Which wheels/tires will have better mileage?

[TS0323]

I’m going to buy some takeoffs for my base Bronco, but don’t want much of a mpg hit. I figure Big Bend or Outer Banks takeoffs are my best bet. I don’t think there will be a huge difference between them since they’re both 32” overall, but I am curious since the Big Bend are 17” wheels with slightly larger tires and the Outer Banks are 18” with slightly smaller tires. Any thoughts?

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[AZ_Liberty]

Big Bend will (in theory) be slightly better, as rubber is lighter than metal.

But given that the tires are the same width, with the same tread, the difference is going to be so minimal you won't be able to tell.

If you can stand the look of the OBX rims, then there are lots and lots of OBX take offs on Craigslist and FB Marketplace for really cheap.

 

[prospectfour]

I’m going to buy some takeoffs for my base Bronco, but don’t want much of a mpg hit. I figure Big Bend or Outer Banks takeoffs are my best bet. I don’t think there will be a huge difference between them since they’re both 32” overall, but I am curious since the Big Bend are 17” wheels with slightly larger tires and the Outer Banks are 18” with slightly smaller tires. Any thoughts?

My gut says it’s a wash. (less than 5% difference)

That being the case, whichever set you can get the best deal on is your better option. Saving $150 on the set is probably worth multiple years of gas difference with it being so close.

 

[Little Foot]

Go with Black Diamond wheels and tires. Tons of then for sale on Market Place. I am averaging 21.5 mpg combined.

 

[Black_Stallion13]

Black Diamond's are steel instead of cast aluminum so they are heavier than the other two. Generally the larger the wheels, the worse mpgs too. I just got 26.4 (computer reported) mpgs on my first road trip with stock Big bend wheels/tires... couldn't be happier. If you do step up to 33s at some point, the standard 285/70/17 tire size looks pretty badass on the Big Bend wheels too. Side by side, the Outer Banks wheels look a little better on most rigs tho, IMO.

 

[Beach_Bum]

No one has mentioned it, but the Big Bend stock Dueler is a P-rated tire which will be lighter for a daily driver. It is probably a negligible difference in MPG between the OBX Dueler. Just something to consider. The benefit of the Big Bend wheel is that it will be cheaper with more options to get new tires than the 18" OBX wheel.

IMO, the best bang for the money for both on road and off road use while maintaining MPG is the BD Grabbers on the steel wheels (probably aren't going to find someone who paid for the upgrade aluminum alloy wheel selling them right away).

 

[Black_Stallion13]

I would imagine the Grabber ATX's will get noticeably worse gas than the tires that come on the Big Bend/OB. I changed my stock Tacoma tires to the Grabber AT2s (basically the lighter weight, old version of the ATX) without even going up a size and lost 2-3 mpgs immediately just with the more aggressive tread. ATX's vs Big Bend/Outer Banks Duellers will deff not be apples to apples with mpgs. IMO, if you are looking for factory wheels and want a more agressive tire then Id bypass the Black Diamond setup and be looking for the 33" Badlands cast wheels/tires rather than the 32" steel Black Diamond wheels. If you are going to lose the mpgs might as well get better looking/lighter wheels and added capability of 33's. I see just as many postings for Badlands wheels/tires as I do Black Diamond around here (though they are a few hundred dollars more, usually).

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