15" rim question.... Again
04-01-2012, 11:08 AM
#11
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04-01-2012, 12:16 PM
#13
JK Freak
It may not be cheaper...
There have been lots of messages on this forum about tire weight and the effects on performance, stress on the axles, drive shafts, etc.
From a purely cost-to-operate point of view, I think you could make the case that it doesn't make sense to go down in rim size to save a few dollars on the purchase price of tires.
My math is simple and I welcome any challenges to my assumptions, but I believe that the 15" rim + a given tire diameter will weigh more than a 17" or 18" rim + the same tire diameter (say, 37" on both rims)
If that extra weight costs you 1 mpg, over a 40,000 mile life of your tire tread, if you're averaging 15 mpg, you'll burn 2,667 gallons of gas. If you're averaging 16 mpg, you'll burn 2,500 gallons of gas. That 1 mpg difference, at $4/gallon will cost you $668.
Add that to shorter brake life (because extra rotational mass is harder to stop) and more stress on your powertrain, and I'm thinking you won't save any money and you may be increasing the possibility of expensive repairs.
It's the ol' you can pay me now or you can pay me later....
Just my 2 cents; I'd welcome a net present value calculation that proves me wrong.
From a purely cost-to-operate point of view, I think you could make the case that it doesn't make sense to go down in rim size to save a few dollars on the purchase price of tires.
My math is simple and I welcome any challenges to my assumptions, but I believe that the 15" rim + a given tire diameter will weigh more than a 17" or 18" rim + the same tire diameter (say, 37" on both rims)
If that extra weight costs you 1 mpg, over a 40,000 mile life of your tire tread, if you're averaging 15 mpg, you'll burn 2,667 gallons of gas. If you're averaging 16 mpg, you'll burn 2,500 gallons of gas. That 1 mpg difference, at $4/gallon will cost you $668.
Add that to shorter brake life (because extra rotational mass is harder to stop) and more stress on your powertrain, and I'm thinking you won't save any money and you may be increasing the possibility of expensive repairs.
It's the ol' you can pay me now or you can pay me later....
Just my 2 cents; I'd welcome a net present value calculation that proves me wrong.
04-01-2012, 06:12 PM
#14
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5 black steel wheels cost me 250.00 shipped to my door. I like the ride of a load range c tire, after all aren't towing fifth wheels with these things. Lucky me I just happened to have 5 MTR's of the 15" variety in my shed, so that may buy me a few more miles using this equation. Though not enough to please everyone I'm sure.