Don't know much about them. It seems like Alloy would be lighter. But steel wheels would be stronger. <--Probably better for off-road. I make that assumption based off of seeing ads in 4x4 mags that sell steel wheels with beed locks<--which I assume are for hard core rock crawling. I will say they could be useful (another assumption without knowing how expensive or practical they really are) in all types of 4 wheeling. I had the opportunity to live in the United Arab Emirates where my dad was stationed for three years to train the arabs how to fly some Apaches they had bought from us back in the 90's. We went 4 wheeling in the desert a lot and had a time or two when we did pop the beed while running low air pressure to help get our 4 banging pathfinder through some soft sand. Good times. I miss those days
I have a buddy who does a lot of off-roading and he prefers steel over aluminum. He says that if/when you bend a wheel you can fix the steel one (bend it back) but the aluminum ones break and have to be trashed.
And yes, he's pretty hard-core.
__________________ 2005 Frontier Nismo CC 4x2 -- Aztec Red, Rockford-Fosgate, Sunroof, Side Curtain Air Bags, Tow Package, Bed Extender, Hard Tonneau (finally!!), Microfilter, Manik Step Bars, Nissan iPod Interface, Ground Wire Kit, and more to come . . .
I seriously doubt at all that the differences are considerable. You won't notice a difference until you start putting on bigger tires, and then what you notice there will only be because of the tire size. The bigger the tire, the more effort to turn them.
I'm probably off when I say this, but I would think the bigger tire you go with the more strain you put on the clutch. But there, I guess that is why a lot of people doing mods of this degree install better clutches.
do you think the weight differences are considerable? or at least enough to cause a larger strain on the tranny/engine?
Steel weighs about 3 times as much as aluminum if comparing the exact same size, design and volume of material.
The way a wheel is manufactured can affect if a wheel can be repaired (ie cast vs. forged wheels), and can affect the strength of the wheel. I would think offroading you'd like a steel wheel because they are harder and more resistant to scratching.
Steel weighs about 3 times as much as aluminum if comparing the exact same size, design and volume of material.
The way a wheel is manufactured can affect if a wheel can be repaired (ie cast vs. forged wheels), and can affect the strength of the wheel. I would think offroading you'd like a steel wheel because they are harder and more resistant to scratching.
I am asking out of curiousity, does that much of a difference really make a difference for the average vehicle that isn't about racing and etc? Also the same question for off roading? Again, I don't know much about this stuff and it is just out of curiousity.
Well most lightweight wheels will give a limit to the weight of the vehicle it will hold. However, I had a set of Konig helium on my 200sx and my friend had one on his Integra. Mine never had a problem on normal driving but his wheels broke and completely destroyed his integra. Konigs are cast wheels.
Based on that experience, I would say for everyday driving its fine as long as the wheel is rated for the weight of the vehicle, but at the same you have to really be careful how you drive.
My '98 fronty came with aluminum rims and it's predecessor had steel rims. I don't think there was much difference in weight. The aluminum ones might be a little lighter but they are much thicker in cross section and that adds a lot of mass. I don't think there is any real benefit to have aluminum for everyday use, though of course, they do look better and that counts for something.
Note: I bought an extra rim for each vehicle (junked the one-use tiny spare). The steel rim was $25, the fancy aluminum rim was $240. Some difference.
Aside from the strength consideration, the weight of the tire is unsprung weight meaning the lighter they are teh easier it is for the motor to get you moving.
Need to compare the weight of the aluminum to steel rim. With hot rods I have seen guys switch back to plain jane steel rims because they are lighter than the mag rims.
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yeah i think ill be going with steel. i want black rims and it seems its much easier to find black steel wheels...and they are alot cheaper. im thinking of these:
Alloy wheels are much stronger than steel wheels, and much lighter. You'd going to lose performance and city gas mileage with the added rotational weight of steel wheels. (highway wont change) They're cheaper because they're easier to make.
Yes, you can work a steel wheel back into form, but its hard to do unless you're skilled and they bend a lot easier than an alloy wheel breaks.
Alloy wheels are much lighter than steel wheels. Read these:
quotes:
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1010tires.com
The main differences between alloy and steel wheels lie in their durability and strength. Most high-performance wheels are made of an alloy and composed of aluminum, and other metallic substances. By using alloy wheels, you not only improve the looks of your vehicle but also the performance. The extra strength provides longevity as well as effecting tire wear in a positive manner. The weight reduction will improve steering response and handling, as well as help improve acceleration and braking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tirerack.com
Alloy Wheels
· Enhance the look of your vehicle
· Are manufactured to precise standards to meet exact fitment and performance needs
· Weigh less than steel wheels and have superior strength
· May be the preferred option for your vehicle based on fitment requirements
· Will allow for better brake clearance (depending on wheel style and brake components installed)
· Require proper maintenance as finish damage may result in the harshest winter climates where salt and sand are routinely used
Steel Wheels
· Meet the basic needs of drivers who want the convenience of a winter tire package without the additional cost of an alloy wheel
· Typically available in black or silver finish depending on the application
· Basic styling can often be updated with wheel covers
· Cost less than alloy wheels due to ease of manufacturing and lower material costs
Quote:
Originally Posted by difflock.com, a 4x4 magazine
What's the difference in choosing wheels?
Choosing wheels seems very easy, look at all those brainless yuppies who run on alloys. This doesn't mean however that alloy is bad. But more on this later. There are literally hundreds of wheels on the market that suit Land Rovers. Most differences are cosmetically but some are also practical. Which material is best is a hotly debated topic.
Most common are steel and aluminium alloy, exotic materials like carbon fibres being way out of financial reach of most ofroaders. You simply can't compare them as they are completely different by construction.
Steel
Most genuine wheels are made of steel. An stamped inner part is junctioned to a rolled outer rim and nowadays welded together. If you look at older rims on Willys of Toyotas you can still se that they were riveted together. The setup is strong, easy to repair but most important, cheap to fabricate. They can be painted over and over again if years of off roading take their toll. Many manufacturers use the same production method but take stronger and/or thicker materials to increase load capacity and they also make them in sizes better suited to aftermarket tires. The biggest disadvantage of steel is it's weight or better it's lack of performance. An alloy wheel will accelerate faster and stop quicker as well as reducing load on shocks and steering linkages. How can such a rather small weight difference make up for a drastic change you may ask. After all the difference will rarely exceed 8 pounds peer wheel. This would be true in a static situation.
But the wheel is a dynamic part on the car. It's weight must be accelarated and braked, it's movements must be tamed. And everyone familiar with physical laws can tell you that a moving parts inertia is completely different from a static part as the rest of the axle is (in this example).
Just to give you an idea of how much energy is stored in an tire wheel combo let me tell you something I saw myself: One day I was driving on the motorway to work when I was overtaken by an Alfa Romeo, you know, these small italian sports cars. The guy was doing about 110 Km/h when I noticed his left front wheel wobble and suddenly coming loose. The wheel slowly run along the car, then drifted to the middle when it hit the separation. Although it hit the wall at a very flat angle it immediately changed direction, jumped over the Alfa in windscreen height and only landed some 50 yards away in a meadow where it still went on for about 300 yards. Imagine how much force this took- and it was only a very small wheel, about 13inches with an equal small tire. Had it hit a car it would have smashed through the windscreen and killed everybody inside. Luckily the guy brought his car to a standstill with nothing more than a damaged brake disc.
So what does this show us? There's a tremdous amount of force stored in a rotating wheel. You need much energy to get it up to speed and you need also good brakes to bring it down. The steering linkages will wear faster too.The heavier a wheel/tire combo the more energy is needed. Similar for shock absorbers. If you have a heavy wheel they will take a beating. So aim for the lowest possible weight.
A steel wheel will also bend much earlier than an alloy wheel. But you can hammer an steel wheel back in shape while an alloy wheel will usually break. So if you intend to do many miles far away from civilization keep the steel. If shopping for used rims you can test them by mounting them and holding a pencil or similar against the edge and rotating the wheel. This runout can be of up to 2-3mm even on new wheels but I'd keep off if it exceeds more than this.
Old miltary wheels are mostly bent so keep that in mind. This is less of a problem on cars seldom exceeding 80 Km/h. Also it's not uncommon for steel to rust to a point where structural integrity is affected.
Aluminium alloys
One piece cast alloys
Those are the usual rims offered on the market for 4x4 applications. Up to 1/3th lighter than steel, restant to bending and not too expensive they are good for almost all applications. Beware however of rims marked 'not for off road use'. Their disadvantage is that they can break. However this is very rare and only caused by violent encounters of the sort that would also ruin the tire and bend a steel rim They do get scratches and dents on the trail and don't support winter roads well without special care. If corroded they take more work to refurbish. Corrosion however rarely affects their structure to a point rendering them dangerous.
Two piece alloys
Also called modulars they have a cast center and a spun rim, held together by welds, rivets or even nuts and bolts (not legal in many states). Their construction makes for a very strong and lightweight wheel but they are easily bent and hard to repair. They are also cheap to produce so they make up the majority of alloys for street going cars.
Forged alluminium alloys
Those are the best and most expensive wheels for our applications. They are way stronger than steel and lighter than most cast alloys. They are also the most expensive to buy.
Carbon fiber
Those wheels are very rarely seen on 4x4's. They are extremely light, less than half that of a steel rim of the same capacity. However they are prone to breakage if not constructed for off road use- and I know of none produced in greater quantities. They are also extremely expensive due to initial cost of raw material and the lot of manual work involved. Count about 10 times the price of a forged alloy wheel.
I rest my case. dont mess around with steel wheels.
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Last edited by avenger : Jan 3rd, 2006 at 04:07 PM.
Reason: for inyourface... less bias?
I rest my case. dont mess around with steel wheels.
I'd say it really does not matter for typical use which wheel you use. Alloys can be lighter than steel assuming that a lightweight alloy is used. Some mag wheels, like the old Cragars, are steel. The racing wheels that offered the greatest weight benefits were magnesium (like the old mini-lites). Magnesium is not a material of choice for everyday use in wheels since it is very susceptible to corrosion. The biggest advantage for street use of an alloy wheel is the variety of different styles available.
Much was made of the light weight and energy storage in your reply. Energy storage works both ways. It can be a disadvantage when trying to accelerate and brake. It can be an advantage in that it acts to smooth out the power train by acting like additional flywheels. In typical use it really does not matter. If energy storage is your prime concern (which I doubt) consider using the smallest (diameter and width) wheel and tire combination that you can (like the front wheels on a drag car).
Unsprung weight affects the handling of a vehicle. You would like to minimize the weight of the tire and wheel combination (plus some of you suspension components if you're serious) for better handling. Of course, for better handling you'd also like to put more rubber (means more weight) on the road. Let's face it, these are trucks with solid rear suspensions and mediocre weight distribution. They can be improved but they will never be competing against sports cars (maybe against sport utilities). Again, for typical use the alloy versus steel comparison really does not matter (steel wheels may have an advantage for competition in that they can be sliced and diced to make custom widths and offsets for serious competitors).
My summary: Do what looks good to you and is good to your wallet.
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