The gas mileage or fuel economy is a matter of concern for every vehicle owner. You definitely do have a budget for the fuel, and you need to make sure it doesn’t cost too much.
It’s true that different factors of your vehicle play their parts in determining the fuel efficiency, and the tire type is one of them. The size and design of tires will lead to an increase or decrease in fuel consumption.
If you are a user of mud terrain tires, you could be wondering if your tires affect the gas mileage. If so, how much do mud tires affect gas mileage? Continue reading to know about your tire’s effect on fuel economy along with other related information.
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What Are Mud Tires?
Mud tires, also called mud-terrain tires, are a type of special tires designed for extreme off-road conditions. They are engineered to be able to overcome the hard obstacles on the ground, such as rocks and heavy mud.
While there are many SUVs and truck tires that deliver a good performance off-road, they are mostly purposed for the street roads. Mud terrains are specifically engineered to favor the off-road performance while deprioritizing the street comfort.
How Do They Work?
What you will find basic in every mud-terrain tire is the aggressive tread pattern, along with the bigger and wider blocks throughout the whole surface. Such designs help the tire claw over the strong mud or off-road terrains and ultimately project a grip that lets the tire roll.
Mud tires also have a bigger tread depth that facilitates in forming stronger biting edges. Other types of tires aren’t made like this, so they perform less effectively on muddy grounds.
There are many designs of mud tires produced by different manufacturers. But the characteristic common among all of them is the aggressiveness in their appearance.
Mud-terrain tires also feature stone and mud ejectors. As on the off-road terrains, the tires get in contact with an abundance of debris and gunk, most of which are clingy. As the tire rolls over the ground, the debris, rocks, or mud lodges against the blocks, needing to be ejected out.
The tires are designed in a way to have passages leading out in the open from the tread blocks. And the lodged debris, rocks, and dirt then make their way out as pressure is applied from the rolling of tires.
These tires are also engineered to be more durable and thicker. The chip, cut, and puncture resistance is high to tackle road hazards. Most mud tires have sidewall construction of three or more plies, which strengthens the puncture protection.
However, the mud tires offer less traction on regular roads, especially in wet or snowy conditions. They are highly concentrated on off-road conditions, which makes a trade-off for other uses.
How Much Do They Affect Gas Mileage
Now, the gas mileage or fuel economy of a car depends not only on its tires but also on other factors. Tires definitely do have some influence on how much fuel the car is consuming.
The size of the tires, their tread patterns, weights, rolling resistance, etcetera altogether work along to influence the fuel effectiveness – not to mention that they all are co-relative.
For instance, the mud tires are bigger in size, and their tread blocks are deep and hard. Their tread designs are also complex. As a result, they produce more rolling resistance, and they are harder to move. Therefore, mud tires require an additional amount of energy to move.
Another factor in mud tires that affects gas mileage is their weight. The more the weight, the additional energy a tire requires to motivate the car to move. Most mud-terrain tires are bulky in size, and they have great mass, therefore, resulting in a drop in the fuel economy.
Statistics demonstrate that mud-terrain tires generally cause a 3% drop in overall fuel economy compared to all-terrain tires.
Final Thoughts
So say, the drop in fuel economy or gas mileage is not so significant, and therefore, can be compensated through your usage. You can buy good mud tires that are designed to consume less fuel, perhaps smaller in size.
Also, while driving your vehicle, you can get rid of extra weight from it by releasing unnecessary bulky stuff. You can also improve your driving habits to make up for the fuel by driving at a consistent speed.