The weight of your tire has an impact on your vehicle’s gross weight. That’s going to make a difference when it comes to your vehicle’s performance. The average weight of a tire depends on which type of vehicle you’re looking at.
A tire for a passenger car would normally weigh around 12 lbs. However, tires on larger vehicles can weigh several times that. The most accurate method you can use to determine your tire’s weight would be to put it on a scale.
Properly-calibrated scales tell you how much tires weigh with a small error margin. So, you won’t have to guess anymore if you’re able to use one.
Tire Weight Examples
Small off-road vehicles usually have tires that are smaller than what you’d find on cars.
On average, the tire on an ATV won’t weigh more than 23 lbs. That’s about 10 kg if you’re on the metric system.
A golf cart uses a tire that’s even smaller than the one on an ATV, too. They’re only 10 lbs on average, actually.
Most of the time, a motorcycle will use a tire that’s a little wider than the ones on a car. As a result, they’re going to outweigh passenger car tires by a little bit. The average motorcycle tire weighs 30 lbs, compared to 27 lbs for a sedan.
If you’ve got an SUV at home, its tires probably outweigh everything else. An average SUV tire can weigh up to 48 lbs. The only thing you’re going to find that’s bigger than that would be an RV tire. Those can be as big as 70 lbs.
Of course, there’s still a range in each vehicle class.
You could find a motorcycle tire that’s way above the average weight. Using a lightweight tire can help improve your acceleration while you’re riding, too.
Another factor that’s going to influence the weight of your tire is its diameter. The larger your tires are, the more they’re going to weigh.
Downsizing rims would be an easy way to reduce your tire weight if it’s bothering you.
How Much Does a 20-Inch Tire Weigh?
If you’re talking about the rims, then they’re going to weigh more than 30 lbs. A 20-in tire is large enough to outsize most pizzas if you held them next to each other.
Since most tires are made with metal, they can be fairly dense. A 20-in diameter would be enough material to weigh up to 50 lbs. Some tires use denser materials than others, making them even heavier.
Take a look at several 20-in tire options at an in-person store if it’s possible. You can test their weight by hand if you simply lift them up.
One of them should be noticeably lighter than the others.
That’s the one that’s going to be made using lightweight alloys. Using a lightweight alloy can reduce a tire’s weight by 30% or more.
So, that’s an easy way to reduce your vehicle’s weight if you’ve got 20-in tires.
How Much Do 17-Inch Tires Weigh?
As a tire’s diameter decreases linearly, its volume decreases geometrically. That means a 3-inch difference can reduce a tire’s weight by way more than you’d guess.
A 17-in tire only uses about 69% of the material used by a 20-in one. As such, you can see a drastic reduction in a car’s weight if you get smaller tires.
You can amplify its weight reduction by picking tires that use lightweight materials.
A small, lightweight tire could weigh half of what the tire you’ve been using weighs. Swapping to one that’s lighter would make your car’s handling feel a lot smoother, too.
It wouldn’t even take as much effort to turn the steering wheel, as there will be less friction.
An average truck tire only weighs 30 lbs when it’s got a 17 in diameter. That’s about the same as a 20 in a passenger car tire.
It’s not uncommon to find 17 in tires that weigh less than 25 lbs if you’re looking at them for sedans. They’re way lighter than what you’ll find on other vehicles most of the time.
Another reason why lightweight tires are beneficial is that they’re good for efficiency.
When your car doesn’t weigh as much, it takes less energy to move. So, you won’t have to use as much gas to get to your destination if you’ve got lightweight tires.
What Is the Average Weight of a Truck Tire?
Trucks usually have the heaviest tires out of all vehicles. The average truck tire’s weight still depends on its diameter, though.
A 20 in truck tire weighs over 40 lbs on average. However, a 17 in one only weighs 30 lbs on average. You can find tires with different diameters than what we’ve described here, too.
You can estimate a tire’s weight by looking at its size. If it’s larger than 20 in, it’ll probably weigh more than 40 lbs.
A tire that’s less than 17 in would weigh less than 30 lbs, more than likely. After you’ve memorized the industry averages, it’s not hard to estimate a new tire’s weight.
It only takes a few moments to calculate the size difference compared to a 20 inch or 17-inch model. Remember to use proportions when you’re guessing the weight of an oddly-sized tire.
That’s how you’ll get the most accurate answers when you’re doing this in your head.
Factors Affecting Tire Weight
Generally speaking, the larger a tire is, the more it’s going to weigh. However, there are a lot of factors that impact a tire’s final weight.
The most obvious would be its diameter. A tire’s diameter has a direct relationship with its volume and weight. A larger diameter will increase how much material the tire uses, making it heavier.
Another thing to look at would be the tire’s width. Like its diameter, its width also affects its final volume. Wider tires use a lot more material than something that’s thinner.
As such, they’re going to weigh more.
You’ve also got to consider what type of material it’s made with. Certain materials are way denser, so it doesn’t take much to get heavy.
Dense rubber is more common in winter tires because it’s more cold-resistant.
Don’t forget to see what kind of alloy you’ve got on your rims. Certain alloys are great at reducing your car’s weight since they’re not very dense.
You can use a new rim to change the weight of your tires without replacing any of their rubber.
If you’ve got studs on your tires, they’re going to be heavier. Each of the studs is made using a highly-dense material.
That’s why they’ve got such a large impact on your tire’s weight. You can find a lightweight tire fairly easily if you look for a few things while you’re shopping. Look for one that’s narrower than usual.
It should also have a smaller diameter than what you’ve had in the past.
When you’ve found one that meets both criteria, there’s a good chance it’ll weigh less than your old ones.
So, you should take the time to weigh them and see whether they’ll save weight.
Does Tire Weight Matter?
Spending all this time to see how much tires weigh might seem a bit pointless if you’re unfamiliar with cars.
Why does it matter how much tires weigh on a car?
Well, the weight of a car’s tires has a much larger impact on its handling than most realize. A heavier tire takes more effort to turn, even if you’ve got power steering.
The more effort it takes to turn the wheel, the slower your reaction time is going to be. Lightweight tires make it safer to drive since they can improve reaction speed.
One of the biggest impacts tire weight has on your driving is fuel efficiency.
A lightweight tire doesn’t take as much energy to move, so it doesn’t use as much fuel. If you’re trying to be as efficient as possible, you want a tire that’s lighter than usual.
The lighter your tires are, the more efficient your car will be when it’s driving.
Also, lightweight tires don’t have as much rotational inertia.
This has a direct impact on their handling since it’s easier to change the tire’s direction. That’s partly why it feels easier to turn the steering wheel when you’ve got lighter tires.
It’ll even take less effort to stop the car if you’ve got lightweight tires on it. That’s because it doesn’t have as much inertia as it had when it was heavier.
So, tire weight can affect how long it takes your car to stop. Plus, tire weight can change how easily the steering wheel turns, too.
Picking the Right Tire Weight for Your Car
In general, you’ll want to use the lightest tire you can find that’s compatible with your car.
The less your car weighs, the better its handling will be. Plus, it’ll even use less fuel when you’re on the road, saving money.
A 20-inch truck tire has the heaviest average weight on the consumer tire market, at 48 lbs.
A 17-inch sedan tire pales in comparison, at an average of only 25 lbs. The average weight of an SUV tire is closer to that of a truck than it is of a sedan.
