Alloy vs Steel wheels

[Jeeperjamie]

The problem is steel bends too easily. Easier than cracking an alloy wheel.

Hardcore off-road people do not run steel wheels.

Honestly I've never heard this statement. I know some hardcore wheeling guys, Vaugh Gittin who's shop butts up to where I work, all he runs is steel wheels and he wheels pretty hard. Most of the jeep club guys i know prefer steel over alloy. Not saying ones better than the other just saying I see most running steel wheels. I'm not looking for examples because I'm really more concerned with one road performance because I don't rock crawl, so on road performance and light trail, and towing capabilities, that's my concerns.

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[brianinca]

Rock rash on steelies will go to rust in no time, even in California. That scrape won't affect function.

I don't miss the extra weight on my YJ (JKR wheels now), and I have run steel wheels for >25 years. No mas!

Always bought a second set of wheels for my 4x4's, always AR 767's, until the H2 and 37" muds. The deep dish cast aluminum 17's never got touched, EVER, even with some epic slides off rocks into more rocks. Beating a wheel vs changing the whole tire? Maybe not a thing for me.

The extra weight sure matters swapping tires, too!

I'm not worried about cracking a wheel, but I'm not a hardcore off-roader. I just like hitting the trails about once every couple of months. The reason I was at one point looking at steel wheels is because I'm still not great at picking lines. I figure, the image below would have made me a lot less upset on an $80-100 steel wheel than on an alloy. Unfortunately, the offset on all the steel wheels i have come across is ridiculous. I can't have the tires stick out around here. But I did this getting my first badge of honor, so I'll wear it with pride. Right now, it's on the passenger side, and the badge is on the driver side, so it's kind of like having an extra badge.

 

[CMac]

Honestly I've never heard this statement. I know some hardcore wheeling guys, Vaugh Gittin who's shop butts up to where I work, all he runs is steel wheels and he wheels pretty hard. Most of the jeep club guys i know prefer steel over alloy. Not saying ones better than the other just saying I see most running steel wheels. I'm not looking for examples because I'm really more concerned with one road performance because I don't rock crawl, so on road performance and light trail, and towing capabilities, that's my concerns.

Here’s another dude with some “off-street” cred…Ronny Dahl:

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Cheap steel wheels are often out-of-round when they are new.

I won't mess with steel wheels anymore. Unless they are high quality factory wheels.

If you do settle on steel wheels, you an use old butter containers painted black for your center caps.

Cheap steel wheels are often out-of-round when they are new.

I won't mess with steel wheels anymore. Unless they are high quality factory wheels.

If you do settle on steel wheels, you an use old butter containers painted black for your center caps.

Honestly the factory steel wheels like I have are only $80-$100 a piece online brand new, that's less than the ones I'm looking at now. I found a set of 5 on Marketplace for $150.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Honestly the factory steel wheels like I have are only $80-$100 a piece online brand new, that's less than the ones I'm looking at now. I found a set of 5 on Marketplace for $150.

Those would work well for what you want.

 

[dcmdon]

The only thing with the factory steel wheels is they are 7.5 inches wide. Technically too narrow for most 35s and all 37s.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Here’s another dude with some “off-street” cred…Ronny Dahl:

Steel wheel after a weekend at JV:

 

[ShadowsPapa]

More choices with aluminum, doesn’t rust if it gets chipped or scratched.

Maybe so, but that white fluffy aluminum oxide wheels get once the clear coat is compromised, well............ and steel wheels can be blasted and powder coated. I had a set of aluminum wheels restored - 200 bucks each to have them CNC machined and re-clear coated. I'd have done steel myself.
The styled steel wheels that came on cars like the 70 Javelin such as the magnum 500, even 50 years later you can restore in your own garage with a little work - slotted steel and painted 2 colors ->

Picture makes this Jeep wheel look great- it was crap. The clear coat was compromised in several places and there was white fluff (aluminum oxide) growing all over. It was a mess. If it was steel I'd have pulled it, blasted it, powder coated it and moved on ->

Had to be re-macined and refinished using CNC equipment ->

 

[rharr]

The problem is steel bends too easily. Easier than cracking an alloy wheel.

Hardcore off-road people do not run steel wheels.

Hardcore people do run steel. It can be hammer back in place when you bend a rim edge, alloy just cracks and you are screwed.

The only reason to run alloy is to save wieght.

https://racelinewheels.com/collections/offroad-beadlock-wheels

 

[Gren71]

The only reason to run alloy is to save wieght.

Which is actually my only concern since im past my wheeling days

 

[Jeeperjamie]

The only thing with the factory steel wheels is they are 7.5 inches wide. Technically too narrow for most 35s and all 37s.

That's not true I'm running 37 12.5 17's on my stock steelies. Specs sheets say 17 7.5 are fine for anything up to 12.6 wide, anything more than that then you need a wider wheel. Like you couldn't mount a 37 13.5 17 on them. I got good contact points with mine and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't rub without my wheel spacers. I didn't with the 315 70 17 i had previously and they were slightly wider tires, like 12.6 wide according the sheet.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Maybe so, but that white fluffy aluminum oxide wheels get once the clear coat is compromised, well............ and steel wheels can be blasted and powder coated. I had a set of aluminum wheels restored - 200 bucks each to have them CNC machined and re-clear coated. I'd have done steel myself.
The styled steel wheels that came on cars like the 70 Javelin such as the magnum 500, even 50 years later you can restore in your own garage with a little work - slotted steel and painted 2 colors ->

Picture makes this Jeep wheel look great- it was crap. The clear coat was compromised in several places and there was white fluff (aluminum oxide) growing all over. It was a mess. If it was steel I'd have pulled it, blasted it, powder coated it and moved on ->

Had to be re-macined and refinished using CNC equipment ->

Exactly another reason I prefer the steel ones over alloy. I don't think saving 14lbs a wheel is really much savings honestly but who knows I guess it could make a .02mpg difference if that matters to you.

 

[Mac]

12.5” wide tires on 7.5” wide rims….

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Steel wheel after a weekend at JV:

Ice road truckers - Rick bends a wheel, Hugh uses a big hammer to bend the rim back into shape and uses the old gas and match trick to re-inflate the tire and set the bead on the rim so they can air the tire back up.

 

[rharr]

Steel wheel after a weekend at JV:

That's a misleading image. That type of damage is from someone wheeling on a flat tire for a few miles. An alloy would look just as bad if wheeled in rocks flat. Johnson Valley is rough no doubt, but it looks like some tried to hit every rock with their rim.

any one of those chunks would have deflated the tire.

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