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Steel rims vs Alum rims.

1990k5fan

1990k5fan

1/2 ton status
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Jul 7, 2006
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Location
Gilroy, CA
I have a chance to get 35" TrXus MT's on steel rims for about 450 bucks. I thought this was a great deal and just what I wanted. I asked my dad for his opinion and he said he would pass and wait for something with alum rims because the steel will just add a lot more weight to the truck.

Opinions?

Hold off or get the steel rims and tires.
 
Depends on if you are more interestead in looking good or wheeling. Steel bends and dents, alum. in the same situation will break. The 8'' wide steel wheels on my buggy are all rashed and dented up but still work fine.
 
Will I be able to tell a difference while driving the truck with the extra weight?
Sorry if these are dumb questions, I'd just like to make sure before I go buy these.

Also are 35" TrXus MT's good tires? They have 1500 miles on them and are in great shape. Rims have no damage. Guy wants 450 for everything.
 
steel

i would take the steel for wheelin, and alum for road only. otherwise if u think its a good deal, take it. u can always find a alum rims later on if u want. and have a set of each. depends on your use of ur truck. my 80 gmc has 15 by 10s steel. and i have a 15 by 10 alum for road.. so i have 2 sets. good luck on figurin out on what u want!:wink1:
 
Well it is my daily driver and I'll take it out wheeling. I just think 450 for brand new tires on steel rims is a pretty good deal. Is there anything wrong with driving steel rims on the road only?
 
1990k5fan said:
Well it is my daily driver and I'll take it out wheeling. I just think 450 for brand new tires on steel rims is a pretty good deal. Is there anything wrong with driving steel rims on the road only?
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no problems at all. i got steel rims on my truck and it seens alot of highway and roads and woods.. never had any problems. i have alum ones all they do is sit in the shed. :doah:
 
I'd go with steel for precisely the reasons mentioned above. Steel holds up better off road. Besides, it is easier to take a wire wheel to the rims and give'em a fresh coat of paint.:D
 
As far as weight, yes aluminum weighs less than the same size steel rim, but you are talking about a 35" tire, they are going to be heavy anyway so rim weight might not play a very big role...

just my $0.02
 
If you do bend a steel wheel, at least you have some chance of beating it back into submission so that you can still use it. Once aluminum is bent (if not broke) it's pretty much toast. The weight savings with aluminum is usually only slight anyway. Unless you have some over-built H1's (rock rings front and back) like I have, that weigh a ton without the tire.
 
Yep, steel is the only way to go.

Aluminum rims weigh approx. 3/4 of what steel rims are so it's not a big weight savings.
 
there are people who add rock rings to cast aluminum wheels to ensure that the lip is supported for offroad abuse... or you can just add weld on beadlocks. IMO steel is better because its cheaper... but if $ was no object, I'd run forged AL rims with welded on beadlocks. Light and strong as hell.

j
 
I went from 15x10 aluminum wheels to 15x10 steels...same tires, same gearing, etc...and there was no noticable difference. I'm sure if you actually ran quarter mile and braking times there would be a slight difference, but as I said there was nothing obvious different via seat of the pants.
 
Aluminum all the way.

It's a DAILY DRIVER, NOT a full on wheeler. The aluminum will help, not hinder your fuel mileage and handling. The more weight attached to the axles, the more it negatively effects your road handling, braking, and accelerating.

You'll never destroy an aluminum wheel offroad, for how your K5 is set up current or may be in the future, I doubt you could get into anything nasty enough to risk actually pancaking a wheel.

Plus, it doesn't matter if they are white, black, pink, rust, or chrome....steel wheels are ugly.
 
I run 33-10.50's on my yota. I have a set of BFG MT's on 15x8 steels and a set of BFG AT's on 15x7 aluminum. The AT combo is much nicer to drive on the hiway. For serious off road I'd use the steel, but for everything else the aluminum is the better idea.
 
BlaKK54Speed said:
snip......

aluminum wheels tend to leak more air over time also
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Can't say I've ever seen that happen.

What I have seen happen is people fill with moist air from a small, over worked compressor. That moisture eventually corrodes the aluminum where the bead seats and causes small leak(s) from the corrion mildly pushing the bead off the seat.
 
Is there anything wrong with driving steel rims on the road only?
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they were used for decades before aluminum really came onto the scene much. passenger cars, trucks, etc. all had them. it's totally fine. and as said before, for offroading, go steel. aluminum will get you a little better mpg on the pavement, because of the weight savig, AND help cool the brake rotors, in theory, since aluminum dissipates heat faster than steel.

aluminum wheels tend to leak more air over time also
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my pickup has aluminum rims. max pressure is 50 psi. i run them at 45, check them monthly, and only add air about twice a year. i can't ask for better than that.
 
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