Recently, I traded the 14x5.5" Mazda Miata wheels that I had been running for over a year on my Escort for a set of 14x4 space saver wheels.
Why the change?
My next tire is going to be 165/65R14 Bridgestone Potenzas. For those who do not know, these tires are the upper echelon for fuel efficiency. There are none better, except
maybe Bridgestone B381s. The Potenzas have a knack of wearing the outside of the tire out before the center, even with high air pressure. Dropping 1.5" of rim width should counteract their tendency to do this and give a longer life. Besides, the Potenza's tread width is only 5" according to
tire rack. A 5.5" rim is too wide for that!
While I was getting tires and rims swapped around, I took my handy Wal-Mart fish weighing gauge and weighed the rims, tires and the new setup. Here is what was found -
The old rims weighed 12-13 pounds.
The spare tire and rim combo (14x4 steelie & 115/70D14) is 23 pounds.
My tires (185/70R14 Blacklion Cilerro BH15) are ~16 pounds.
The spare tire (115/70D14) by itself is 7.5 pounds.
The weight of the 14x4 rim & 185/70R14's are a tad over 31 pounds.
This means I gained 2-3 pounds per corner by going with the skinnier wheels. So far mileage has taken a small hit during the everyday. Maybe 1-1.5 mpgs overall. Part of the reason is less with the weight and more with the drum brake now rubbing ever so slightly IMO
There may be increased hysteresis (tire flex) with the new setup due to the narrower rim pulling the sidewalls inward. It is hard to tell right now, and I cannot do A-B-A testing without it costing $$$.
I'm digging the look though
