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Al vs steel wheels

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Offline mavapa

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Al vs steel wheels
« on: January 28, 2004, 08:34:45 AM »
What are the pros and cons of aluminum vs steel replacement wheels? Besides cost, that is. I know aluminum should be lighter, but steel is probably more able to withstand hard dings. Any views on this?
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jdraper

Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2004, 08:40:25 AM »
If you're gonna offroad, I'd go with steel rims.  They are much more resistant to damage, and when you do bend 'em, you can beat them back into shape.  Aluminum wheels are more likely to crack.
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Offline Z3bra

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2004, 09:09:07 AM »
Also unless it's aluminum forgings it's probably not any lighter than steel anyway since there's a good deal more material there with the aluminum wheels.

Like jdraper said, aluminum especially cast tends to break and crack rather than bend. Billet or forged aluminum will bend but that's typically expensive aluminum wheels, cheap ones are usually castings.

Also since you're more likely to ding a wheel anyway when offroading who wants to use expensive wheels when a 40 dollar steel rim will do and if you totally mangle it you're still looking at a cheap and easy to find replacement.  
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Offline lil_Truck

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2004, 10:07:21 AM »
Petersen's did a test on this subject last year.  They put just the rims on the truck and drove it on a little track.

The strongest was the aluminum forged one then the steel and not too far behind was the cast alu.  They were really suprised at that.

Where the steel shined was that they just bent and could cheeply be fixed.

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Offline TinTopper

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2004, 11:24:10 AM »
Aluminum have a longer average road life (see: don't rust).

Aluminum are stronger per pound.

However, the way aluminum is made vs steel, an aluminum wheel is more likely to completely crack or split, whereas a steel wheel is more likely to bend. More wheelers carry a hammer or a large stick than carry welding sticks and have the ability to truly weld back an aluminum rim cheaper. (Although you should have a fullsize spare at all times anyway.)

Steel is much stronger per dollar.

I run steel. Dealing with rust every 5-8 years is nothing when I can get 5 wheels for the price of 1 aluminum one. I'd be breaking axles probably before I'm breaking my wheels, and a samurai doesn't exactly have the weight necessitating a strong aluminum wheel.
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Offline Rhinoman

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2004, 06:14:23 PM »
Steel is 3 times the weight of aluminum (US spelling?) but if you look at a steel wheel there is very little material in it so they can be lighter than alloys it depends on the design of the alloy. I had allys on mine and they picked up a few really nasty scores, nothing that would affect the strength but they don't look good. I've gone back to steels now.
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Offline mavapa

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2004, 12:19:14 AM »
The replies so far pretty much agree with what I was expecting. I know about some of the weaknesses of aluminum wheels - BMW motorcycle owners often wonder about repairing dings in their wheels, but the usual advice is "Get a new one." So, al wheels are for looks and the street, unless you have gobs of cash to replace them when they get bent. Steel wheels don't have the cachet, unless you know what offroading means. And they are lots cheaper.

My brother the metallurgist also agrees that aluminum wheels should be forged, not cast.

Aluminum, aluminium, it's all just element 13 among friends, right Rhinoman?
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Offline Z3bra

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2004, 12:25:12 AM »
Quote
Steel is 3 times the weight of aluminum (US spelling?)


Yep just drop the last i so it's Alumin-um instead of Alumin-ium.  Kinda dumb really considering how many other elements are -ium.  There's some americanized spellings/pronunciation that make more sense but this isn't one of them.
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Offline wildgoody

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2004, 01:26:18 AM »
I was told Aluminum was developed in the US ??
That would make the US spelling the original, or
was I told a big lie  :-[
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Offline Z3bra

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2004, 02:37:38 AM »
Quote
I was told Aluminum was developed in the US ??
That would make the US spelling the original, or
was I told a big lie  :-[


Not a clue offhand as to the why, but I don't know if "developed" would be quite the right term, aluminum is one of the most abundant elements on the planet.  The problem is it's not found pure in nature.  It wasn't till early this century that it was cost effective to refine aluminum from ore.  It's still cheaper to recycle it than refine it which is why they push recycling it as hard as they do.  Early this century when it was still expensive to refine aluminum was worth more than gold and you can find aluminum antiques that were seriously expensive when new even though they may seem a little cheesy nowadays.
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Offline mavapa

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2004, 03:02:43 AM »
Yep, the point of the Washington Monument is aluminum, chosen because it was such a rare and expensive refined metal at the time.
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Offline wildgoody

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Re: Al vs steel wheels
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2004, 03:20:39 AM »
Yes Zebra, your right, and I knew that,
I need to be more accurate in my posts.

It wasn't until the electric smelter was developed
that refining the Aluminum ore was more cost
effective, I done read that someplace too.

Funk & Wagnals 1957 (aprox) edition Encyclopedias
;)
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