Influencer I
I will be buying wheels and tires for my rig soon. I am looking for opinions on steel wheels and aluminum wheels, pros and cons. I am looking at pro comp steels and aluminum.
Aluminum vs steel wheels
- Thread starter ScottyV
- Start date
Influencer I
I like the idea that steel wheels are repairable in the field to some degree. You always see those videos of people banging on them with a huge hammer and viola` ... fixed.
But I wonder... would they have had an issue with a beefy alloy wheel? Would it have broken or cracked an alloy in that situation? The lip of a steel wheel would probably bend more easily at a lower stress point than another type?
I don't worry about this too much because of the wheels I use. Compomotive made these wheels for the Bowler wildcat and some other crazy race trucks for the Dakar Rally.
But I wonder... would they have had an issue with a beefy alloy wheel? Would it have broken or cracked an alloy in that situation? The lip of a steel wheel would probably bend more easily at a lower stress point than another type?
I don't worry about this too much because of the wheels I use. Compomotive made these wheels for the Bowler wildcat and some other crazy race trucks for the Dakar Rally.
Member II
I questioned an old off road racer while stationed in San Diego,(Navy) about this very question. He told me to research how many vehicles won the Baja 500 with steel wheels. Well, I at that time I couldn't find any(1980ish). I believe you should always carry a spare, at least one, Ron
Influencer I
Do you think that the weight difference is worth almost double the price?
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I run the stock aluminum wheels that came on my Tacoma, if it came with steel I would have ran those. If you are doing the kind of wheeling that tends to damage wheels like rock crawling or high speed desert driving, steelies are more likely to be beat back into shape on the trail than aluminum. I don't think that anyone would seriously notice the weight difference between the two, short of a high end purpose built race machine and even then it's realistically just an edge to be gained and nothing more. In my opinion If a steel wheel sponsor was writing the check and providing the wheels they would be running steels, but custom looking wheels are sexy and sell so they sponsor the race trucks. With a loaded down camping rig I couldn't see the weight savings mattering much, your gas mileage is still going to suck. Also, I don't get bummed out when I scrape up my stock wheels on rocks or when the tire shop leaves marks when installing new rubber. Just my 2 cents.
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Benefactor
I run aluminum on my overland rig and steel on my crawler.
I run the steel on the crawler because they are cheaper to replace and you can beat them back into shape if bent on the trail. I modify the bead seats on them to hold a bead better at the extreme low pressures I run (2-6 psi).
I like the aluminum on my overland/daily rig because the seem to stay balanced better and survive everyday road hazards just fine. They also have always held a bead better at low pressure for me with out modifications.
I run the steel on the crawler because they are cheaper to replace and you can beat them back into shape if bent on the trail. I modify the bead seats on them to hold a bead better at the extreme low pressures I run (2-6 psi).
I like the aluminum on my overland/daily rig because the seem to stay balanced better and survive everyday road hazards just fine. They also have always held a bead better at low pressure for me with out modifications.
Enthusiast III
I run the stock aluminum that came of my Ram. My thoughts are if it ain't broke don't fix it. Whenever I get around to lifting the truck I might change out the wheels but truthfully with a lift I can run bigger tires and keep the wheels. If you want wheels for style then go for it but as a matter of function I don't think it matters all that much. Unless you are pushing you vehicle to extremes then you won't see a difference.
Influencer I
Steel. Not a race car. Don't need to accelerate fast. The minor weight difference is negligible when you have a 60lb tire.
You can beat on, a steel wheel. You can even weld a steel wheel in the field if you manage to crack it. Not common or likely, but I've seen cracked wheels before.
They get ugly, you can sandblast them and repaint or powder coat them. Have you seen all the kids trying to spray paint aluminum wheels? It looks awful after two days when it flakes off. The aluminum gets scratched and torn up and you can't really do much to fix it.
If your vehicle came with aluminum, leave them. No reason to change what's on there unless you just want to change the look. But if you're buying a new set of wheels to accommodate wider tires, steel is cheaper, tougher, and repairable. The weight is a non issue for me since you've got a heavy 4x4 with a heavy tire, and acceleration isn't an issue. If you were building a race truck, the weight difference might be justified... but you're not.
You can beat on, a steel wheel. You can even weld a steel wheel in the field if you manage to crack it. Not common or likely, but I've seen cracked wheels before.
They get ugly, you can sandblast them and repaint or powder coat them. Have you seen all the kids trying to spray paint aluminum wheels? It looks awful after two days when it flakes off. The aluminum gets scratched and torn up and you can't really do much to fix it.
If your vehicle came with aluminum, leave them. No reason to change what's on there unless you just want to change the look. But if you're buying a new set of wheels to accommodate wider tires, steel is cheaper, tougher, and repairable. The weight is a non issue for me since you've got a heavy 4x4 with a heavy tire, and acceleration isn't an issue. If you were building a race truck, the weight difference might be justified... but you're not.
Enthusiast III
Influencer I
Enthusiast III
Influencer I
Right now i have stock wheels and tires. I am lifting and going to a 35x12.50 tires. So I need wider rims with more offset to clear my fenders and frame.
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Enthusiast III
I understand the larger profile for a lifted truck. I am trying to understand the need for width. From your description it sounds like it is a cosmetic want more then a need. Which is fine but it didn't address my question.
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12.5 wide tires don't normally fit on factory wheels, and the offset is normally an issue too. So he's needing at least a 8" wheel, and enough offset in it, to push the wider tires away from the frame and steering parts.
Enthusiast III
I understand that as well. But it is back to the question I asked. Is this a need? Modifying ones vehicle for appearance is all well and good but in the world of overlanding it isn't a need. Now if his overlanding vehicle did not get him where he was trying to go and this required modification to reach the destination that would be a need. So what does the vehicle not do now that the wider tire would fix? If the answer is nothing then this falls into a cosmetic issue.
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Influencer I
Wider width=wider stance=more stability. Cosmetic is the least of my concern. My concern is weight and strength. Steel or aluminum, I will buy the same size. 15"X10".
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