Steel Wheels - switch to aluminum

Aluminum will save on some weight but that's about it, and do look nice when polished.

 

The small amount of weight savings can increase fuel economy, but it's such a tiny amount it could take years to see a return. And honestly, outside of a lab with perfect conditions, you would never be able to measure it. Remember you will also very likely need to change your wheel studs. Trucks sourced for steel wheels do not have long enough studs to put aluminum on. Aluminum wheels are much thicker.

 

I found that out the hard way on my trailer. Nuts were flush with the stud dot didn't like it, they make shorter nuts solved the issue. You must have at least two threads showing.

 

well you are right about the savings are very little on fuel, but it doesn't come from the weight you shave but where is saved from.

a few years a go I had a Ford L8000 that had an 8.3L cummins only 250 hp and 600 pounds of torque hauling a 24.5 ton load on a dump truck, my loads were 200 to 300 miles round trip and did 2 to 3 loads a day, not a record beaker but work just like my current truck doing the same work with a 475 Cat.

That little truck as I used to call it will keep up on a red light race with a very fast big cam IV 400 of a friend, we still talk about that, although it was a very light truck, it had the lighters wheels, hubs and brake drums that I've ever seen in my 30 years as a trucker, that little truck will take off like a rocket.
many thought it had a hot rod big cam IV or N 14, but I knew it was the very little rolling resistance that it had that helped the little Cummins compete with just about any body on a traffic light race, must were left in their dust, one made me open the hood and when he saw the motor he almost fainted, he had a n14 460 hp, he even smelled my fuel tank saying that I was running gasoline lol what an idiot.

It is the less rolling resistance that helps with the fuel saving that comes from the weight saving on the wheel.

some body said that for every pound that you save on the running gear you multiply it by 10 and I am a firm believer on that, I had the lowest hp truck in this area and many thought I had a much bigger more powerful engine.

 

Its called rotating mass. There's a reason guys run aluminum drive shafts and wheels on drag race cars.

 

What I can tell you is this; A month ago I switch from aluminum super singles, with retreads, to steel duals and lost about .5 mpg. I can't say whether it was the weight difference or the rolling resistance or both. But I lost a pretty solid .5mpg