Hey all,

I searched and didn't find what I was after so I started a new topic. Sorry if it's been discussed before.

Basically I'm looking for new rims, looking at 15", and trying to decide between a few different ones. I keep coming back to the question of Alloy vs Steel. Since weight is the root of all evil I'm trying to stay as light as I can to help with mileage / performance but I'm not finding a clear answer as to which is lighter.

Common sense would tell me that alloy is lighter than steel but that only matters if equal amounts of each material is used. I'm thinking that isn't the case.

I have the following comparison and I want to see if it makes sense or if my numbers seem off.

Pro Comp Series 52: 15x8 (5 x 5 bolt spacing) 3.75" backspacing
Material: Steel
Weight: Amazon.com says weight is 15lbs.
Cost: Summit has them for $56 ea.
Link: Amazon.com: Pro Comp 52 Gloss Black Wheel (15x8"/5x114.3mm): Automotive

Black Rock Type D Series 909B: 15x4 (5x5) 4" BS
Material: Aluminum
Weight: According to their website is 19lbs. (you have to click the specifications .pdf to find it)
Cost: Tire Direct has them for $125 ea
Link: Black Rock Type D Series 909B : Black Rock

So... what I'm seeing is 4 lbs per wheel heavier for alloy. Does that seem right? These weights are for shipping so I imagine they would be accurate but it just seems strange to me that the alloys are heavier. At this point I don't see a benefit to them. They cost more, they're heavier, and more prone to crack rather than bend (I know, that one can be debated).

Does anyone have either of these wheels to verify the weights?

If I'm right then it's steelies for me

EDIT:

I do see that the load rating is much higher for the alloys. I can see this as being a benefit. I also think that the extra material (and extra weight) is coming from the thickness of the spokes in between the D windows. They look very thick as opposed to the Steel ones. Maybe this weight difference is more common for wheels of this style. I might try and find 2 spoked wheels that are similar in different materials and get their weights for argument sake.

 

I also think that most of the modern day alloys are heavier than the steel wheels with all my research. And another thing to not forget when choosing steel wheels is where you live. If you live in a place prone to making parts rust then you might want to reconsider. Once the powered coat is chipped it usually tends to keep going causing the steel to rust. Alloy won't rust. I have seen alot of rusted steel wheels like pro comp and cragar that ate rusted where the metal bends because the powder coat cant get all the way in those cracks.. Probably nothing you didn't already know but that was just my .02

 

Oh, good point, with my JK being so new I have all but forgotten about rust haha. I currently live in PA... that's like salt central when winter comes and I'm moving to WI in a week, not sure how they deal with the roads but my guess would be that it's similar to PA.

I'm going to wait until after the move to pull the trigger on my 15" conversion but I'm still leaning toward the steelies. Who knows... I'll end up changing my mind a few more times before this is done, that's how I roll.

I'm glad you're thinking the same thing about the weight. It makes sense when you look at how much extra material they use in the alloys. I figured a little research on this might help others too. i keep seeing "alloy vs steel" threads where people bluntly state that alloys will be lighter, seems like a bit of a misnomer.

BTW, is it just me or is 15 (or even 19) lbs for a wheel without tire really freaking light? I was expecting more like 25 lbs. I guess being 15" diameter probably helps a lot.

 

well my excitement about the wheel weight being so much lower than stock is all for naught. I just realized that (and this makes sense) tires for a small wheel are heavier than tires for a big wheel.

Also... the ugly SRAs are way lighter than I thought. 36lbs a piece I think. That's nuts. It looks like I can't really get a tire in 33x12.5R15 that's under 50lbs. I think I read that the stock SRA setup is 63 lbs total.

In the end I'm probably not going to save any weight, but I should be adding much either.

EDIT:

I should save a few lbs over the Rubi setup though.