STEEL vs ALLOY rims Off-road Wheels

[@patjohnston5214]

Ive been into 4wheeling for 20 years and the one constant problem I have with steel wheels is they get knocked out of balance. I drive hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles on the road to reach the dirt and wobbly wheels absolutely suck on the pavement at any speed over 40mph. Most of the wheeling I do is in the rocks and a mickey thompson classic alloy (and other quality aftermarket alloy rims) can take some pretty hard hits and still stay nice and true.

[@Wallymakesstuff]

I had steelies and didn’t realize how out of balance they were until I switched to alloy. I always thought my tire installers couldn’t balance well, but it was warped rims all along

[@theoutbackboys4720]

Who else thinks steel rims look better than any other type of rim out there

[@gaellopez6108]

No one

[@theoutbackboys4720]

@@gaellopez6108 u dont kno style or u just like mawcrawlers

[@carlarthur4442]

I'm thinking of replacing my alloys for steel rims , cheaper plus tyres fit better in the grove , I have to inflate my tyres every week because they have a habit of leaking at the rim as they age.

[@wesleyarnold6018]

Hey Carl , man that doesn’t sound good at all. Having to constantly air the tires up , leaking at the rim edge or how. Man I’m seriously curious, I’ve never heard of that off an alloy. Also I run steel on all my off-road vehicle’s. Hell exact same as he had

[@discoveringlockenest8420]

My Jeep is built to be an off roader! It’s not in a beauty contest. I prefer steel.

[@teamtoyota9048]

I love steel rims but I've had a set of alloys on my truck since 1998 and I haven't cracked or brocken it. My tyres always protect my rims and I do a lot of hardcore 4x4. My alloys have been really great

[@LukeTheJoker]

Totally agree with your assessment, even straightened out a steel rim with the back of an axe in the middle of Kakadu once, that wheel was still on the car years later when I sold it.

[@thedeathwobblechannel6539]

search YT for wheel straightening vids and equipment. hammer to a bent steel on is not that far fetched

[@revwroth3698]

I hammered a dent out of my rim in the back of a Sonic when I clipped a curb in my POS sedan that I was cursed with back then. Some of the employees were impressed with my "ingenuity" as they apparently saw it. Wow, I don't spell out the word ingenuity very often. It looks a bit funny. I suppose that's to be expected when you live in an area where most people think "injunuity" is a racial epitaph...

[@joerivs80]

I was eating a cheeseburger while watching this. It wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever had. It lacked flavor and the patty was incredibly thin. The bun was in good order and the size of the pickle chips were Grandiose! But the patty itself was not to be desired. Although I smeared the bun with mayonnaise, it didn’t help the burger much if any at all. I wonder if cooked over an open camp fire would make it better! But as thin and meatless as the patty was, I’d assume there’s no helping it. I was very disappointed with my burger. I’m left hungry still. Guess I’ll make another worthless cheeseburger. Oh, I’d pick steel all day long for off-roaring.

[@Bluelightbandit]

You had me up until you smeared that mayonnaise shit on it 🤢🤮

[@bquade70]

Yup-

[@liammiddleton3064]

titanium rims would be nice

[@joerivs80]

@@Bluelightbandit I wouldn’t have wanted to ruin it by putting mustard or ketchup on it. It was already bad enough.

[@joerivs80]

@@liammiddleton3064 or unobtanium.

[@obfuscated3090]

Damaged alloy and steel rims make excellent vehicle stands. I accumulate them in various sizes so I can nest them when stacking if necessary when working on project trucks or fabrication. They don't tip like a jack stand (I gave my jack stands away many years ago) and with some 4x4 and 4x4 wood blocks for fine adjustment are very versatile. I use some castoff steel rims too but alloy doesn't rust and is nicer to handle.

[@chrismilne3725]

One thing that wasn't mentioned in the weight section was unsprung weight - even small differences in weight in your tyres and wheel weight make a considerable difference to fuel economy and power. As with everything, have to weigh up the pros and cons. Keep it up Ronny love the videos

[@Ronny_Dahl]

+Chris Milne I did think about that but left it out due to the rims being nearly the same weight.

[@Phos9]

This matters a lot less here because so much of the unsprung weight comes from the tires and possibly axles.

[@Tassie-mania]

Great video - one very important feature of a steelie you missed - ‘the rolled edge’ - when the tyre is aired down or even at normal pressure, when the tyre flexes over the edge of the rim there is less stress on the sidewall and therefore less likelihood of pinching the sidewall compared to the ‘sharper edge’ presented to the tyre wall on alloy wheels. This rolled edge of the steel wheel is also less likely to pop the tyre off the rim due to the taper of the internal/external curve. Another advantage of the steelie is the ability to break the seal roadside just using minimal tools by driving across the wall of the tyre, as the well in the centre of the steel wheel gives relief to the tyre bead when being popped in.

[@OttoMatieque]

I don't like when people call aluminum wheels 'alloy'. Nearly all steel is also alloy. Nearly all metals used for structural things are alloy. By the way, good video

[@signdeals4972]

My grandpa had a ‘67 Bronco with steel wheels (of course), but I always loved the no nonsense look of steelies.

[@GuitarsRockForever]

There is no question, going off road, steel all the way. Plus, they look way better.

[@wolverinesdreams9293]

Great video! Super informative and helpful. Your truck looks amazing btw. I just put new 17” steel rims on my 2008 Ford F250 Super Duty with 35” Kumho Road Venture A/T 52. Ready to conquer all the potholes!

[@H.pylori]

I learned something today. Now I do not have to be ashamed of my stock steel wheels. Thank you, sir.

[@kenshien544]

Just upgrade to 36inch tires

[@FmR16]

This comment tells me a lot of your self esteem.. People think too much what other people think about them or their vehicle. Lol.

[@H.pylori]

@@FmR16 Interesting take on this situation. You may be correct.

[@woxie4990]

Nicely done ... no fluff, no bias(es) and no [B]aloney [S]andwitch. Very informative! Steel rims/wheels for the win(ners)! ... also ... yes alumin(i)um is lighter, but to match steel strength it has to be thicker, eliminating the "weight advantage"

[@baileymiller546]

Yeah I've gone through 4 aluminum wheels for my 2nd gen 3/4 ton dodge in the past 2 years. They aren't cheap, I just got some steel ones earlier this year so I don't need to worry about my wheels cracking anymore.

[@robertgolden1080]

From the beginning of my WJ Cherokee build. Aluminum rims came off. Steel rims went on. Also I carry a full tire repair kit. Valve stems. Metal and rubber, valve core, plugs, patches and a tube. Plus the tools.

[@DarthJeep]

I love my alloys. I like steel too. I've used both in arguably heavy to light offroading/rock climbing and have yet to crack or damage my alloys, but have (on occasion bent the lip on the steel , only slightly). Steel is cheap and has many advantages (as you described) and on a Looooooong trip, I would definitely go steel, but I wouldn't say that aluminum doesn;t do well offroad entirely. Maybe I've just been lucky or maybe it's my tires that saved my rims. Either way, the alloy rims have been fine. They are also 20" rims on 35" tires...so 20" seems to do alright offroad as well. To each their own. I like the look better. There are a few steel rims out there I like almost as much, but unitll I do a long distance trip on ONLY rough terrain...I'll keep the alloys. Most of the long distance driving I do is on pavement to get me to the rocks. I still gave you a thumbs up and subscribed, because I've been watching your videos for sometime now and you always give good information.

[@charlesshanefelter233]

Wow, a real eye opener. I had a cost concern with the aluminum rims so I was going to sacrifice performance for cheat price but, after listening to you I feel good about my decision and I am not sacrificing performance...

[@Big_Ben1988]

I definitely agree that 20inch plus rims are not good for offroading. Mallcrawling only.

[@CALAMARI_BOYS]

Unless it's sitting on 46 inch military tires

[@kregadeth5562]

Ben Lorentz I have 18s with 33s and that’s still way too much rim.

[@kregadeth5562]

Sven Rasmussen hahaha so true.

[@joel6916]

Yup

[@scarharting5577]

18" plus. 17" is the max that looks good, and frankly that includes all cars as well. Wagon wheels and rubber bands for tires look like ***t on everything!

[@henrig4409]

Alloy ≠ Aluminium

[@joeking22]

Yes Ronny was confusing me on that one.

[@PatrickRich]

eh, close enough. Steel is also an alloy but I think thats just shorthand for many when they mean aluminum alloy.

[@eightballsidepocket]

Correct Patrick. In the context of automotive wheels, such as this video, alloy does equal aluminium. And given that magnesium alloys are so rarified that the owners will happily refer to them as "magnesium" and let aluminium folks eat their alloyed cake.

[@joeking22]

Jesse, do they make purely Aluminium rims? My understanding was rims were alloyed i.e. mix of Aluminium and something else.

[@eightballsidepocket]

I am pretty sure that nothing is made of pure aluminium. I think it is super brittle. To be clear, I was talking about semantics not chemistry; But yes, all "aluminium wheels" are alloyed... but not all "alloyed wheels" are "aluminium". The case here is that probably 98% of all commercially available "alloy" wheels are what you would call and aluminium alloy. Being that wheels don't have feelings, it is perfectly safe to generalize here.

[@jetsgo66]

I love the basic look of steel wheels, and the price.

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

I was at a tire shop getting a new tire for my utility trailer. It uses car size rims and tires. The valve stem had blown out and the tire rapidly deflated. I was a pretty good distance from the next town, so I had to hobble along on the side of the road for quite a few miles. The tire was completely destroyed and there was just rim left. The only damage to the rim was the edge where it was contacting the concrete of the road and all it amounted to was the paint was no longer there. While at the tire shop, I saw a small pickup that had alloy rims and who had had a front tire blow out on him. His much thicker spokes on the rim did not help him, one of them had broken off and of course the circumference of the rim was also broken. That convinced me that steel was better than aluminum alloy right there.

[@philburns4778]

Good old dynamic sunraysia rim's, was one of the first things I did, Steele's everytime

[@mayAdam8888]

Thanks to for your Demonstrations, I will be buying the steel rims for my winter tires. Cheers from Vancouver, Canada 👍

[@DA2THFA1RY]

The only reasons I'm going with steel is that they are cheaper, and they are repairable in a pinch. Also I think the newer style D holes look good on some rigs

[@mattmcfarland9154]

Sorry made a little mistake ,steelies dont have the nooks and crannies like alloy ones do. Hey we are not perfect i have seen heaps of spelling in the comment section too, cheers happy 4wdriving and keep up the good 4wd info ronny.

[@kingsfordkassen5917]

In addition, wheel nuts tends to come loose on long distance esp. off road on alloy rims then wheel nuts on steel rims...excellent review. 👍👍

[@gm3430]

Appreciate the video. Was going to swap on some TRD Pro wheels on my 4runner but came across this vid. Steel is real. I'll keep for the reliability...The potholes in Boston are no joke!

[@calebbforballin]

I've been saying this ever since I lived in Alaska and seeing people crack their grims every weekend at Jim's creek trying to make it out to the glacier. Steel all day. Honestly, I think they look better on most offroad vehicles.

[@kregadeth5562]

I love how everyone is just giving an opinion on appearance , instead of all the useful stuff you showed us in the video.

[@Land_Cruiser_40]

Lightness is the key! Heavy steel rims with oversize tyres drain performance and fuel economy. Not to mention the extra stress on bearings and steering knuckles. Cheers

[@yerwrng]

If you're talking about a heavy 40 inch tire the difference in weight by going alloy is not a significant savings .Things like aluminum wheels and suspension links don't save much unless you are building a buggy and shave on the entire build not just a link or a wheel .

[@bertal1991]

when you are only goin in daily routes with minimal load use lighter material it will makes sense in economy run... but when dealing with heavy load and fun games why think of the expenses when you can enjoy your time without any worries on your ride

[@hanksadventures4132]

@@yerwrng its approximately 10 lbs difference per wheel. My 20 inch steel rims weigh 46 lbs and the 20 inch alloy rims on my other truck weigh 38 lbs. So, add tire weight to that and its easy to see why alloy rims are better from a performance stand point

[@hanksadventures4132]

P.s. i have 40x15.5r20 nitto grapplers on both trucks

[@yerwrng]

@@hanksadventures4132 yeah I only go about 5-10 mph on my 42s so it's not that big for me .I guess if you're going fast it is . I aksi have enough axle to not care so much . I will say a nice set of bling looking race lines do look better than their steel cousins I have with the allied bead locks.

[@MartinRanger65]

My ranger 4 x 4 has 16 inch factory aluminum alloy rims... available at most salvage yards in the USA , they were available on F150s and ranger pick ups

[@xInfected_Virus]

I was going to get aluminum rims for my troopy in the future but after watching this, i'll just go with steel. I can't wait to see a diesel vs petrol vid soon.

[@narseh123]

There's also a huge difference between forged and cast aluminium both in terms of price and durability.

[@CarelessGamer15]

I love the look of the steelies on 4x4s.Alloy wheels belong on the smooth road

[@DRTMaverick]

Ronny I've cracked aluminum alloys before, I managed to scoop some large gravel into the wheel while going around a turn with some speed (maybe 25mph, 40kmph), and you could hear the stuff flying around the wheel well- about an hour later my TPMS sensor was going off, we got out and inspected it and sure enough I cracked the center of the rim. I now run steelies!

[@johndavidwolf4239]

The greater advantage of the higher thermal conductive of aluminum wheels vs steel is on the wheel bearings (grease) than the brakes, as they also have a much larger contact area to the hub and will be able to pull heat from the hub faster. As galvanic reaction is ever-present between dissimilar metals, it is important that you always have a film of waterproof grease between the wheel and hub.

[@Senkino5o]

Never really thought about between hub and wheel, I guess there may be some truth to this.

[@manofausagain]

You'd find that your bearings don't heat up much at all. All that heat comes from your drivertrain. Feel the wheel bearings on a fully loaded trailer unbaked. Lucky to be 10 degree above ambient.

[@PoeRacing]

All 6 steel d-windows on Honey Badger have been beat with hammers and rocks multiple times to get them back into shape enough to hold the bead. They don't look pretty but they still work just fine on and off road!!

[@NarrowRoadAdventures]

I appreciate the points you made, it was well done. As far as the weight issue, for me it's not about how my back feels, but rather the importance of rotational mass. Rotational mass makes a big impact on acceleration and braking which also plays into how much you can carry relative to performance. 1 pound (.45kg) of rotational weight is comparable to 5-10 lbs (2.3-4.5kg) of static weight. 4 steel wheels are approximately 32lbs (14.5kg) heavier than alloys. So that 32lbs of rotational weight is comparable to 160-320lbs (73-145kg) of static weight. That seemingly small difference in wheel weight is comparable to having front and rear steel off-road bumpers or not. Again, this effects acceleration, braking, and fuel economy. Note: these are effects to performance not gross weight (vehicle weight). Just something to consider along with the other factors Ronny mentioned. This may not be so important to a large diesel driver as it is me a 4.0L petrol owner who is grasping to every bit of power possible. Hope this helps. 👍

[@freefall0483]

Narrow Road Adventures Your extra rotational mass is very useful off road. You now have 4 significant flywheels. Especially with open diffs, heavy wheels make a big difference to how fast a wheel stalls when its brother on the other side suddenly has a big traction advantage. In realistic terms, the only improvement you will ever have to make is in braking. A softer pad compound is usually enough to give the bite back. I have done this myself after I bought a very heavy set of 60 series sahara chromies. Even then, it was a feel issue. The brakes still had more than enough to exceed the friction of the tires. If you want to be very specific, you will add more rotational mass by going from 31x10.5 to 33x12.5 as you have put all the extra weight in the tread area where velocities are highest. In any case, the weight difference in 4x4 wheels is not as significant as on cars. Alloy 4x4 wheels have a shit ton more volume of metal in their construction. The centre disk is always very thick as is the outer rim. They have to be as most mechanical engineers are well aware that aluminium is brittle amd will not survive 5 seconds with the shock loads that a 4x4 is guaranteed to put through them. Not to mention the lateral loading that a 3 ton truck puts through the centre disk in cornering. Alloy wheels also have much more drag. The heavy, thick spokes are rotating at a significant speed. The spokes are moving alot of air. Steel wheels with their thin centre disk do not have this problem. All factors considered, you would be pushing to find even 1% increase in fuel usage by using steel wheels.

[@DRTMaverick]

I guess if you're concerned about high end and top speed then rotational mass is an issue- otherwise gear yourself correctly and you won't notice any difference between the 5lb more steel rims over the alloys. I mean my new tires weigh in nearly 70lb, that's where my real weight comes from not some 22lb vs 27lb rim.

[@averagegamerscollective]

Don't Forget where to weight is. It's in the centre, which has less centrifugal force. So your 10% heavier steel rim does equate to 10% extra rotational mass (10% for example only). Also I think you'd be hard pressed to find a set of (4) 16 inch steel rim that are 32lbs heavier. Maybe 20-25lbs? Not saying you're wrong, it was a good point in fact.

[@liamcooper5202]

@@freefall0483 hahaha open diffs? If you dont have atlease one locker you are doing it wrong. I would rather walk than put up with an open diff getting stuck at every bog hole, rock shelf and hill climb. Been there done that and its shit.

[@antuans1473]

you look like you like to calculate your stuff and that's great. In dynamics the "rotational mass" is know by the name "moment of inertia" and it's it tells how much work and work is needed to change the angular velocity in the specified axis. Sorry for being a year late.

[@martinlang9615]

We’ve placed an order for the 4th generation Suzuki Jimny (blue Manual). The reasons why I’m going to give the factory alloys a go is: 1/. I’ve already paid for the rims. 2/. I’m a very careful off roader, will definitely stay away from the difficult stuff as I don’t want to waste money and time on breakdowns. 3/ Given the weight of the vehicle with aftermarket all terrain tyres GF Goodridge KO2 an extra 1 inch bigger in overall diameter and about 40mm wider. This tyre will also help reduce the risk of rim failure due to greater wall size and cross sectional area being increased. As the Jimny only has a small 1.5 litre engine I want to help out with the rotational inertia as much as possible. As I said, I look after my gear and never trash it so I doubt that it will get damaged in the first place. However, if I was in a different vehicle and not as cautious, definitely steel is hands down the winner. Thanks for showing just how fragile the Alloy Rims CAN get!

[@SpectreOZ]

Factory stock steel rims all the way.... spend the savings on upgrading something else (like lighting or a winch)

[@roseco581]

Exactly, all the rest is for posers

[@carlarthur4442]

SpectreOZ or buying a better set of tyres.

[@Flyer7375]

Kudos for such a professional tutorial and a live demo. Yes, it was apparent why and how your hands were hurting by the end of the demo :)

[@thedeathwobblechannel6539]

so i recently learned most australian vehicles for off road are heavy. lots of gear and so on. i am never far from help or a ride home so i run empty and less spare tire even for now. my Jeep is 3500 pounds roughly. i saw ronny posted his is 8000 pounds or just over as i recall. i realize the remoteness and climate can kill you, and you need to be prepared. but i try and keep my junk as light as i can. a lighter vehicle is less stress and wear on the drivetrain for sure. and u joints

[@SteveBurns80]

lol Funny topic! Love watching your videos Ronny... I don't agree with your comment "Don't go proper off-roading with alloys" ?? Pffff Wrong!! I've been doing "proper off-roading" for years and never have I destroyed an alloy wheel. Certainly damaged some but never had one rendered useless. Steel wheels definitely have their place and advantages but no way would I call them "better for proper off-roading". It's more a personal preference and what your budget allows. Nevertheless this is a good video and points out things people need to consider when choosing off-road wheels.

[@Big_Ben1988]

It's always about opinion and personal preference in the end. You do you.

[@sevensinsvelocityshop7563]

I will say up front I’m not bashing Mr. Dahl one bit, his points are spot on and very valid. But there are a few things he’s forgetting. 1 yes, and I agree if your far away from civilization the steel rim is the way to go, it’s pretty hard to kill a steel rim. But, there are several different types of aluminum rims commonly produced. The rim Mr. Dahl was beating on was an oem cast rim. Cast breaks very easily when struck, good example look what happens to an engine block when a connecting rod hits it, it more or less cracks and shatters. Forged and rotory forged rims will not crack that easy, and most forged rims will bend to an extent, not like a steel wheel will but they are still a lot more durable than a cast wheel. Just wanted to share that bit of knowledge. Love the show and keep the shiny side up.

[@mikeshiels6322]

Another benefit of steel rims is that if they do crack and leak air you can weld them even in a remote area with two 12 volt batteries, jump leads and a welding rod.

[@liyakadavhsegar]

a lot to ask for in a remote area

[@mikeshiels6322]

@@liyakadavhsegar Not really, if you go off road you should at least go prepared with a basic tool kit. I can't count how many times welding with 12v battery and jump leads saved the day for me.

[@ronmiller7916]

Had an Oldsmobile in CT years ago with steel rims. One winter there were many potholes on my street. One day driving home I been a rim, changed to the spare and bent the rim on the spare a mile further down the same road a few minutes later. Screw steel rims. Never had a problem with my alloy rims on my wrangler off-road in Utah.

[@codymoncrief8478]

In my experience, corrosion on steel rims, especially truck wheels can go on for literal decades without losing structural strength

[@hambone7777777]

SUV aftermarket alloy rims have reinforced centers. Which make larger brakes shifty, but it's do-able. I've seen alloys for a C-note. And my factory alloys are still available used for about $50 bones. For my desert off-roading they do fine. Going to buy 4 more for a trailer, and to replace the steel spare. Going to powder coat them all, as well. And quality rubber with reinforced sidewalls can be had here starting at a C-note or two, dependent on oversize. Makes for outfitting without damaging the budget much, and they're swooning the gal's.

[@deasaskesq]

New to 4wd'ing and you're a champion. Thanks for the info!

[@Roudter]

Wow.....thanks brother..... Your test is way too simple and straightforward....with some really good points... Aluminum is better for cooking and making coffee.....

[@AMRAMRS]

I think stainless steel is the best choice for cooking. I like aluminum on cooling appliances.

[@gibbethoskins8621]

THIFT: A New Zealand theft 😂

[@freefall0483]

Nice.

[@bravoboy1234]

They're all neccesary mate ;)

[@bravoboy1234]

;) Good on ya mate.

[@prolly-fil9275]

Aluminium

[@joncharlton2526]

Actual it's old scottish slang for thief.

[@livingonadollar2882]

Driving in Canadian outdoors..Highways, Roads, Dirt roads, Full off-road 40*c To -51*c weather The best rim is a Steel rim With extreme weather Alloy wheels "sweat" And do become rusted with white powder Rim leaks are very common Even after The rim has been removed from the tire And cleanned And reinstalled 6 to 9 months later You have the same issue. in freezing temps if you slide into say a curb Chances of the alloy wheel snapping a chunk off are good The steel wheel You might get away with a bend But still be able to drive away to a repair shop Or home ..And in freezing temps no one wants to hang outside putting on a spare. While other cars and slipping and sliding around you. Steel off-set rims are common to find And very cheap to the alloy ones I run 15' -19mm on my Chevy blazer 4x4 which has a slight lift mod which together keeps the centre of G somewhat ...2.5" higher 1.5" wider

[@SomervilleMetalWorks]

To Be honest 99% of 4wd alloy rims look shit. Even those aftermarket tend to be worse. steel rims always look better on 4wds

[@rollyb5061]

yes , they are better for off road and look great

[@stevespatrol]

How do they look better when they are black and you can’t even see the features. Everyone has gone black and it’s boring

[@padrescout]

define "better." Because all I got out of this is if I want a heavy wheel that is more resilient to an attack by a Australian man swinging a sledgehammer then steel is the way to go. If I want actual off-road performance...... well - all things being equal : lower unstrung weight is generally desirable and........... nobody cares which "looks cool" if you are buying off-road parts based on which looks the coolest I think alloy/steel is the least of your concerns.

[@truthspace5525]

Being able to trail repair something is pretty important in remote areas. When I'm 50 km in the bush, I prefer something I can beat back in shape with a hammer. I keep JB weld for my ATV rims.

[@tactickleshtooper1753]

stevespatrol >>> "... black is boring ..." So then paint it according to your taste ... pink with tiger stripes or whatever you like.

[@rogermetzger7335]

Someone has posted a comment that at least partially answers my question about whether forged aluminum minimizes one or more of the disadvantages of cast aluminum for truck wheels. I’d welcome additional comments on that subject. This month, my wife bought a car that has aluminum wheels. Of the 4WD vehicles we bought NEW (1987, 1989 and 1999), all had deep-dish steel wheels (i.e. not full-face). We drove those vehicles two years, ten years and nine years respectively including MANY miles off pavement. Except for the first of those three vehicles, I repainted the wheels of each one before each time I had new tires installed. The wheels never had so much as a trace of rust. In 2008, someone made a left turn in the rain in front of our daughter while she was driving our ‘99 TJ. The TJ spun completely around and was a total loss but it didn’t tip over and Heidi’s injuries were minor. We acquired our next vehicle used. It had chrome-plated full-face steel wheels. The backs and the place where the spider meets the rim were already badly rusted. I kept thinking I’d try to buy deep-dish steel wheels for it but my wife bought another used truck so I didn’t need to replace the full-face wheels. I’m not recommending that someone get aluminum wheels as “better” than full-face steel wheels but I’m suggesting that, not only are the full-face design harder to keep from rusting, trash (sticks, stones, dirt, mud--even snow and ice) tend to accumulate in wheels of the full-face variety. In deciding between steel and aluminum wheels, that is something worth considering. Here in the States, it IS possible to get a new vehicle from the factory with steel wheels and skid plates (an F-150 or Ram, for example) but most of the rigs that are available from the factory with skid plates have aluminum wheels included in the “package”. Because the web sites don’t say anything about the aluminum wheels being forged, I have to assume they are cast.

[@vincepalaa]

One thing that should be brought up is cast vs forged wheels. Those look like OEM Tacoma wheels (or whatever they put them on in Australia) which are cast. Forged wheels are a significantly stronger type of alloy wheels. That being said, they'll still crack if hit hard enough whereas steel will bend.

[@ReinventingTheSteve]

We have the Toyota "Hilux" in Australia which is comparable to your U.S "Tacoma"

[@gunfreak1911]

We go proper off-roading with aluminum rims over here in the states all the time. All the big boys run aluminum bead lock wheels on their trophy trucks, stadium trucks, and Baja 1,000 rigs. All the rock buggies and King of the Hammers rock racers or rock bouncers run aluminum bead lock wheels. Good video but I’ll keep my aluminum wheels on my off road rig. Thanks mate!!!

[@libertybarker7401]

BEST LOOKING AND MOST EXPENSIVE. AND THE ANSWER IS::: drum role. Chevy sport steel stock with beauty rim. 1970s. $20 to $40 new. but now as much as $ 250 to $500 each.

[@freefall0483]

A big tip for the 6 stud brigade, 60 series Sahara chrome rims are about the toughest rim you will ever find bar none. And possibly the heaviest. They also have a machined lip on the outer bead which make it close to impossible to knock a tyre off the bead. I have been running them through all sorts of stupid terrain for a few years now at pressures as low as 6psi and have never run a tyre off the bead. I have had a slow leak on a bead from sand ingress, but that was because I had to be snatched sideways on a beach with 6psi in the tyres. They are 6mm steel centre disk with 4mm steel on the outer rim. I have never even had to bend one back into shape because bits break off rocks before these bastards bend at all. The one big downside is the instant need for a brake upgrade on my truck. Lots of extra rotating mass to stop. I have also had to reinforce the rear door mounts and striker plate mount as the massive increase in weight on a door mounted spare did not work well on corrugations. One day I will build a swinging spare carrier and solve this permanently. These fuckers are seriously heavy and getting rare these days too. If you find some, buy them. You will not regret it. Even you 5 studders could have the centres modified if you were serious about indestructible steelies. You also have to be fond of chrome, cos I don't think they come in any other colour. On the plus, being chrome dipped, they dont rust.

[@tywitt3351]

Aftermarket cast vs factory forged are two different products. Would be interested to see the test results with a forged wheel that is already on the cruiser

[@vagabond7883]

I have just called CSA Alloy Wheels in Adelaide to obtain the weights of 4X4 alloy wheels and steel wheels. The 17"x8" (Ranger) steel rim (15 kg) is only 2kg heavier than their 17"x8" Large Cap. alloy wheels (All are 13kg). It's a no-brainer which wheels you should select if off roading. Furthermore, please note that if you want to use wider rims than standard, you are only allowed a maximum of 50mm wider than the manufacturer's track width. That is a maximum of 25mm (1 inch) extra for each rim. As an example, if you have a 25mm Positive offset rim, you can only reduce it to zero offset. You can look up the CSA Alloy Wheels website (Bulletins & Tech Info / Technical Information) and look at their Product Bulletin National Code of Practice, Vehicle Standards Bulletin 14.(Track Width & Offset). Suggest you double check your state rules to be sure, to be sure!

[@xHamsyx]

4:02 THIFT

[@jimbobjones3391]

Availible everwhere! 2:43

[@Ronny_Dahl]

This is why I need an assist to check my work as I'm just managing to pump it out in time :|

[@Ronny_Dahl]

hahaha assistant*

[@Telleout]

Ronny Dahl Don’t stress mate! Still the best content out there. Love your work

[@WHUCKAWHACKA]

Ronnie just say its aussie slang and no one will bat an eye

[@johnterpack3940]

Saw a video a couple days ago, guy jumped a sand dune. When he landed the center section of his shiny aluminum wheel busted completely apart at the bolt circle. A jump on a sand dune isn't the toughest test of a wheel. That one video was enough to convince me to run steel on my rig. However, finding large steel wheels is more of a challenge than this video makes out. Everybody wants the sexy stuff, manufacturers aren't pumping out the steel as much. RE: 20" wheels in the dirt-- it really does depend on tire size. My rig came stock with 17" wheels and a roughly 33" tire. The previous owner swapped 20" wheels and 35" tires. The current sidewall height is only 1/2" (12mm) shorter than the stock sidewall height. That isn't likely to make a significant difference in damage protection or sidewall flex. The big thing would be running as narrow a wheel as the tire manufacturer will allow so that the wheel stays within the protective zone offered by the tire and also provides a stronger grip on the bead.

[@DarxusC]

Do you have a video of reshaping a bent steel wheel? Have you ever seen an aluminum wheel crack in the middle from off-roading?

[@robertedwardlee8227]

🔨🔨🔨🔨🔨🔨 -reshaping it.

[@brienb1770]

i had to replace 3/4 OEM aluminum wheels after a quasi-offroading trip, two of the wheel hub barrels were cracked all the way thru, the third was bent/cracked and that was lesson enough for me. STEEL wins

[@DarxusC]

Why is it so freaking hard to get steel wheels for a Tacoma?

[@brienb1770]

I’m gonna go with some FJ steelies.. they’ve got that MilSpec look goin on, Ugly as hell, but durable and easy to find for a reasonable price

[@ablet85]

brienb1770 that’s either very shit quality rims or shit driving. In years of working exploration with all our vehicles coming standard with aluminium wheels we have never had an issue. The one time I’ve seen one break was when an operator drove a light truck into a hole at 110km/phr and the wheel that hit first crack.

[@TheRealThaenatos]

I was worried about wieght going to a steel wheel on my ram 1500, but the cracking is what may have sold me on going steelies again! Thanks for the video!

[@eachday9538]

Steel painted black looks better than any alloy wheel

[@rollyb5061]

I put black steel on the 79, with offset on the rear, so cheap and easy to maintain and keep the Toyota ones looking like new for resale

[@kregadeth5562]

Each Day but alloy painted black looks better than that

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

I have black steel wheels on my Jeep. Looks much better than alloys i had before.

[@tactickleshtooper1753]

Thank you for a well prepared video comparing the steel vs the aluminum ("aluminium") rims/wheels. You have just confirmed what I originally suspected: that the steel rim is superior. The only instance where an aluminum rim would be advantageous is when you're going to a (significantly) larger rim/wheel and the driving conditions will not be severe (road). In this case you will gleen the weight savings, brake parts cooling benefits, and the giant hole in your pocket as a result of the cost.

[@6226superhurricane]

that's a fair comparison of steel vs cast alloy rims. but you have neglected to mention forged alloy rims which are. stronger than both steel and cast alloy by a considerable margin. they bend like steel and can be bent back without cracking. they are lighter than steel or cast alloy of equal strength. though most would fall between a cast alloy and steel wheel in weight but be much stronger subjective but forged alloy wheels usually look the best due to being completely machined and also having options of external beadlocks or three piece internal beadlocks (can be street legal because they aren't a modified wheel) plus they are the wheels most commonly seen on offroad competition vehicles with brands such as method,walker evans,hutchinson etc the only cons for forged alloy wheels is price in aus they will be $500ea and up.

[@Phos9]

michael close huh that list of brands is useful, till now I thought you couldn’t find forged truck wheels in anything but mall crawler sizes.

[@6226superhurricane]

a lot of forged wheels still come in 15,16 and 17" because they are used on comp vehicles where function is more important than posing.

[@Prevailingbucket]

In the US many of the OEM aluminum rims on the full size Utes Are forged. Often people replace them with inferior cast rims just for the looks.

[@1FiftyOverland]

Tim Roach not me, I kept my factory rims, I think they look pretty good

[@Prevailingbucket]

Southern Nevada offroading and back country yup, me too.

[@nickspaulding1511]

It’s just a different style wheel. The steel has a smaller offset, so it has more support for direct bell hits. Since the aluminum is already weaker against a force over a small area it would have likely performed on par with the steel wheels givin they had same exact offset, width and diameter. Just a thought

[@w0bblyd0inkb0ink]

Flint Stone's wheels FTW

[@sathishkumar8604]

Thank you for your valuable suggestions 🙏

[@glentapani4133]

Trail Master Steel rims $40 a piece.

[@oshiin5065]

thx

[@mohamedalihebboul2214]

Steeeeeeeeeel for off-road Alloy for roads and highways So for me it's Steel. Thanks Ronny for the video, and sorry for the Rims...

[@ivangongora4646]

Mohamed Ali Hebboul more better rims 22 alloy vs steel

[@LiamGooge]

I have Alloy... and carry 2 Spares With proper tires on and not driving like Ronny Dahl (hehe :-D) I have never lost a rim It's important what you want to accomplish. I like to go to remote locations but pushing my 4x4 to see when it will brake is not my thing... Thx for the Vid :-)

[@chastblind7606]

5:40 you will notice a change in gas and range a little bit. When my truck came with steel rims. I changed those immediately!

[@GM-fd7mv]

The percentage is in marginal or is it substantial like 20% or greater

[@Loganb611]

I went steel for a lot of the same reasons you did. Plus, in my opinion, the steel wheels look quite nice on an off-road rig/truck

[@HeRulesAlways]

I had the wrong conceptions about steel ... thanks for the lesson.

[@wesleywheeler7891]

IMO, Aluminum for tracks. Steel for trails.

[@TheMr0450]

the guy keeps ma interest in 4x4 alive.. cheers Ron.!!

[@juniper1172]

Greetings Mate! I live in Oregon and my wife and I enjoy exploring our wilderness areas in our Tacoma. I would like to thank you as we both enjoy your entertaining and insightful videos and tips. I am definitely a much better and more aware off-roader due to the sharing of your extensive knowledge. I wanted to add a suggestion that has served me well. CraigsList! Used is an excellent way to make my off-road dollars go a lot further. I know, buyer beware! However, over the pond, stateside we have two types of 4x4 drivers. We have people who buy the best vehicle and equipment to actually go outdoors and folks that don’t go off-road and buy the for the look. They are called “Mall Crawlers”. Anyhow, the Mall Crawler group will usually shed their stock equipment to create a custom look. It seems the most popular upgrade are wheels and tires. Their OEM (and often almost new) parts are sold on CraigsList oftentimes for very low prices. Find your vehicles bolt pattern and use that as a keyword for your search. Our Tacoma is able to use wheels from most of Toyotas SUV line up, plus Chevy and GMC trucks also. I recently got a very nice set of 5 (included a matching spare) alloy wheels for only $100 and a 50 mile country drive. Also Ronny, if your truck is named SL3IPNIR, would you be implying that you are Odin? :)

[@colinwhite4658]

I got caught out by a huge pothole on the Tele Track and put two alloy wheels of the car and one steel wheel on the trailer through it. I nearly hit the roof, I hit it that hard. Both alloys on the car were fine, the steel rim on the trailer was bent so badly it lost all its air immediately. I banged the steel rim back enough to seat the bead again, but it would have been terrible to drive on. It was just a spare from then on and was replaced at the end of the trip. The alloys were still on the car when I sold it, and probably still on it now. There’s all sorts of variables like suspension type, axle weights, etc, but I think good quality modern alloys are the way to go.

[@PyRoTECniQs]

thank you kind sir. this really helped my many questions regarding offroading wheels

[@jamieeisenhower1560]

It depends on the setup on how the steel Rim looks and aluminum what vehicle what style you're going with they're both nice looking purpose

[@ryansremark6983]

Alloy all day. Most people are weekend warrior offroaders, and alloys need to be hit pretty hard to crack. For the extreme offroader sure go steel, but alloy for the everyday commuter guy and offroad occasionally.

[@pjford1118]

My Suzuki Sidekick has 31X10.50x15 Swerved to avoid a head-on clipped the curb, had to put the spare on.

[@klaatuzogran4503]

That was wheely interesting 😜

[@T4nkcommander]

I've seen numerous people that have seen factory vs aftermarket torture tests, and they've all claimed the factory rims can (and must) take much more severe abuse than high quality aftermarket rims. So that being said, I'm curious as to how factory aluminum rims, such as come on my truck, would compare vs aftermarket ones.

[@Ronny_Dahl]

that was a factory Nissan Patrol Rim

[@Ronny_Dahl]

the alloy one

[@eightballsidepocket]

T4nk, too many variables to conclude anything definitively. Each manufacturer is different. I believe that aftermarket wheels get anecdotally labelled inferior because they generally are made with thinner, wider spaced spokes and thinner rims for aesthetics. This does not inherently make them weaker, but in the case of 4X4s, it can safely be assumed so, especially when you are 3 days into a 7 day excursion. Any conclusions from the torture tests you've seen referenced are only valid for the specific wheels included in the test. I would safely wager any aftermarket wheel could match an OE when the variables are as similar as possible. That being said, a $70 reproduction will likely not stand up to a $700 OE. Short of acquiring the metallurgy and manufacturing specs from everyone, the rules of thumb apply: 1. Thicker is stronger, 2. Cheaper is weaker, 3. Forged is best.

[@TheEmeraldNight]

As we mainly use hiway and graded tracks we have kept the factory alloys. Looking at going a nice set of steels for longer trips.

[@amermeleitor]

Steel rims are far cheaper. For me this is the wining point. Old scrap steel wheels without corrosion in my Suzuki Samurai, running for years without problems.

[@beijingkoala4]

I drive the third gen Rav4 base model and I think the silver painted steel rims on those look pretty good without tempting anyone to steal it. I saw someone chrome theirs, that was even more wicked. I drive over urban curbs quite a lot and haven't nicked mine yet.

[@Pepe46873]

We drive bush roads every day for work. Our Chevy service trucks had alloys and from fatigue they would crack at least 1 or more rims in a year. My ford has just stamped steel and the only time mine get damaged is impacts.

[@submarineaz]

Alloy for me, I do plenty of rock crawling. I get them for $99 each all day long and just have them welded if I crack the lip. Haven't had a bead break yet.

[@InMused]

Not all alloy's are the same. My Land Rover has 20 year old factory alloys that have seen a hard offload life, but they are still in excellent condition. They also have a factory internal bead lock. I have never broken a bead or chipped a rim.. Replacements are easy to find and cheaper 2nd hand that steels.

[@padrescout]

I've known guys that drive off-road for a living, chasing pipeline, working remote oil sites- that sort of thing - since the mid 2000s a lot of their trucks run alloys. I've never heard problem one from them. We are talking tens of thousands of miles of off-road driving to some wacky weird places over like 15 years. There is such a thing as "stronger" but there is also such a thing as "strong enough" and alloy wheels are strong enough. If you manage to break one ... well - I've never heard of it happening, maybe it's an Australian thing. Then again - that's why spares exist. If alloys were some sort of dangerous design flaw I would be interested why Land Rovers and Jeeps come with alloys - you know.. companies whom have reputations built on off-road prowess. I'm fairly certain that if it was that large of a difference they would probably have stuck with steel.

[@darrenjcallesen8177]

Correct, the Landy will have a forged alloy wheel, nearly indestructible! I don't think that was a forged wheel he was bashing up, because I really doubt he could have split it! And if you bend a steel one, sure knock out the dent to get you home, then replace it, throw it away, as it will never be the same. It will be hard to balance, and will never be as safe as it was new! Also wheel design plays a very important part of how strong a wheel is, not all wheel designs are equal, some Blingy Alloys are damn heavy, yet not all that strong compared to other alloy wheel designs! Not all cast alloy wheels are equal either, the CSA wheels are by far the closest to a forged wheel in strength, not far behind at all, as for the rest yeah a good steel rim will give many of the poorer ones a run for their money. So choose carefully, but remember most factory alloys are forged units, its one reason they are so expensive, but secondhand ones are great value... don't like the look, get them powdercoated :)

[@bannablitz247]

While I have never tried them on a 4wd I have messed around with heavy aluminum wheels vs light ones on passenger cars, particularly low hp ones. like 5-10lb difference between wheels and it was an incredible difference, much more available power, more nimble, better steering feel etc. I am considering trying to buy second hand aluminum wheels for my Suzuki Sierra/ samurai to see if I can gain any noticeable performance. However my wheels are a nearly stock size and the factory steel wheels are light.

[@enriquedb666]

you should not use force on the hammer near the time of impact, you will damage your hands and joints.

[@peterscott2662]

My 2 cents on the rust issue from road salt world of Eastern Canadian winters. I have had many rusty steel wheels. Essentially all of them eventually. But, they never leaked air because of this. OTOH, the one time I use Alloy winter rims when they eventually corroded (and they will eventually), they leaked air, and talking tires off, cleaning them up the bead, they still leaked again in no time. Steel all the way, except for fancy summer only city wheels.

[@mortenrasmussen8610]

Like your reference to Nordic mythology in your number plate - True viking style😃

[@boblafountaine9560]

Not to mention how they hold up when you hit a giant pothole here in Michigan! You can always plasticity a steel rim to pretty it up.

[@Overland4All001]

Now, that's useful info !! Great vid as always !! Simple and clear !! Along with the bullbar, you should do also, a comparison between fuels (Diesel versus Petrol or Low and High cost). Keep up, Cheers

[@Ronny_Dahl]

Diesel vs Petrol is a project I've got waiting to be filmed ;)

[@padrescout]

Diesel costs more, that.s not great. Diesel engines cost a /lot/ more. That's not great. Diesels tend to make a lot more torque than an unleaded (though that is changing) and do so at /much/ lower RPMs which is great for off-roading. That's good. Also diesel freezes at a much lower temperature than petrol and is much more difficult to ignite. I look forward to Ronny's take on this - should be a fun one.

[@elektro3000]

Big lesson here: If you might take hard trail damage, it's not about which wheel is STRONGEST, because neither is strong enough to shrug off all impacts. It's about which is DUCTILE enough to bend and then get bent BACK without cracking. Cast aluminum isn't very ductile. I'd love to see you do this test on a FORGED aluminum wheel, although I know they're rare in off-roading because of the huge price. Braid makes some very cool forged aluminum off road wheels, even beadlocks.

[@EyeRedDr]

Based on the heat, weight & looks advantage that the alloy has you could say they are best for touring.

[@dvgayle1]

Didn't think about the heat desipitation. Great point.