Does the strength of a steel wheel make up for the greater weight or is alloy the way to go? I can get two steels for the price of one alloy!

 

well according to your sig you want the "apperience" of having all the good stuff. so that means you should stay away from the steelies...

 

If you are not going to be bashing them into rocks and stuff like that, aluminum is just fine. The issue is not necessarily a strength issue, because pound for pound, aluminum is the stronger material, however most aluminum wheels are cast which makes them a lot weaker than they could be. Aluminum is also not as tolerable to bending. If you hit a rock, you will more than likely stress the wheel to the point that is will crack, a steel wheel will only bend and need to be hammered back out. Also, aluminum finishes (unless chromed, powder coated, or clearcoated) will not stand up to the harsh conditions of winter areas. With that being said, I have never ran a steel wheel, but more than likely will this time.

 

well according to your sig you want the "apperience" of having all the good stuff. so that means you should stay away from the steelies...

Uhhhh..... Yeah, I do want the rig to look good. 90% of the time the Jeep will be my daily driver, and on the weekends I will do some light/medium off-roading. "Apperience" or appearance is important to me, since I have 59 payments to go on the Jeep and breaking axles and cracking alloy wheels are just not an option for me right now. I am building mine little by little and maybe when it is paid off in 2011 I can really play with it.

 

Okay, perhaps the dumbest question I have ever asked, but I was looking on line and noticed that Pro-Comp has a lot of 5x5 wheels available in 16x8 which is exactly what I will want if I upgrade wheels (unless I get spacers on stock wheels). I think based on what I read here that I can run a 35" tire on 8 inch rim...

Anyway, some of the wheels say steel, others that are VERY affordable say chrome... is that steel or aluminum? I think some cheap aluminum (alloy?) rims in a grayish argent powder coat would look great on a Red Rock Crystal.

I am just not sure if I am looking a steel or not.

Eodguy

 

the cheapest alloys i think i've ever seen are the mickey thompsons, around $90 a piece, depending on where you get them. if you are seeing wheels cheaper than that, likely they are steel.

 

When i built up my TJ, i went with a steel Rockcrawler rim, it was great because at 40.00 dollars a rim, i didnt care to bash the daylights out of them if i had to... another 40 bux and it was good to go. however, i often wished that i had aluminum just for the whole less weight factor, and because all the beatings i put it through, and i never needed to replace or repair a rim. For as often as it might have happened if it were to have happened at all, i wish i would have ran aluminum teflon coated rims for their "cleanability" and their appearance. Good Luck

 

Aluminum rims are lighter so you have less rolling mass to overcome when you stop (brakes), and less strain on the back when changing tires. Aluminum rims are stronger than steel. As a general rule, a steel wheel will bend before an aluminum one will break. Aluminum rims come in more style choices. Steel rims are less expensive than Aluminum. Steel rims, if bent when off road, can be straightened sufficient to get you home. If an aluminum rim breaks, there is no fixing it.

(I rotate my own tires – so for me aluminum wins.)

 

Whats the weight difference between a steel wheel vs. a aluminum wheel of the same size, such as... a 16x8...

Usually, if i'm not mistaking, steel wheels are generally substantially thinner than aluminum wheels. Makes me curious.

I'm considering 16x8 Cragar Soft 8's, but havent been able to find a weight on them. I really want aluminum wheels, but have been unable to find a set of 16x8 aluminum wheels with enough backspacing to keep them somewhat under the fender flares. They all seem to be 4" backspacing, and I'm looking for something along the lines of 5" or so. Thanks.

 

The weight difference is relatively insignificant. Even if you consider that unsprung weight is worth 1.5 x sprung weight. A 16x8 MT Classic 2 weighs 21 lbs versus the Rock Crawler 16x8 weighs in at 37 lbs. Thats a total combined sprung weight difference of 96 LBS, or one hotty. The going rule is 100 lbs is one tenth in the quarter mile, putting you at about 18.2 stock versus 18.1. Do you think that you could tell a difference? Lets not forget that we are also adding another 35-50 lbs of tire and an increase frontal area. The weight difference is insignificant.