Enthusiast III
What makes a rim good for off road?
- Thread starter TrippinStfflr
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Off-Road Ranger I
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- Ron
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- Wilkinson
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4990
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I like aluminum because of weight savings over steel. Steel however can take a little more punishment, but you would really have to be abusive to see the difference. I wouldn't go any larger than a 17" rim because you need that sidewall flex to absorb the ground. Larger the rim, less sidewall of tire.
Enthusiast III
I have a feeling that'll be the consensus^^^. So as far as rims are concerned its more about looks than anything else?
Off-Road Ranger I
- 3,308
- First Name
- Ron
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- Wilkinson
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4990
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- WRQT933
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- US Navy
Not this time around. I was looking for something better than stock, but not too pricey, so I settled on OutlawII wheels in a 16" diameter.
I left the stock Ford wheels on my Expedition for now... replacements are easy to find in a salvage yard, and they didn’t cost me a dime because they came with the truck.
That decision allowed me to spend money on something else.
It also helped me with “no-scratchitis”, as i don’t really care if the wheels get scratched, unlike nice new ones :)
It was my practical decision :)
That decision allowed me to spend money on something else.
It also helped me with “no-scratchitis”, as i don’t really care if the wheels get scratched, unlike nice new ones :)
It was my practical decision :)
Advocate III
I agree with @James Deaton - stock rims, easy to find and replace and not as hard to touch up if you want. It's a lot easier to pound a steel rim back into shape out on the trail, too, IF you have to. Not going to do that with aluminum. I go for utility and functionality over looks.
Though, if you're planning on really rough trails and airing way the hell down all the time, having a rim with beadlock may be needed. Here's an article from 2014 on fourwheeler.com about that: Beadlock Buyer's Guide - Clamp Down
Though, if you're planning on really rough trails and airing way the hell down all the time, having a rim with beadlock may be needed. Here's an article from 2014 on fourwheeler.com about that: Beadlock Buyer's Guide - Clamp Down
Enthusiast III
Yeah I completely agree. I wont be buying new tires or rims for awhile. I actually like my stock rims. The goodyears on my F250 are E rated so they're pretty stiff and It takes 3 days to air them back up to 60psi.
Maybe someday I'll get a set of 17s with some MTs just for playin.
As others have already mentioned, I try to stay stock if possible, but if I need to change the wheel for some reason, I tend to gravitate towards steel wheels:
- Can be bent back if needed
- The wight difference between comparable strength Alu wheel is negligible by the time you factor in the effect of the extra weight from the larger tire you're usually trying to fit (comparing dollar to dollar, not the high zoot stuff)
- I tend to view wheels as a consumable, and the Steel wheels tend to be cheaper than their alu counterparts
- Generally more abuse resistant (again, dollar for dollar).
Granted, there are some broad brush strokes above, but generally speaking, the steel wheel will stand up better when considering the $ per abuse factor. Yes, you can get some very strong alu wheels, but they tend to come with a premium price. The more affordable alu wheels tend not to handle abuse as well (in my experience). A bent steel wheel will still get you off the trail, a cracked Alu wheel likely won't.
Size wise, whatever it takes to clear the brake calipers and call it good. You want as much tire side wall as you can get to make the off road ride more compliant.
Bead locks are nice, but for most 'overlanding' situations, they're overkill. Size your tire correctly, and the standard safety bead will get the job done.
$0.02
- Can be bent back if needed
- The wight difference between comparable strength Alu wheel is negligible by the time you factor in the effect of the extra weight from the larger tire you're usually trying to fit (comparing dollar to dollar, not the high zoot stuff)
- I tend to view wheels as a consumable, and the Steel wheels tend to be cheaper than their alu counterparts
- Generally more abuse resistant (again, dollar for dollar).
Granted, there are some broad brush strokes above, but generally speaking, the steel wheel will stand up better when considering the $ per abuse factor. Yes, you can get some very strong alu wheels, but they tend to come with a premium price. The more affordable alu wheels tend not to handle abuse as well (in my experience). A bent steel wheel will still get you off the trail, a cracked Alu wheel likely won't.
Size wise, whatever it takes to clear the brake calipers and call it good. You want as much tire side wall as you can get to make the off road ride more compliant.
Bead locks are nice, but for most 'overlanding' situations, they're overkill. Size your tire correctly, and the standard safety bead will get the job done.
$0.02
I'm running stock too, because the factory Alcoa wheels are really hard to beat. They're very strong. A lot of people rush out and ditch the factory wheels for the aftermarket. And they don't check the load ratings of those wheels or consider if the wheel is strong enough for the application. I'm sure most purchases are all 98% based on appearance.
Steel wheels can take abuse, and sure you can, in theory, pound them out (have fun with that); but I see you're in a fullsize, not a jeep. Steel wheels will be about 10x easier.
That being said, I've seen Method's explode just from wheeling in the mud
Steel wheels can take abuse, and sure you can, in theory, pound them out (have fun with that); but I see you're in a fullsize, not a jeep. Steel wheels will be about 10x easier.
That being said, I've seen Method's explode just from wheeling in the mud
This is a good overview from a friend. It really depends on what your needs are but stock wheels are much stronger than most people assume. Replacements can also be an issue for high end alloy wheels some places of the world.
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Enthusiast III
I will take steel every time. But then my big block Chevy suburban doesn't notice the weight difference.
![[DO]Ron](/forums/data/avatars/m/5/5154.jpg?1711577950){kind=avatar}
Member III
Meh I wanted to quote that vid from Ronny lol. I think I would go with steel rims if I where to offroad like A LOT. Right now I just use the stock 17" alloy rims that came with the rig. And as said before whatever type you go, don't go overboard on the size. Generally 17" is the biggest you would want to get because thats the max of getting good offroad tires for. Rim doesn't mean anything with street tires ofcourse.
I too was going to quote the video from Ronny. The only issue I have with my stock rims is how narrow they are, which is why eventually I'll go aftermarket. But if your stock rims are decent and in the size you want, why spend the money on a new rim when you can use the stock until you need to replace them?
Member III
Member III
Very interesting.... I learned something new. Thanks for sharing.
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Member III
Narrow tires can't be that bad.. ASPW runs narrow rims on his 79 series Land Cruiser. he loves narrow tires. mine are 265/70/17 so they aren't huge but not small either.
Enthusiast III
Andrew is an ass about it in his tire video. He said big tires are only good for looks. He can be so snotty some times, I have a hard time watching him.
I need to do more research on it. I've thought about skinny tires, but I don't know.
I try to gloss over some of it, but I don't disagree. He does have a "better than thou" attitude sometimes.
Member III
In a video he and Ronny did together they talked about it for a bit as well. Narrow or big both have advantages. Like for mud wide tires are better if I recall correctly. Anyhow, he seems to go just fine with narrow tires, was just saying they can't be all bad.
And yea, Andrew can be like that sometimes, I still like it though :P
Member III
I went the same route. I run 265/70/16, so just a bit smaller but not much. I was convinced about narrow tire over wide for 99% of terrain after working with the forestry service for a summer. They all all run very narrow tires compared to most other off-roaders. True they are just about terrible in deep mud, but they also are not MT tires.
For wheels I am looking for a nice steel replacement.
