xCube

I am averaging 20 mpg. I have 215/35/18 exel dl46 and I was told they are bent. I am wondering if that is the problem. this is my last ditch effort before trading this thing in for another ride. "So please ANYBODY, help my ride" [So please MTV, pimp my ride].


Oh if I go to the 40 series and new rims, would the 40 series give me more cushion, does it absorbs better than the 35's i sure dont want to downgrade.

Thank you

burstaneurysm

Well, if it's bent enough that you lose air, then yes.

TerribleTed

215/40/18's ride a LOT better than the 215/35/18's. They ride a lot smoother than you would think that such a small aspect change would make. The ride is similar to the stock 17 inch wheel and tire combo.

As far as poor gas mileage from bent rims...hmmm...unless the tires lose air and are severly underinflated there would be little or no influence on gas mileage. Are you sure the rims are bent?? Have you seen them on a spin balance machine spinning with no tires on them?? If you spin them this way any bending will show as the wheel lips moving in and out as the wheel spins on the machine. How is you wheel alignment?? Is the car lowered?? If so the toe-in (the front wheel no longer point straight...pointing in toward the center or out away from the center will cause tire scrub, faster tire wear and can have a pretty large effect on gas mileage) changes as you go lower. If in doubt get a good wheel alignment to be sure. Is there perhaps another reason unrelated to tires that you mileage is poor? 20 MPG is terrible. Something is wrong either with the car or the calculation. I can dog my xB and still get 25 in city (stop and go) driving...mostly I get about 27MPG stop and go. I have 215/40/18 tire on 7.5 inch rims. I have also added a couple hundred or more pounds of stereo equipment and boxes (weight influences MPG also ). In a nutshell I suggest a wheel checkout and aligment and then likely a trip to the toyota dealer for a checkup to see why it is so thirsty.

I didn't ask about any motor mods that might drink extra gas (turbo, intake, supercharger, etc.). Another item to consider is ..What weight oil are you using?? Use the recommended 5W30...thicker oil will have a negative impact on MPG as well. Are the brakes dragging??

Metro273

A bent wheel is just that...a bent wheel! It's not gonna give you crappy gas mileage. I been working at a dealership for almost 10 yrs and this is just not the case!
Lack of maintenance, driving fast, low tire pressures and of course big wheels, ALL attribute to bad mpg!