Higher Profile Tires Last Longer??

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Curious about something....Given the same width, will a high profile last more miles than a low profile one? It would seem logical.

Glenn F.
 
Logical? Are you thinking the higher profile tire has a bigger circumference so it doesn't turn as many times to cover a distance?
 
Maybe, tire is more about heat than anything else,taller will flex more than a short one. There is no one answer on this one. Besides a taller tire slows down the odometer and you drive more miles than show on the dash.
 
This reminds me of a conversation daily between two guys at work; Billy, " I'm gettin' those huge monster tires on my truck so when I cruise down Rt 23 in the morning my mileage will go up and I'll be ridin' in smooth luxury" Mike: " Billy your mileage will go down" [two months later] Mike :" Hows the new wheels and tires " Billy: " man the sound of the knobs on the pavement is drivin' me crazy and for some reason my mileage went way down" { A reality play by dr sportster - my second one ] Not based on or related to anyone on tool talk.
 
Reason I ask is I have some significantly lower profile than factory tires on the front of my Chevy Astro van. They were free. Just wondering how long they will last.

Glenn F.
 
I think there would be more variables than profile to consider.

Never been a fan about making big changes in tire size or wheel offset. Lots of engineering goes into steering and suspension, changes can have unexpected results, usually negative ones!

I would put more faith in the tread wear rating than anything.
 
(quoted from post at 22:40:15 03/22/14) Reason I ask is I have some significantly lower profile than factory tires on the front of my Chevy Astro van. They were free. Just wondering how long they will last.

Glenn F.

You can put the tire sizes in the calculator and see the difference in rollout. I dont think that will tell the whole story though. I would just enjoy the free tires...

http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp
 
One situation where a taller tire may work better is driving down gravel roads and farm use. More room to absorb bumps. Not talking extremes, but like an 85 series vs. a 60 series.

More important is the engineering and chemicals used in the rubber compounds. Running with not enough air is also bad. Heat kills tires.

Several years ago I upgraded the axle on my flatbed trailer and needed 8 lug wheels. I went to local U-pullit place and picked up 5. I tried to find some that already had good looking tires. I ended up with 4 decent ones and one crusty weather cracked Michelin that I decided would do for a spare. Well, within a years time all four of the other tires separated, came apart or failed in some way so that old spare Michelin ended up getting a lot of use.

That old Michelin is still around and on the same wheel as when I bought it! It's back to being a spare but is ready when I need it.
 
All other things being the same, width, brand, tread pattern and depth, etc, a taller tire will last longer than a shorter one. But by how much?
A 235/75/15 tire (apx 30" dia) runs 7.85 feet/revolution. A 235/85/16 tire (apx 31" dia) runs 8.1 feet/revolution.
7.85/8.1=96.9%, so the taller tire will run about 3% longer than the shorter one, all other things being equal.
 
I think it's a function of tread pattern and rubber compound more than anything else. That and the roads you drive on and your driving habits. I had a set of Hercules Terra-tracs I put over 60K on and they were still in great shape when I sold the truck. Best tires I ever had. 2nd best were some "721" tires. I forget the make. I believe they were so long lasting the maker took them off the market.

People that drive curvy, hilly roads are going to go through tires faster than those driving the flat lands. Those that drive fast are going to go through tires faster than those that take it easy. This assumes vehicles of the same kind with good alignment.
 
I would argue that if you have two tires of identical tread/design with identical rolling circumferences... the only difference between the two being the aspect ratio or sidewall height... I would suggest that the lower profile tire will last longer. The stiffer sidewall should reduce roll and squirm which should reduce side scuffing...
In reality I don't think there'd be much difference.

Rod
 
(quoted from post at 20:32:06 03/22/14) This reminds me of a conversation daily between two guys at work; Billy, " I'm gettin' those huge monster tires on my truck so when I cruise down Rt 23 in the morning my mileage will go up and I'll be ridin' in smooth luxury" Mike: " Billy your mileage will go down" [two months later] Mike :" Hows the new wheels and tires " Billy: " man the sound of the knobs on the pavement is drivin' me crazy and for some reason my mileage went way down" { A reality play by dr sportster - my second one ] Not based on or related to anyone on tool talk.

The larger the diameter, the more distance will be traveled with each rotation, so in theory the fuel mileage would go up. BUT, you would also need to re-calibrate the speedometer to indicate actual distance traveled.
 
I'm thinking tire compound and tread pattern will have a larger effect than size. Harder rubber wears longer, but has higher rolling resistance so you'll use more fuel. A tire with a more "closed" pattern will have more rubber on the road and wear longer. I'm not an expert but I would say if the tires are identical make and model (same compound and tread pattern) the higher profile would last longer. But load, road surface and tire inflation will also have significant bearing on how long your tires will last.
 
Tires are on the front of a rear wheel drive vehicle.
Speedometer runs off of transmission/rear wheels.

Glenn F.
 
The power it takes to turn the increased mass of the larger tires is what makes the mileage go down in reality. In racing there is a saying an ounce off the wheels is as good as 8 ounces removed of chassis weight.
 
Used to see that a lot on dune buggies and the baja body nosed beetles- put on big tires and then can"t get to highway speed in top gear. Engine didn"t have enough power at the speed of speed limit- drop to 3rd gear and then it can do legal limit as engine gets to turn just enough faster. Chevy Blazers with 2 inch lift instead of 6 inch and the 245/70 profiles from 215-225/85 instead of monster tires can bet just a bit better mileage at legal limit- 305 or 350 engines have enough power to haul at 200 rpm lower no problem and tire doesn"t have that much drag, the extra 2 inchs have just enough extra side slipable room to reduce the under carriage drag to balance tires. A little more diameter rubber means a slight decrease in wear- so a 16 inch wheel with fatter, lower profile instead of 15 inch higher profile has less weight per square inch of rubber on the road and bit longer wear- but might ride a bit harder. Fat tire higher profiles at moderate pressure rides softer- go too low pressure and you get the Ford Explorer tire failure at 26 pounds soft ride. Tire maker said use 32 to 36 pounds pressure for safety at weight of larger vehicle- publicity department said soft ride a 26 pounds. Messy situation. RN
 
Agree that if total circumference is larger (taller), the tire will last longer, simply because the tire will turn less revolutions for same distance (with all other being equal - road surface, tire pressures, etc.). Longest lasting tires I have had lasted about 92,000 miles. I would have never believed it, and believe it or not they were Goodyear tires. I do admit I wore them down to the point steel belts were starting to show. These were 265-75-15 tires on a Chevy Colorado Z-71 (factory size). I put those tires on at 12,000 miles, and replaced at 104,000 miles. I recall one of the tires had a shake from day one, and never was able to get it balanced out. That seems my luck on the tires that have an issue like that seem to last a lot longer than tires that never have a problem. Go figure. Ironically I traded the pickup off at 122,000 miles, so the new owner got a nearly new set of tires. That also seems to be a trend in that I just put tires on and decide to trade.
 
For me, hard "high milage" tires generally last nearly twice as long as soft sticky "performance" and "snow" tires made for maximum traction. One of my neighbors is a MN Highway patrol man. I noticed his patrol car has 17 inch low profile Goodyear ULTRA tires.

Check the temperature and traction ratings on the side of your tires and the manufacture's website for their milage rating. If your free low profile tires don't mess up you vehicles suspension, I'd use them as long as they are safe. You'll get your money's worth out of them for sure.
 
I have had real good results running car, pickup, and OTR truck tires at max pressure listed on the sidewall; then using an IR temp gun to check temps across the tread of a loaded vehicle after 30 minutes or so at interstate speeds. Adjust tire pressure up or down from listed max to give equal temps across a loaded tire at highway or interstate speeds. It makes most tires harsher on tar strips and bumps but they last more miles and wear more evenly. Back in the mid 1970's we got 90K to 110K miles on 8 and 10ply Michelin XC 9.50R16.5's on E350 Ford vans that weighed 9-10K. I am not sure if they still make a tire that good yet.
 
Glen It depends on the tread compound, is the van properly aligned, and your style of driving. Do you have the proper rim width for the tire? Other than that a 60000 mile tire is a 60000 mile tire. It makes no difference if it is a 22550X15 or a 23575X15.
 
(quoted from post at 00:40:15 03/23/14) Reason I ask is I have some significantly lower profile than factory tires on the front of my Chevy Astro van. They were free. Just wondering how long they will last.

Glenn F.

They will last until they are worn out. I would suggest that you keep an eye on them.
 

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