My 2016 157"wb 2.7 Lariat 2wd is closing in on needing a new set of tires. The OEM tires are Michelin LTX MS/2's in the 275/55r20 size. The odometer is currently showing 85,000 miles, I'd say the Michelin's will make it to 100k. I like to start looking early and have been known to buy a set of low mileage take-offs, if the deal is right. In looking at what's available new today, I've narrowed my choices to the Bridgestone AS Ultra (800AA), Continental TerrainContact H/T (800AB) or another set of the Michelin LTX MS/2's (720AA). One thing I've noticed is the differences in each tires weight. The Michelin's are 37lbs each, the Bridgestones are 38lbs each and the Conti's are 41lbs.
I know when you put a bigger heavier tire on, especially with off road tires, fuel mileage takes a hit.
Would I notice a fuel mileage difference between a 37lb tire and a 41lb tire?

 

16 pounds? Doubt anyone can provide an answer that is based on fact. I can't imagine you be able to quantify the impact of adding 16 pounds.

 

The "fact" thing, no doubt makes a solid answer iffy, this is after all F150forum. Posting here, one leaves themselves open to lots of speculation, guessing etc, but I'm willing to take that shot and listen if someone wants to share. 4lbs of extra unsprung weight to get rolling seems like wouldn't be optimum.

 

The real issue is when you go from a passenger tire to something like a KO2, which weighs 56 pounds. Adding 19 pounds, per wheel, has a big impact.

 

Noticing 4lbs is likely in the realm of 'error of margin' but as you noted, it's really only going to make a differene to starting and stopping - that you can't factor the same rolling resistance for other reasons makes this one something you can't really quantify outside of real scientific testing.

 

Yes, as noted in my opening question.
I'm curious if a 10%(ish) increase in weight has been noticed.

 

That you're getting that kind of mileage from the tyres likely means you're less likely to notice this, and at 4lbs a tyre, i highly doubt you'd notice it across different brands.

 

You're not gonna notice 4# difference on each corner... and one thing to note is comparing wear ratings across different brands is not useful. A Michelin 700 wear tire wont wear the same as a Kuhmo 700. You can compare a Michelin wear 700 tire to a Michelin 500 tire and expect less life from the 500. Best bet it to go by user reviews, which clearly puts the Michelin's on top for street tire use.

 

Since I'm not an engineer, I cheated.

The effect of wheel weight on fuel economy

Because wheel weight is rotational mass, its effect on fuel economy isn’t exactly a straightforward answer. If you’re doing a lot of city driving, full of stopping and going every day, you could see an impact on your gas mileage when you reduce your wheel weight. You’re using all that extra energy to get your car back in motion every time you stop or slow down during your drive.

If, on the other hand, you do primarily highway driving, you’ll be less likely to notice an impact. Once you get heavier wheels in motion, your car isn’t working nearly as hard to keep them at highway speeds. For many people, that could mean going an extra day between stops at the gas station – a meaningful impact that both your wallet and the environment would feel.

 

When you buy new tires they will also be a bit bigger and the tread grippier. So you are almost certainly going to take a small mileage hit to begin with, and it would be hard for anybody to quantify what difference the extra weight alone would make.