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how much does tire weight affect performance as the actual size?

7K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  JIMBOX 
#1 ·
its been a factor for my tire choice for such a long time. i have a 97 tj with D30/35 with the dreaded 3.07 gears. my question is how much does the weight of a tire affect performance? To kind of clarify where im getting at, if you compare to tires of the same size, and one tire weighs 10lbs more then the other, will the difference running those two tires be noticeable enough to be a factor in choosing a tire. My boss has toyo open country M/T on his jeep size 285/75/r16 which is about a 33x11.6x16 tire. i have been looking at the bfg km2 tire size 33x12.5xr15. Each of the toyo tires weigh 68lbs where as the km2's weigh 61lbs. will that 7lb difference make a difference at all. please consider the fact that the km2 being a wider tire will cause more road friction because there is more tire in contact with the road

thanks,
Shawn
 
#2 ·
Idk, try packing around 28lb weights for a day, and that might help. ;) j/k I am in the same boat as you with the 3:07's.... :( What gearing does your boss have? Ask to drive his and see how it feels compared to yours. Or go to a car lot and drive one of theirs. What do you currently have? I am personally thinking I'll stay away from 33's till I can regear/re-Jeep.... I have 31's and my mpg's suck due to my driving habits. It's pretty sluggish, but nothing unbearable for me, my husband on the other hand, is gonna blow a gasket in it one of these days :D
 
#3 ·
:eek: Heh Heh, did you ever ride an old fashion bicycle, I SPEED FORWARD

Try to climb a hill with it that way, thats what your little jeep engine is trying to do with BIGGER tires and a high (low numbers) differential gear ratio

The tire weight is fairly important in the long run, but the tire diameter is what determines your initial mileage and power ratio

With a 3.07 gear ratio, I don't know what tires the jeep came with stock, but they were probably 28/29" diameter

You're kinda stuck without a (both) differential gear chg

Good luck

:rofl::rofl: JIMBO
 
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