Steel v. Alummy Wheels
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JK Newbie
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: DFW
Steel v. Alummy Wheels
Well after massacring my factory wheels from wheeling, I am in the market for some new dubs (well 17" actually). I haven't seen a post that list any pros or cons of going with steel wheels over aluminum. I'm leaning towards the Soft 8's (17x8) with 35's but am concerned about any weight issues on the factory axles (D44/30 setup) and any possible ride quality differences I may not like. I've noticed about a 7-10 lb. difference between the two metals. Not sure if thats enough to worry about regarding over-stressing suspension/brake components. Appreciate any input (including a link to a prior post if available).
JK Junkie
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,911
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From: Broken Arrow, OK
Steel Wheels (Pros):
Cons
I personally went with the steel rims, due mostly to the monetary aspect. You will notice a lot of people here are running Soft 8's (or similar, my Pro Comp rims look VERY similar). I intend on running 35s (they will be here very soon), and the rim weight never once seemed like a concern to the Jeep itself. Perhaps I am foolish, only time will tell, but considering steel wheels have been a common place item on off-road vehicles for a very long time I doubt it will be an issue.
One additional Pro of steel wheels is they are easier to repair. I had a ding and scratch on a rim from some off-roading. I simply used my dremel to remove some of the rough edges to the scratch and spray painted it black again. While I wish I had never incurred the damage, it is nice to know that the wheel was easily repaired, and unless you are two inches away from the repair worked you'd never know it was damaged.
- Cheaper
- "Stronger", although some alloy wheels are pretty strong
Cons
- Heavier, may not make much of a difference to your Jeep (that extra 10 lbs), but when it comes time to rotate or change a flat it will seem like a lot more
- Style, generally aluminum and alloy wheels come is better styles.
I personally went with the steel rims, due mostly to the monetary aspect. You will notice a lot of people here are running Soft 8's (or similar, my Pro Comp rims look VERY similar). I intend on running 35s (they will be here very soon), and the rim weight never once seemed like a concern to the Jeep itself. Perhaps I am foolish, only time will tell, but considering steel wheels have been a common place item on off-road vehicles for a very long time I doubt it will be an issue.
One additional Pro of steel wheels is they are easier to repair. I had a ding and scratch on a rim from some off-roading. I simply used my dremel to remove some of the rough edges to the scratch and spray painted it black again. While I wish I had never incurred the damage, it is nice to know that the wheel was easily repaired, and unless you are two inches away from the repair worked you'd never know it was damaged.
Last edited by u-joint; Jul 20, 2010 at 03:30 AM. Reason: grammar
JK Junkie
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,911
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From: Broken Arrow, OK
Oh, I also just saw you question about ride quality. I know of no difference in ride quality between the two. Things like you lift kit and tires are going to have a larger impact than anything the rims could on the quality of your Jeep's ride.
Additionally, when I went from my factory aluminum rims to my aftermarket steel rims I noticed zero difference in how it road or handled. So I think you will be fine with whichever (steel or aluminum) rim you decide to go with from a ride quality perspective.
Additionally, when I went from my factory aluminum rims to my aftermarket steel rims I noticed zero difference in how it road or handled. So I think you will be fine with whichever (steel or aluminum) rim you decide to go with from a ride quality perspective.
Last edited by u-joint; Jul 20, 2010 at 03:27 AM. Reason: grammar
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 309
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From: Pigeon Forge Tn
I have to say a 10 lb change in tires is huge. Im in the same debate right now, any way i get weight off my jeep is good. What does a factory Rubicon wheel weigh? My thought is buying some aluminum wheels to cut down on wheel mass instead of re gearing.
JK Freak
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 594
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From: British Columbia
I plan on alloy wheels. It's all about weight for me. I don't do any rock crawling so I'm not worried about bashing them on rocks. Strength-wise I think a rim is a rim. They just damage in different ways. Cracked or bent it needs to be replaced. I could be wrong, but I hope not...
When the time comes cost may actually be a factor. We'll just have to see how fat or skinny my wallet is at the time of purchase.
When the time comes cost may actually be a factor. We'll just have to see how fat or skinny my wallet is at the time of purchase.
JK Jedi
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,470
Likes: 1
From: Westchester, NY
Here is a great article on steel vs. alloy...
http://ww w.ajeepthing.com/jeep-wheels.html
http://ww w.ajeepthing.com/jeep-wheels.html
Most genuine wheels are made of steel. An stamped inner part is joined to a rolled outer rim and nowadays welded together. If you look at older rims on Willys you can still see that they were riveted together. The setup is strong, easy to repair but most important, cheap to fabricate. They can be painted over and over again if years of off roading take their toll. Many manufacturers use the same production method but take stronger and/or thicker materials to increase load capacity and they also make them in sizes better suited to aftermarket tires. The biggest disadvantage of steel is it's weight or better it's lack of performance. An aluminum or alloy wheel will accelerate faster and stop quicker as well as reduce load on shocks and steering linkages. How can such a rather small weight difference make up for a drastic change you may as? After all the difference will rarely exceed 8 pounds per wheel. This would be true in a static situation. But the wheel is a dynamic part on the Jeep. Its weight must be accelerated and slowed; its movements must be controlled. And everyone familiar with physical laws can tell you that a moving part's inertia is completely different from a static part as the rest of the axle is.
There's a tremendous amount of force stored in a rotating wheel. You need lots of power to get it up to speed and you need also good brakes to slow it down. The steering linkages will wear faster too. The heavier a wheel/tire combo the more energy is needed. The same principles apply for your shock absorbers. If you have a heavy wheel your shocks and steering will take a beating, so aim for the lowest possible weight.
A steel wheel will also bend much earlier than an alloy wheel. But you can hammer a steel wheel back in shape while an alloy wheel will usually break. So if you intend to do many miles far away from civilization keep the steel. If shopping for used rims you can test them by mounting them and holding a pencil or similar against the edge and rotating the wheel. This runout (think of it as wobbling from a flat plane) can be of up to 2-3mm even on new wheels but I'd keep off if it exceeds more than this.
Old military wheels are mostly bent so keep that in mind. This is less of a problem on cars seldom exceeding 80 Km/h. Also, being steel, the wheels may rust to a point where structural integrity is affected.
There's a tremendous amount of force stored in a rotating wheel. You need lots of power to get it up to speed and you need also good brakes to slow it down. The steering linkages will wear faster too. The heavier a wheel/tire combo the more energy is needed. The same principles apply for your shock absorbers. If you have a heavy wheel your shocks and steering will take a beating, so aim for the lowest possible weight.
A steel wheel will also bend much earlier than an alloy wheel. But you can hammer a steel wheel back in shape while an alloy wheel will usually break. So if you intend to do many miles far away from civilization keep the steel. If shopping for used rims you can test them by mounting them and holding a pencil or similar against the edge and rotating the wheel. This runout (think of it as wobbling from a flat plane) can be of up to 2-3mm even on new wheels but I'd keep off if it exceeds more than this.
Old military wheels are mostly bent so keep that in mind. This is less of a problem on cars seldom exceeding 80 Km/h. Also, being steel, the wheels may rust to a point where structural integrity is affected.
Last edited by armycop; Jul 22, 2010 at 04:17 AM.
JK Junkie
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,152
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From: Bloomington, IL
Have you read this? https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...-VS-15x8-Steel.....
You might get something out of it.
You might get something out of it.
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JK Freak
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 869
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From: washington, mo
I went through this debate about found that the Pro Comp Series 4028 Alloy is only 2 lbs lighter than my Pro Comp Series 97's in a 16 x 8 rim. The weight difference for the price difference was a no brainer. Some alloy wheels are 10lbs lighter but think, are you going to be on rocks or mud? The lighter a alloy rim is the weaker it is.