i want to get a set of black wheels,i dont want to break the bank,but dont want junk,i want a nice ride,i do wheel some,whats the deal w steel vs alloy,ect,i want to mount on 33s with a 2.5 lift,any help please, thanks

 

Steel is more durable, especially if you plan on doing any wheeling. With steel, if you hit something hard it will bend. With aluminum you hit anything hard like a rock it is most likely going to come off in chunks.

Aluminum is lighter but steel is probably going to be your best bet.

I like the Crager soft 8's on BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains, probably the best tire for the money out there....of course this is just my opinion.

Nitto makes some decent quality tires but they are HEAVY compared to BFG's and others out there.

If you are going with 33's you MAY want to invest in a swing away tire carrier. The extra stress is not good for the flimsy steel gate. Again, there are others out there running 35's on the factory gate but it is just a matter of when...not if the welds will start to seperate and you can't use the gate anymore.

If I were you I would go talk to someone at Discount tire. Those guys are the best, you can get a nice set of wheels/tires with a road hazard warranty for a lot cheaper than anywhere else....and if you do find something cheaper they advertise that they will BEAT the competition.

 

I went with aluminum wheels because they are lighter than steel. Lighter translates into less unsprung weight, which improves
handling and ride. Lighter means more torque used for getting the vehicle moving faster. Lighter means better gas mileage (albeit, a
negligible improvement probably). Lighter means less strain when hefting the tire off and on the carrier. But, I do wheel and my black
aluminum wheels show it. That does not bother me: Such scratches on the wheels and body paint are a source of pride--evidence
that I don't own a mall crawler. If it does bother you, consider steel wheels and rattle can them to keep them looking nice. Here are
my 33s on a 2.5" BB ...



That's when the wheels were pretty new. Here's where I really tore them up--that's scuffing through the paint, not dirt, on the lip of
the rim ...

 

I have Black rocks and like them a lot. Steel will bend easier but thats easy to fix with a nice big hammer.

For the money you save from going with steel you can just buy a couple of spares in case you bend it byond repair.

Here is a pic with Black wheels and no OWL. Sorry it is a driveway pic but I always forget to bring my camera on wheeling trips.




Oh and I am not a 3 foot tall midget, I am standing in about 12-18 inches of snow taking that pic if anyone notices the relflection.

 

I also went DTD. Awesome from start to finish to deal with and I was impressed with how smoothly every bit of the transaction went. I shopped around for a couple weeks before going with them and for what I got I saved almost 400 bucks easily thru them instead of going with the shops near me.

Black Rock Vipers 17x8
DuraTrac 285/70/17 (33x11.50)

 

Black Rock 997's with 35x12.5x17 Nitto's. Love them.