Increased air in tires to sidewall max -> +10% mpg

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xBiffx

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2011
8,232
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Thank you for your understanding.

good-good-let-the-butthurt-flow-through-you.jpg
 

Tsavo

Platinum Member
Sep 29, 2009
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Curious where you came up with your 11 MPG figure anyways. My 19 MPG is an actual average. So for me, it makes no sense to get a second vehicle just for commuting.

God DAMN, you are DENSE. I didn't say YOUR truck. Learn how to read.
 

xBiffx

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2011
8,232
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God DAMN, you are DENSE. I didn't say YOUR truck. Learn how to read.

Did I say you did? No. You just made a sweeping generalization about stupid people and money. Sorry if I took that as all stupid people who drive a truck to work instead of a more fuel efficient vehicle and not just your friend.

So is it that you just made up the 11 MPG then?
 

Subyman

Moderator <br> VC&G Forum
Mar 18, 2005
7,876
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11MPG is a 3/4 ton towing a medium load. 2500HDs average around 14-15MPG. Maybe he is talking about a real truck, like a Uhaul or something lol.
 

Wuzup101

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2002
2,334
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Lol every single time someone mentions a truck there are like half a dozen people who go nuts and think that everyone needs to justify their purchase of a truck (always the same group). It doesn't matter what the thread was originally about, the truck butthurt runs deep.

So thank you - guys who own trucks and never use them (or do use them - it doesn't seem to matter in this forum). You make it easy for the rest of us who drive what we want to drive avoid great forum trolling and persecution because it's not the greenest vehicle or the best value.
 

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
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xBiffx, seems like you are in a unique position. Sounds like you have a city job, but like to live in the outskirts. I think approaching a car/truck purchase with 100% logic is kind of dumb. If we were 100% logical, we'd still be using 1950's trucks with airbags and crumple zones.

An accountant in your position would probably buy a 1995 F150 for $3500 and a ~2000's Honda Civic/Accord for the commute. But you know what? That would be boring as hell. Then again, they'd probably also live in an efficiency apartment and eat manager's specials.

Money is meant to make your life better and I'm sure working in the brand new F150 is much better than commuting in a shit box for 30 years. :)

Funny. I have a green 1995 F150 5MT V6 with about 150,000 miles. It's a little beat up on the outside, but it's mechancally sound, the engine doesn't even burn a drop of oil. I also have a 2000 Insight 5MT with 180,000 miles, which I'd trust to let my grandmother drive across the country.

I suspect I enjoy my vehicles a lot more than many on here do, and with my current savings rate, I won't be commuting for 30 years as I'll be able to retire in my early 30's. ;)

Money is power and freedom. Possessions are baggage and liability.
 
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Pulsar

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2003
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God DAMN, you are DENSE. I didn't say YOUR truck. Learn how to read.

Is this the point where we call YOU dense for overestimating fuel savings to the tune of 300%? Or do we take the high road and just ignore your hypocrisy?

The high road is never any fun. You're a jackass.
 

Pulsar

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2003
5,224
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Funny. I have a green 1995 F150 5MT V6 with about 10,000 miles. It's a little beat up on the outside, but it's mechancally sound, the engine doesn't even burn a drop of oil. I also have a 2000 Insight 5MT with 180,000 miles, which I'd trust to let my grandmother drive across the country.

I suspect I enjoy my vehicles a lot more than many on here do, and with my current savings rate, I won't be commuting for 30 years as I'll be able to retire in my early 30's. ;)

Money is power and freedom. Possessions are baggage and liability.

You might be absolutely shocked at what that truck is worth. New trucks are going for $45k+, and I was stunned to learn that my 2008 with 90,000 miles is worth pretty much the same amount of money as it was when I bought it. It's insane how much car prices have increased due to inflation caused by 0% interest rates.

I bet you could get $10-13k for it fairly easily.
 

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
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You might be absolutely shocked at what that truck is worth. New trucks are going for $45k+, and I was stunned to learn that my 2008 with 90,000 miles is worth pretty much the same amount of money as it was when I bought it. It's insane how much car prices have increased due to inflation caused by 0% interest rates.

Typo, 150k miles. A few years ago when I checked, it was worth about $1500.
 

Pulsar

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2003
5,224
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HA! That changes things, but I bet you can still get $10k for it.

Edit: Verified on several websites that '93's with similar mileage are going for $6 - $9k!
 

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
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HA! That changes things, but I bet you can still get $10k for it.

Edit: Verified on several websites that '93's with similar mileage are going for $6 - $9k!

There are a ton of them on Craigslist around where I live for $800-3000, depending on the condition.

Anyway if I could get $6-9k out of it, I'd take that in a heartbeat.
 

xBiffx

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2011
8,232
2
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Is this the point where we call YOU dense for overestimating fuel savings to the tune of 300%? Or do we take the high road and just ignore your hypocrisy?

The high road is never any fun. You're a jackass.

I doubt he'll be back here soon. Trolling with the best of them. Wants to give other people shit and call them dense when he thinks a 32 MPG vehicle is free. You are right, he is a jackass.
 

WackyDan

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,794
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Yes. Though, admittedly, it's rarely more than a ton.

Once you get in the range of needing anti-sway and weight distribution setups you take the MPG you get because there is nothing that is going to affect your MPG except for route planning.

When I leave the sidewalls at max after towing I do get better mileage, but the ride is so harsh that it just isn't worth it to me to save gas - I literally put only 5k-6k per year on the truck with 3k-4k of that towing.
 
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Wuzup101

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2002
2,334
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I suspect I enjoy my vehicles a lot more than many on here do, and with my current savings rate, I won't be commuting for 30 years as I'll be able to retire in my early 30's. ;)

Money is power and freedom. Possessions are baggage and liability.

That really depends on the quality of your retirement and what you are going to do. Living on a poverty budget so you can retire on a poverty budget doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun to me (but it might be to you). You can live for not a lot of $ if you are pretty self sufficient and have your home paid off (and being super frugal is really a rewarding hobby within itself). You just have a much smaller budget for doing stuff that costs $ (everything away from home). So you find yourself at 35 sitting around your house. Note: I'm also NOT in the spend $ YOLO camp lol.

So since this thread is already way off topic... what is your plan?
 

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
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That really depends on the quality of your retirement and what you are going to do. Living on a poverty budget so you can retire on a poverty budget doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun to me (but it might be to you). You can live for not a lot of $ if you are pretty self sufficient and have your home paid off (and being super frugal is really a rewarding hobby within itself). You just have a much smaller budget for doing stuff that costs $ (everything away from home). So you find yourself at 35 sitting around your house. Note: I'm also NOT in the spend $ YOLO camp lol.

So since this thread is already way off topic... what is your plan?


60-80% savings rate, basically. We're very happy and comfortable living on less than $20,000 per year, and have little student debt. We own both of our cars, are in great health, and have both embraced frugality as a hobby. We don't drink or smoke, or have expensive habits like designer clothing, gambling, or whatever else people spend money on.

For the next year or two we're going to be living abroad with basically all living expenses paid and an income (after taxes) of around 30k each. We're getting in an adventure while we're still young and not tied down too much (basically fresh out of college). I have a bachelor's in Geology, and the job market is pretty good right now, with the fracking boom and other natural disasters to clean up.

Once we hit around $500,000 invested, interest will cover the cost of our living and and working will become optional (supplemental income for fun stuff, not mandatory). I don't plan to quit working but I'll have the freedom to pick jobs I enjoy more even if they pay less, and take vacations whenever it suits me.

This summer we're planning on seeing the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone, spending a weekend at Lake Tahoe, and checking out the Earthships outside of Taos. We enjoy hiking and tent camping, and will probably be able to swing a 2-3 week vacation for something like $400 plus food by staying in free campsites and hostels in the skiing off-season.
 

WackyDan

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,794
68
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Once we hit around $500,000 invested, interest will cover the cost of our living and and working will become optional (supplemental income for fun stuff, not mandatory). I don't plan to quit working but I'll have the freedom to pick jobs I enjoy more even if they pay less, and take vacations whenever it suits me.

Your goal is enviable, but I think you will find you need more than 500k before you can sit back a bit. Then there are kids(maybe) and other nasty surprises. People have a hard enough time retiring at 60 with $500k in the bank and that is with living frugally afterwards....

How do I know $500k isn't going to provide you the return you need to be that free so young? Because I know what the return is first hand. You'll need closer to a million before you can probably be that care free. The good news is that you'll get there fairly readily if you maintain your current lifestyle. More people your age should have your mindset.
 

Wuzup101

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2002
2,334
37
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60-80% savings rate, basically. We're very happy and comfortable living on less than $20,000 per year, and have little student debt. We own both of our cars, are in great health, and have both embraced frugality as a hobby. We don't drink or smoke, or have expensive habits like designer clothing, gambling, or whatever else people spend money on.

I agree with Dan, it's a commendable plan. I too think you'll need a bit more $ than half a million to be as free as you desire. That being said, once you have the experience, going into consulting (perhaps opening your own company) might go well with your plan. In any case, thanks for sharing.
 

monkeydelmagico

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2011
3,961
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Ahhh to be young and full of plans......enjoy Yuriman. With your current outlook on life you will go far. Your math is sound and the goal is certainly obtainable. Just don't be too suprised if where you end up in 15ish years looks nothing like what you mapped out.
 

exar333

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2004
8,518
8
91
Ahhh to be young and full of plans......enjoy Yuriman. With your current outlook on life you will go far. Your math is sound and the goal is certainly obtainable. Just don't be too suprised if where you end up in 15ish years looks nothing like what you mapped out.

This.

Don't let your best earning years go by and then realize you need to supplement your income. It may be too late and/or disadvantageous to you.

Is this a PSI or a investing thread. :p
 

leper84

Senior member
Dec 29, 2011
989
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Except all of those things you listed aren't true. Just because a tire wears faster down the center, doesn't mean it's magically going to brake significantly worse, that it will "pop" because of higher pressure, or handle poorly in wet conditions. In fact, on hot days, tires with higher pressures heat up a lot less if at all compared with tires that have significantly less inflation. I've seen tires inflated to 32psi heat up and get to 40psi but a tire inflated to 40psi may only increase about 2 psi. That means, quite a lot of heat is being generated in the tires, therefore wasted fuel, etc. Most tires blow out due to excess heat not excess pressure.

And this is why you're full of it. You say too much air pressure won't bow a tire out in the middle and cause uneven wear. But then you claim an over-inflated tire will have less heat (friction) vs one at normal inflation. How can an overinflated tire have less friction without having a smaller contact patch than a correctly inflated tire?

How can you say an over-inflated tire can have the same grip and braking distance as a correctly inflated tire but then say it creates less heat/friction?

The only thing you have to your argument is a study from 1980 on an obscure website. Real world experience does not agree with you or what you argue; anyone reading your posts in this thread should take them with a tablespoon or two of salt.
 

tortillasoup

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2011
1,977
4
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And this is why you're full of it. You say too much air pressure won't bow a tire out in the middle and cause uneven wear. But then you claim an over-inflated tire will have less heat (friction) vs one at normal inflation. How can an overinflated tire have less friction without having a smaller contact patch than a correctly inflated tire?
I never said that too much pressure won't bow out a tire in the middle, causing uneven wear. Also too much pressure is also a relative term. Some people think you cannot exceed door jamb pressure when in fact, it's usually a good idea especially if you drive fast and or aggressively. I absolutely hate the way my Camry drives with only 32psi front, 30 rear so I do 44 in the front and 40 in the rear. I tried 44 in the rear but the center started to wear more so I went with 40 which has similar rolling resistance and better handling anyway (no affect on fuel economy).


How can you say an over-inflated tire can have the same grip and braking distance as a correctly inflated tire but then say it creates less heat/friction?

The only thing you have to your argument is a study from 1980 on an obscure website. Real world experience does not agree with you or what you argue; anyone reading your posts in this thread should take them with a tablespoon or two of salt.
The reason an "over-inflated" tires would have less heat/friction should be obvious. There isn't too much sidewall deflection when driving over bumps in the road, therefore less heat is generated. More pressure means less tire deflection and therefore less heat. Simple.

As for your point about braking distance, I've yet to find any data showing WORSE braking distance with more tire pressure. I have found data that shows not enough tire pressure resulting in worse braking distance though. Even if you were to inflate the tire with more pressure to the point that the tire is riding on the center of the tread, there is more pressure on that point and the elongated shape of the tire tread makes it acceptable for braking.

Wide tires are only beneficial for handling, NOT braking (though they certainly don't hurt braking distance). Wide tires suck in the rain and snow/ice (depending) as they tend to float, not enough pressure on the contact point.



Ask your self, why hasn't braking distance significantly improved over the last 30 years on cars? Tires certainly have gotten wider, brakes have gotten better, tire compounds have gotten better, yet to get less than 100ft of braking distance from 60mph is nearly unattainable.