kntr

Ill explain it for you in a little more detail. I never said the wheels were all the weight difference.

The Km2s are 8ply.
The Hankooks are 10ply and studded.
There is a big difference in tire weight... and wheels too.

All Im saying is weight makes a BIG difference in gas mileage.

I get about 18-20 mpg on the hwy at 60mph with the light wheel/tire combo.
I get about 15-17 mpg on the hwy at 60mph with the heavy wheel/tire combo.

Ya, ya, tread pattern and the studding and sipping probably makes a difference too.

My DD wheels/tires



My offroad/winter wheels/tires

AZJeeper

Not to mention all of the wear and tear the extra unsprung weight does to your axles.

chuck45

Are all alloy wheels aluminum or are some magnesium? Is there a differnce between a cast alloy wheel and a forged alloy wheel? I may recall reading that forged will bend while cast will crack. I haven't found a source for reliable info on this subject yet.

FWIW I've got AEV Pintlers and are quite happy with them. I was happy to pay the additional 520 they cost over steel.

JulietKilo

all are aluminum, dont sell magnesium anymore for fire safety reasons, yes there is a difference, cast are good, forged are indestructible and very expensive.

Got my aluminum 17x8.5 V-drive MBmotoring for 125 and they are almost as light as the stockers with 35's.

09rubicon

I am still running the stock wheels on my Rubi, but here is something to consider. On my last rig I was able to by 5 steelies with 38.5 TSLs mounted plus an extra steel wheel for what it would have cost to by 4 alloy wheels with TSLs mounted. You may ask why this means anything, simple, not only did I have a fullsize spare, I actually had an extra wheel if I bent one that I could swap out when I got home. Then I would take the bent one and drop it off at a local wheel and tire shop we had to be straightened (cost 15-50 bucks depending on the amount) and repainted. I would pick it up a week or two later and the whole time I could still be out wheelin with confidence and a fulsize spare. I like the alloys, especialy the ones you are looking at, but if you are already having rock rash problems then go with steel.

N2MWL

I went steel because if I bash them up who cares......



That's water from the car wash on the tires not Armor All, I don't use Armor All on the Jeep..

DPJK

This is something I have been dealing with first hand also. I have a set of 285/75 R16 Pro Comps mounted on steel 97's. They look great on my lifted Rubicon, but the stock tires/wheels drive much better. I switched back to my stock rubi tire set up this morning because of this. Whether it is for the look or function, steel vs alloy may help in your decision. I am now looking at selling the steelies and getting some 255/80 or 285/70 KM2's to put on my stock wheels.
Another option is always to run an offroad setup, and alloys/stock rims for the DD. Steels are great when used in that manner...best of both worlds.

Choppus

Well it's really up to personal preference. I guess you just need to weigh all the factors. Weight/DD/rock rash Good luck with the decision making!

RicoBlaster

Take a look at Pro Comp's Web site and find the weight of the specific wheel you want. Then go to the company of the steelie you want and check the weight.

I'm looking at the Pro Comp 8069s and they are a lot lighter than Cragar Series 97 soft 8s. I'm not sure about the ones you like, though...they have more material than the 8069s.

Also, 4WD Hardware has their buy 3, get 4th free deal on Pro Comp wheels. If you want to buy 5, get them at 20% off at 4 Wheel Parts. I was just pricing wheels today...as of now, no one is cheaper.