2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Fuel mileage and rickson wheels

[SeanM]

If anyone on here is running 19. 5 rickson wheels (or similar) and commercial truck tires how bad has your MPG suffered? At 63lbs each I would have to guess it would be noticable.

 

[PFlory]

I am going to be buying a set of these after my current tires wear out.

It seems to me that with the power of these trucks, the added weight of the wheels wouldn't really make a difference. Kind of like a gyroscope effect, maybe make it go faster! :-laf

At any rate I'd much rather lose a little economy for the margin of safety when pulling the 5-er to from Georgia to Texas A&M and back this summer to pick up my son from his Duke TIP experience.

 

[SRadke]

I run 285's on steel Ricksons. The tires alone are over 100 lbs. Because they are 35" tall and have much less rolling resistance than a similar LT tire, I gained about 1 mpg.

-Scott

 

[AH64ID]

For my 3rd gen stock setup weighs 72lbs.



245/70/19. 5 622 RSD's and Alum rickson's weigh 116lbs each.



So yes there is a substantial difference, and the steel wheel's from Rickson weigh an additional 19 lbs.

 

[Schumacher]

I don't have the steel rickson's ,but I use the alum. vision's with toyo 245/70/19. 5 and I've gained 1mpg over 295/70/17 toyo mts on stock alum. wheels.

 

[fest3er]

I ran a set of Rickson's early steel wheels with 225/70-19. 5 tires for nigh on 200K miles. I saw some improvement in fuel economy, probably due to the significantly lower rolling resistance. When I recently changed back to 16" a year ago, I noticed a 1-2 MPG drop. My odo is set using a TruSpeed unit; it's set within 1%, based on 100 elapsed mile markers.

You won't lose fuel economy. Even if you do, you won't care: the truck is simply that much more stable, predictable and controllable.

 

[JExum]

I have 265/70/19. 5s on my truck and it weighs 9,000llbs and still gets 16-18 in regular driving best ever was 20. I don't believe the 19. 5s hurt my mpgs any but the tires are stiffer and your ride is alittle harder but well worth it in my opiniun.

 

[SRath]

I don't have the steel rickson's ,but I use the alum. vision's with toyo 245/70/19. 5 and I've gained 1mpg over 295/70/17 toyo mts on stock alum. wheels.

I like the USA-made Ricksons and badly want a set of 19. 5's, but for cost reasons I have been leaning more towards the Visions. Have you had any issues at all with their quality? My only other concern would be finding a 19. 5 tire with tread that is as comparatively aggressive as BFG Mud Terrains as possible.

 

[AH64ID]

The best one I have found is the Goodyear 622 Goodyear Commercial Truck Tires - G622 RSD Details



There may be more aggressive, but this one looked like a good mix of tread and life.

 

[RHestand]

A few months ago I bought a set of six 19. 5" forged alum. wheels with 8R/19. 5s on them from an Ebay dealer.
I was looking for a setup that would compensate for my 4. 10 gears at hi-way speeds.
According to calcs. I have about 12. 4% more roll-out than the stock setup, so now my 4. 10s= about 3. 60s. Also the new T&Ws weighs 25lbs. more (150lbs. total) than my worn out stocks T&Ws.
This def. helped my freeway RPMs and also added better (firmer) handling, 3500lb each load rating, and IMO, improves the look of the truck.
As far as better fuel mileage? I keep changing stuff all the time so it's hard to tell, but my guess is it's about the same. When we load up and head back to WI in May (2500 miles) I'll have a better idea when we get there.
All considered I have no complaints with this new setup.
Ray

 

[TFogle]

I took the rickson's off my truck when I got it from my dad. It has a speedo-healer (don't know the brand) so I made the adjustment based on 100 miles. I didn't notice any change in mileage. The truck rides much better now that it doesn't have those massive tires inflated to 80 PSI on it. Handling is marginally worse. Traction, especially in the wet if far far far better. Perhaps it was tire selection, but the truck tires that were on there didn't have enough weight over 'em to get grip on wet pavement. Besides, I might put a thousand pounds in the back of the truck a few times a year and more than that once or twice. I just didn't find it necessary to have those things on there.