alloy wheels versus steel wheels

[mercutio]

i'm asking this question cause i am finding it easier to find a set of alloy rims of a decent width for the g than steel ones
what are the pros and cons of each so i know what i may be getting myself into

[cool__bananas]

i run alloy wheels for my trials set of tyres and they are not even 1/4 of the weight of the steel ones which is good, but they get dented really easily and its harder so straighten them which is bad, if you were going beadlocks it may cost more to get it done which is bad, there could be a issue with weight and bending them? but i dont have that problem because my truck is light and they look heaps cooler which is good

[Ralfie]

what are the pros and cons of each so i know what i may be getting myself into

It has always been said that steel are better than alloy for off road but with progress over the years alloys are now certainly a lot better than they once were.
The thing to remember with alloys is are they rated enough to cope with the loadings you will subject them to. Most genuine manufacturers alloys are rated but a lot of the aftermarket, especially the bling type low profile alloys, are not.
I would think you would need a loading rate of at least 8-900kgs per alloy rim to cope with off road use on a full bodied G Wagon.

Alloys will shows scratch marks etc from off road use but steels will loose their paint or powdercoating over time as well. Its easier and cheaper to smarten up a set of steels than it is to polish the alloys.
If you damage an alloy around the rim lip, you can not hammer it back like you can on steel rims.
Alloys will also lighten and reduce the unsprung weight of the vehicle which has advantages both on and off road.

[rokhound]

As stated before, weight, resistance to damage and ability to repair on the trail are all considerations.
It also all depends on where you are driving. If you are just doing muddy tracks etc, either is fine. Lots of rocky river beds etc and there is a higher chance your alloys will give some grief. Also depends on tyre size, as a 7" rim with 12.50 tyres on gets reasonably well protected by the side walls.
I prefer steel for where my POS is used, but having said that getting my hands on 16.5" steel rims proved difficult, so I have alloys (which now have some decent gouges in them)

[DieselBoy]

For general off road use on bush trips, i prefer the strength of steel rims. They take the knocks much better.

The reason i say that, is when i brought my safari, i couldn't afford two sets of rims and tyres. I put a set of mud tyres on the aftermarket alloys that came on the safari and ran those for a few months as my main off road set up.

They stood up to the abuse well, they got a few gouges on the outer edges, and got pretty scuffed up from spinning in mud, but they held up alright.

Those same rims are now on my 80 series with a set of A/T's on them. Awesome because as Mr Banana's said, they are about 1/4 of the weight of the steels wheels.

The major down side of alloys is that metal is softer than steel so prone to gouging, they often crack rather than bend, and the ally goes porous over time and you get slow leaks (you would be ruuning tube's in them though anyway).

But, for the right price, and the right sized tyre, i would run them. Steel rims are expensive new, hard to find second hand in trhe exact size you want, where as alloys of imported vehicles are every where and in some really good sizes!!!!

[IcedJohnno]

See my comments on issues with alloy rims here;
http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=14105

[Ralfie]

See my comments on issues with alloy rims here;
http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=14105

My conclusion as a Mechanical Engineer; if you use alloy rims the check them regularly for cracking.
Fatigue cracking happens due to a cyclic phenomenon which runs into millions of cycles. This means that initially the crack will propagate slowly. This has reminded me to check my rims (internal side) every warrant time and also once between warrants.
I.E. For average to hard use Check your alloy rims every 3 months.
It looks as though this would be a good idea for Steel rims as well.

Interesting John and some useful tips there, especially about regular checking of the wheels, both steel and alloys. I have known steel rims to crack under load as well.

I go back to my earlier comments re ensuring the alloy wheels are rated for the loading of heaving towing or off road use. Alloys are OK as long as they can take the required axle loading, but there are alloy wheels out there that are not rated and can not take the increased loading or a 4WD and off road use.

[mercutio]

the ones i am looking at are porsche rims so i assume they should be able to handle a fair amount as long asi don't go too extreme