Looking for a lighter tire

[Dubj09]

I’m currently running Terra Hunter 35x12.5 r22 tires on my truck at 77lbs a piece. I’m looking to see if anyone knows of a lighter tire in the same size?

 

[ramffml]

I don't know what they weigh but something like a Michelin Defender or other all season will probably be lighter.

 

[crash68]

What's the inspiration for wanting a lighter tire?

 

[crazykid1994]

Lighter tire reduces the rotational mass which helps with mpg marginally. Best bet for a lighter tire is also finding a lighter wheel to go with it. 22s just tend to be heavier. My 305/70r18 mickey Thompson atz p3 weigh 71lbs and my wheels are 31lbs so combo is 102lbs. I’m looking at a 285/75r18 toyo open country at3 to drop about 6lbs off the combo. I was debating the Mickey Thompson Baja legend exp in the 305/70r18 which also drops 6lbs but I don’t like the tread style.

 

[crazykid1994]

https://tiresize.com/tires/Toyo/Open-Country-RT-Trail-305-50R22.htm
https://tiresize.com/tires/Toyo/Open-Country-AT-III-325-50R22.htm
Here’s 2 that weigh a lot less.

 

[Dubj09]

What's the inspiration for wanting a lighter tire?

Looking to improve gas mileage while towing….

 

[Dubj09]

Lighter tire reduces the rotational mass which helps with mpg marginally. Best bet for a lighter tire is also finding a lighter wheel to go with it. 22s just tend to be heavier. My 305/70r18 mickey Thompson atz p3 weigh 71lbs and my wheels are 31lbs so combo is 102lbs. I’m looking at a 285/75r18 toyo open country at3 to drop about 6lbs off the combo. I was debating the Mickey Thompson Baja legend exp in the 305/70r18 which also drops 6lbs but I don’t like the tread style.

I was looking for a lighter wheel also but figured I’d start with the bulk of the issue…

 

[Daniel Ortiz]

@Dubj09 , like @crazykid1994 , I found Toyo tires to be lighter when compared to other brands of tires of similar type and size. In particular, I'm planning to purchase a set of 35x11.5x17 Toyo Open Country AT3s next. Also note that, because they are an inch narrower than the customary 12.5" wide 35" tire, that also helps keep their weight down to 63 lbs. Pretty good for a 35" tire!

 

[Riccochet]

Toyo's are the best bet.

 

[Dubj09]

Thank you everyone, I’ve got a good direction of some research to start with and I’ll keep ya posted what I find out.

 

[Dubj09]

Ultimately, I’m looking for ways to improve my gas mileage when towing our camper without sacrificing the look I want on my Ram

 

[crazykid1994]

@Dubj09 , like @crazykid1994 , I found Toyo tires to be lighter when compared to other brands of tires of similar type and size. In particular, I'm planning to purchase a set of 35x11.5x17 Toyo Open Country AT3s next. Also note that, because they are an inch narrower than the customary 12.5" wide 35" tire, that also helps keep their weight down to 63 lbs. Pretty good for a 35" tire!

I have 18x9 on my truck. I’m looking at The toyo at3 in a 285/75r18 E rated. They’re 65lbs per. The 35/12.5 are actually shorter at 34.5” and weigh 66lbs but come D rated. The 285 being narrower and lighter should be a bit better overall on the highway but I’ll lose a bit off-road not going with the 305 or 35/12.5

 

[crash68]

Ultimately, I’m looking for ways to improve my gas mileage when towing our camper without sacrificing the look I want on my Ram

Sadly dumping a few pounds isn't going to make a difference towing, everyday driving that it may help with. If it's the looks you want then you get to pay to play, the oversized tires really hurt you while towing. Your only recourse is slow down for fuel economy and safety.
I've mentioned this before, at 65 mph your covering a football field in 3 seconds. Anything that happens that far in front of you leaves you with 2 seconds to make it happen, the first second is just you realizing what's happening. Also the wind load is your #1 enemy of fuel consumption, the faster you move the more you burn.

 

[ramffml]

Ultimately, I’m looking for ways to improve my gas mileage when towing our camper without sacrificing the look I want on my Ram

You won't notice a difference towing. The biggest 3 factors by far, are the massive parachute you're pulling through the wind, the massive weight, and the high speed. Tires are like a drop in the bucket compared to those 3 factors, its like emptying your ashtrays to lighten your truck I mean yes it is less weight but will you notice the difference when carrying 1000 pounds of rock in your bed?

Also a lighter tire may give you less support while towing, heavier/thicker tires are often more stable with a lot of weight.

However, unloaded, yes those michelin defenders are excellent for MPG. My highest MPG recorded so far was 28 mpg on those defenders sitting at (IIRC) about 40 psi.

 

[CanuckRam1313]

I very recently went from a BFG KO2 LT285/65R20 to a Michelin Defender LTX M/S LT295/65R20 and the Michelin's are about 5lb lighter per tire, and bigger, too.

The Michelin's also took virtually no weight per tire on a road force balance (between 0.75oz and a hair over 2oz), whereas the BFG's took between-ish 7oz and 10.5oz per tire.

I do mostly highway so the Michelin's are the way to go, especially in rain. Although I do miss the more aggressive look of the BFG's.

Edit - I also gained much better fuel economy going with the Michelin's, and I run 40psi cold front and rear.
Looks are one thing, yes. But functionality, in my opinion, weighs higher than form. And for towing a trailer, a more road friendly tread is going to roll nicer long term vs. an AT type tire.

 

[Riccochet]

I just put the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2's on my truck. They're a nice, quiet tire that tows really well. Really good in the rain.

Another factor, at least when it comes to A/T and M/T tires is rolling resistance. The larger the lug the more they dig in to the pavement equals greater rolling resistance.

That being said, dropping a couple pounds of weight on the tires isn't going to do much when it comes to MPG while towing a travel trailer. Maybe .5 MPG at most. Biggest problem there is wind resistance from the huge boxy sail you're towing behind you. Or go back to stock radial tires which might get you another 1-1.5 MPG. That being said I'm lucky to get 9 MPG while towing my travel trailer on OEM sized tires.

 

[Ocelot]

In my experience towing for over 30 years, a couple hundred pounds of tire won't make a noticeable difference in MPG. Tread might make a bigger difference than weight.

The 3 biggest influences on towing mileage are speed, trailer frontal area, and terrain. Speed makes a huge difference. When I tow, I'm not in a hurry. I've noticed a huge difference in gas mileage just staying under 65 which is my upper towing limit. For me, with multiple trailers and trucks, it seems like once you hit 65, the mileage drops like a rock. I've been on the interstate doing say 62 and had other campers blow by me doing 75.

Many tires are rated higher now, but in the past, most ST trailer tires were only rated at 65 to begin with. I think my current ones are rated around 75, but no way I'm going to tow at the rated limit of a tire. The other big issue is the frontal area and wind direction. Any towing against the wind is like pulling a parachute. And of course, pulling up hill rather than flat ground drinks gas as well.

 

[sam darakjy]

Looking to improve gas mileage while towing….

Not sure how light of a tire to go with while towing? Load range E 10 ply should be minimum for towing at 80lbs psi. Not trying to be nasty but just like many others I'm sure you have a nice truck and trailer why the huge concern over mpg?

 

[crazykid1994]

Not sure how light of a tire to go with while towing? Load range E 10 ply should be minimum for towing at 80lbs psi. Not trying to be nasty but just like many others I'm sure you have a nice truck and trailer why the huge concern over mpg?

On a 1500 you could run a load xl tire or a load c tire. No need for load e tires.

 

[Zac1]

Don't do much 4 wheeling anymore. Actually never liked with full size truck in my area. I did some crazy stuff when I was younger and my 1972 Branco was perfect for my area. My 2022 Laramie came with 22" wheels and Pirelli Scorpion Verde. I really like them. Smoth ride and quiet