Tires: How Much Does A Tire Weigh?, toyota prius, tire wear

Question
i am interested in knowing what a particular tire weighs in the belief that the lighter it is, the less rolling resistance there should be. is there a site i can access to get this information? i am in the process of replacing the tires on my 2005 toyota prius.

thank you.

Answer
Joe,

I can confirm that weight, especially weight in the tread area, is a factor in RR.  Lower weight = better RR.

However, the less tread volume there is, the worse the tire wear.  In other words, it doesn't come free.

And to add further complication, the tread compound itself has a profound affect on RR - even if the weight is the same.

So going strictly by weight is only going to be a little  much help.

But to answer your question, I do not know of a web site where this is posted.  I think your only recourse is to come up with a short list and call the manufacturer.  BTW, since there is not a standardized RR test, there is no point in asking what the RR values are - they will not be comparable.

But I should mention that the tires that came on the Prius have very low RR values and you are unlikely to find tires lower than that.