fuel prices and there effects.

[Steve Graham]

Well I have caved in to the higher fuel prices and have gone back to stock, almost. Still have the 2" lift but the the 35's and the short lived 38's are gone, back to 235's. Well that's not totally true. I came across a rolling chassis from a 93 Dodge w250, axles, fuel tank on the frame with wheel and tires. It had the factory 3. 54 gears. So I get to thinking, I'm not using my dodge for wheeling, it's become a working truck, towing and hauling stuff. The axles under the Dodge have 4. 10's with Power-Loc's, just what the Scout needs. Well that's the plan any way, to put my old axles under the Scout with 37's and my dodge becomes the work horse. Here are the pics of before and after.
The 38's never made it under my Dodge, I hauled them up from Tucson for my Wife's 94. :-laf
I also hope to pick up 3-5 mpg from what I was getting.

 

[JGrefenstette]

youve been stripped of your dignity. it just aint right. fuel is coming down... ! get the big big tires back out. ive just seen it for 3. 99 here in NC

 

[sdstriper]

That is a really nice truck... Fuel here is below $4/gal. now! Filled up @ $3. 96/gal. and I hope it keeps going down.

 

[WJones]

id offer to take those 35s off your hands...

 

[Steve Graham]

I admit it's going to take a while to get used to the pizza cutters. On the plus side the new set of 235's only set me back $850 instead of twice that for another set of 35's that I didn't want. I'm not knocking 35's, the BFG's I had, have lasted 7 years and over 40K miles, good tires. But to get the mileage back on my dodge I'd have to move up to 37's and to do that I'd have to buy new wheels too! OUCH$, or go back to stock. So The plan is to put the Axles that were under my Dodge under my Scout and go with 37's, That sounds good to me.

 

[Greenleaf]

The big fat tires cause low fuel economy because they impose higher rolling resistance??????????????



The larger tire *should* lower rpm and so the engine will turn slower at a given speed.



I don't get it!!!!!!!!! Smaller tires to increase mileage?????????????



The larger the tire, the longer they last too.

 

[AClayton]

It also raises the center of gravity and offers more wind resistance at speed.

 

[WJones]

dont think theres a difference in wind resistance when it comes to first gens being lifted or not. might even be better with a lift since air can pass underneath.

 

[KOG]

Yeah, bigger, wider tires do have significantly more air resistance. Larger diameter, skinnier tires can have less rolling resistance, fatter ones tend to have more. Bottom line is that lifted trucks with larger tires tend to have a good bit more total drag.

 

[Steve Graham]

The big fat tires cause low fuel economy because they impose higher rolling resistance??????????????



The larger tire *should* lower rpm and so the engine will turn slower at a given speed.



I don't get it!!!!!!!!! Smaller tires to increase mileage?????????????



The larger the tire, the longer they last too.

Yes a smaller tire and the correct gearing will increase milage. With the 35's and 4. 10's the engine was turning 2030 rpm at 65 mph. Now with the 235's and 3. 54 it's back to "stock" turning 1920 rpm at 65 mph, that 100 rpm difference is going to bring back better milage, the engine is out of the power range, back into the economy range The decrease in rolling resistance will help with the milage up too.