left on them and the wear pattern is nice. No weird wear. Nice and flat across the tire.

177,000 on drives with only 6/32 left doesn't sound like very good tread wear.
We have 132,000 on our drives and still have 18/32. No lift axle and we weigh 22,300 empty. We are running Firestones.

 

[moose]

There is 6/32nds left on them and the wear pattern is nice. No weird wear. Nice and flat across the tire.

Get e'm regrooved .
for 20$ a tire you'll get 60,000 mil. more out of the rubber .
worned out tires also get better fuel millage if properly driven.

i'v regrooved the SS tires on my tractor 50K mil. ago .

 

[layoutshooter]

177,000 on drives with only 6/32 left doesn't sound like very good tread wear.
We have 132,000 on our drives and still have 18/32. No lift axle and we weigh 22,300 empty. We are running Firestones.

I got 205,000 out of my last set of tires. They did NOT get as good as fuel mileage as these do. I should get the same miles out of these as the last ones.

I wonder, what kind of mileage are people getting out of their drive tires? Do you get better out of "deeper" thread? What is the difference in tire life and cost and lower rolling resistance, lower fuel costs and over cost?

Our truck weighs 30,000lbs empty.

 

[ATeam]

Ballparking it, we get somewhere between 275,000 and 325,000 out of our drive tires, maybe better (dual wheels, tandem axles). We are only on our second set and the truck has 580,000 miles on it now.

We are about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the second set now and see a noticible increase in fuel economy (0.1 to 0.2 mpg) as the tires wear and rolling resistance decreases. The same happened with the first set.

Both sets have been deep lug tires. While that has a negative effect on fuel economy, it has a positive effect in snow and mud. Liking traction, I will probably buy new drive tires before next winter. There may be a lot of good miles left in them at that time but good traction is desirable before the snow flies.

 

[layoutshooter]

What kind of tires do you have?

I am trying to figure out this tire thing. The Michelin XZA3 starts out with 19-32 thread depth. We are at 6-32 at 177,000 and change. Who else is using this tire? Is this normal?

 

[Dynamite 1]

joe, is the xza3 you are using a lug or strait tread, as in like a steer tire? if strait then that explains your wear rate. not made to accept the torque. with the 19/32 you mentioned it sounds like a steer tire. i have xza3 casings w/oliver vdt9 treads {recaps}. i know how some feel about recaps but this set has 330,000 and is @ 12,13/32 depth left. were 29/32 new. knock on wood, never had a blow out or tread separation but i do follow some rules for recaps as in mounting them in the cool weather and running them about 5# under inflated for about 5000k to help them seal. rolling resistance on these is 115 i think but dot quote me. the best thing 215.00 out the door new stems per tire.

anyway, get a tire with as much tread as possible with the best rolling resistance. lower number the better. i can get used aluminum wheels that have been repolished for 85-100.00 $@ the same place i get my drives. they also have great prices on new tires as well. i just put new xza3 steers on my truck for 860.00 out the door stems, mounted and balanced on a machine. place is on I-57 south of effingham, il. .pm me if you are interested and we will talk.

 

[layoutshooter]

The XZA3 is listed as a "all position" tire. I use them for my steers as well. Is there a web site that lists the rolling resistance of at least the main brands of tires?