BoozeDaily

iTrader: (2)

Meh, the day I give up 20s to get 1-2MPGs on a truck is the day I trade in my truck for a family sedan.

F150White

Does the wheel size really matter, the actual OD of the wheel & tire is the same on both the 18 & 20 inch wheels

ak_cowboy

20s are heavier

TheBurnerGuy

Bigger wheels weigh more and have much more rotational inertia. More energy required to spin up to speed, and more for brakes to dissipate. A few pounds at each rim may be equal to hundreds of pounds of extra truck as far as engine is concerned when trying to accelerate. I'm guessing for EPA tests they get to use the "base" wheels.

BoozeDaily

iTrader: (2)

Gotta love physics.

On a side note, and try not to judge here:

I had a 15' 3.5 EB bought new with 90 miles on it. Drove it until it had 1300 miles on it. The entire time I felt like I was focusing on getting better MPGs and I couldnt get better than 20 on the highway. 3.31 rear end Lariat 502A with 20" wheels and 4x4. Anytime I was going up a hill, it would boost and I'd lose most of the gains I made while traveling on flat ground. Overall for the life of the vehicle my average was 16.8.

I traded it in. I won't go into all of the reasons but I bought a 5.0L King Ranch FX4 3.55 rear with 30 miles on it. I drove home from the dealership (45 miles) on the highway and averaged 20.9 driving it the same way I drove the EB. The same trip up there in the EB I had 18.4. My lack of knowledge on turbos and the data supporting their extended use combined with equivalent at worst MPGs made this a no brainer. I had to drive past 4 Ford dealerships to get a private sale-like trade but it happened. Couldn't be happier.

007TRUCK

Congratulation Man!
Looks like you already updated your Signature!

SURF150

Congrats, yet again, on a new truck! Gotta do what makes you smile.

BoozeDaily

iTrader: (2)

Thanks. Someone on here said something to the effect of don't leave anything on the table- get what you know you want. Couldn't agree more. Somewhat costly mistake but it won't happen again.

Came home from the dealership tonight and my 5 yr old daughter hugged the side of the new truck because she likes it more. Works for me.

Derodeo

Yeah strange that

Given a choice of an actual tire with a sidewall built to hold up to doing truck things or a big *** heavy wheel meant for bling things, most everyone wants the latter.

daf62757

There is also the backside of the inertia. Once you get up to speed, it doesn't take as much energy to keep them going since the weight is actually assisting in forward movement. I don't know what Ford calls it, but in the rice burners, they have something called DFCU. When you let off the gas, the gas is not supplied to the engine and you are basically running on inertia. You might notice this in your F-150 if you have it on the instant MPG screen. The weight of the vehicle is assisting you in movement so yes, the weight of the wheels might take more energy to get going, but less as you coast.