Gas mileage fundimentals

On 1 Sep 2004 18:05:47 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (studio) found these unused words floating about:

Fundimentals? Is that some Islam thing?

so what's your point?

On 2 Sep 2004 17:23:14 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@mindspring.com (Evan Evans) found these unused words floating about:

He has a mcbarf job, wants to play with the big boys, but can't afford it, so figures he'll join the sierra club types and scream about those who can and do.

AKA trolling.

Please tell me about some replacement good mileage, QUIET tires for my 1998 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4X4 2.7L. This truck was tricked out by the previous owner with 31X10.5 BF Goodrich All Terrain tires on some jive time aluminum after-market wheels. The truck LOOKS great and all that, but I HATE the poor mileage and the damned noise those tires are good for. I do very little in 4WD and when I do it is slow and careful. I use the truck on a timber plantation with some very sensitive to erosion soil. As far as I am concerned, I do not need aggressive tread at all. Thanks for some thought and suggestions. Borg

You should go to the tire store and pick out some smaller tires with less aggressive tread pattern. This will change your final gearing, so it is tough to predict exactly how it will effect the way your truck drives. Smaler tires will give it more torque in 1st at a start, and your top speed will be a little lower, and you engine will have to work harder to sustain you at fast highway speeds.

My stock mini taco comes with firestone P205/75/R15s, and they ride pretty good. I feel like the engine has to push too hard to keep me at 80mph, so I may get 215 or 225 when I upgrade tires.

It's just hard to predict how the truck will handle when you change tires. I think you will need to get an alignment when you change tire sizes. As far as gas mileage, I'm getting 25 with the P205/75/R15s, and I have a 2.4l engine.

You are probably getting 18-19 with your 31's right? I doubt that sizeing down will increase your gas mileage a whole lot.

Good points. There does seem to be a disproportionate number of posters in this newgroup with V6 4x4's and 33 inch tires that are genuinely amazed that they don't get the same 25 MPG as their sister-in-law who drives a 2wd 4 cylinder Taco.

Some folks aren't too bright. But they've got cool trucks.

Me? I can live with the 15 MPG I get with my V6 4x4 and 33 inch tires. Without complaining even.

I might not discount the amount of damage that smaller quuiet , less agressive tires may leave behind. You dig bigger trenches and throw longer roosters when your tires are spinning......just a thought. MLM