Alloy vs Steel wheels

[Jeeperjamie]

I think I'm about ready to buy some different wheels for my jeep. I'm not looking for nothing crazy or fancy or even flashy, just something basic that gets the job done. With that said I'm leaning to getting steel wheels again since that's what my stock wheels are. I know weight is about 14lbs a wheel difference between a steel wheel and alloy wheel, other than a alloy wheel being easier to crack, is there another reasons to go one way or the other. I really don't think 56lbs is going to make that much of a difference. What do you guys prefer and why?​

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[Mac]

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

 

[Jeeperjamie]

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

True on the rust but nothing a little touch up paint can't fix. As far as options the ones I got it narrowed to come in either, or the few i got narrowed to I can basically find them similar in design in either one. How about ride quality, anyone notice a difference between one or the other

 

[Gren71]

The stock steel wheels weight 14lbs more than the alloy wheels?

 

[Jeeperjamie]

The stock steel wheels weight 14lbs more than the alloy wheels?

I'm not sure about that, I'm just referencing the alloy wheels I'm looking at compared to a similar designed wheel in steel, alloy specs have it at 22-24lbs and steel specs have it at 36-39lbs depending on which one your looking at. I do know the steel wheels are heavier than the alloy ones based on me handling a set of alloy ones and mine but I couldn't say by how much.

 

[Gren71]

I'm not sure about that, I'm just referencing the alloy wheels I'm looking at compared to a similar designed wheel in steel, alloy specs have it at 22-24lbs and steel specs have it at 36-39lbs depending on which one your looking at. I do know the steel wheels are heavier than the alloy ones based on me handling a set of alloy ones and mine but I couldn't say by how much.

Makes sense. Secretly I was hoping you had a chart or a link or something to the wheel weights… I don’t know if I am just awful at searching on this forum, and Google/Bing/DuckDuckGo/everywhere else, but I can’t seem to find any specifics on how much each individual rim weight and what their load carrying capacities are

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Makes sense. Secretly I was hoping you had a chart or a link or something to the wheel weights… I don’t know if I am just awful at searching on this forum, and Google/Bing/DuckDuckGo/everywhere else, but I can’t seem to find any specifics on how much each individual rim weight and what their load carrying capacities are

Honestly I was just going by what the specs say at the bottom of the websites. Could be wrong but I would think a steel wheel would weigh more than a alloy. Whether the weight given is right who knows

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Some like this are what I'm looking at. A few brands make ones similar to this. Black Rock and Pro Comp are the two I've narrowed it down to just because I like their center caps better than other brands. Really want just all black including center caps. What crazy is you have to buy the center caps separately, which seems like a money gimmick looks like they want $30 to $40 a piece for the center caps.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

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.

 

[CMac]

Ya, the stock spare steelies, from Mopar. Take a look at @Dan Grec ’s build. They look great…plus no offset/fender poke issues. Check out other seasoned off-road people that point out that bending a steel wheel is a real possibility on the trail….but with a simple hammer, you can wrap it back in a way that’ll get you home. You can’t do that with an aluminum wheel: they don’t bend, they just fail. Spectacularly.

Now…if you run a mall crawler, then there are a huge mess of sexy alloy wheels out there….the world is your oyster.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Ya, the stock spare steelies, from Mopar. Take a look at @Dan Grec ’s build. They look great…plus no offset/fender poke issues. Check out other seasoned off-road people that point out that bending a steel wheel is a real possibility on the trail….but with a simple hammer, you can wrap it back in a way that’ll get you home. You can’t do that with an aluminum wheel: they don’t bend, they just fail. Spectacularly.

Now…if you run a mall crawler, then there are a huge mess of sexy alloy wheels out there….the world is your oyster.

I'm running the stock black steelies now. Looking at other wheels now because the stud got broke off one of my spacers and I'm between if I want to buy another spacer it just get new wheels. You make a good point about being able straighten one out with a hammer This is mine right now and the wheels I'm ruining which are stock

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Ya, the stock spare steelies, from Mopar. Take a look at @Dan Grec ’s build. They look great…plus no offset/fender poke issues. Check out other seasoned off-road people that point out that bending a steel wheel is a real possibility on the trail….but with a simple hammer, you can wrap it back in a way that’ll get you home. You can’t do that with an aluminum wheel: they don’t bend, they just fail. Spectacularly.

Now…if you run a mall crawler, then there are a huge mess of sexy alloy wheels out there….the world is your oyster.

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

Hardcore off-road people do not run steel wheels.

 

[CMac]

Hardcore off-road people do not run steel wheels.

Okay....whatever you say.

 

[NachoRuby]

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]

Check out @Dan Grec . I'm not sure how hard-core he is, but he assuredly gets further into the shite than most guys in here. He's running Mopar spare tire steel wheels. They look good, no poke, are relatively cheap compared to alloys and are practically disposable.

IMHO, simple is good. I think he nails it, on pretty much everything.

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