91ToyTrck

I have been debating on which rims I want to buy for my truck. I know that an aluminum wheel is lighter and might look better, but is there a real difference in drag on the engine? How much different is the weight? I'm having trouble finding an aluminum wheel with a backspacing of 3.75-4" on a 15x8. Does anyone have any suggestions?

BTW - I'm planning on running 33x10.50 BFG AT KOs

Brendan

steel stronger, aluminum lighter - end of story.

mehret

It depends on what you're gonna use your truck for. If you're gonna do a lot of off-roading, I think you're better off with steel, because in my experience, and I'm sure other people will agree, aluminum wheels will bend easier if you hit something while off-roading.

The Toe Cutter

I just switched over from stock steel rims to aluminum SR5 rims. I don't do much wheeling as there are no "legal" places to go around my house and I agree with others posts about strength.

I did weigh both rims are here are the specs
Stock 15x7 6 lug rim = 28 lbs
SR5 alloy 15x7 6 lug rim = 20lbs

birfieldbuster

Actually, steel will bend, while an aloy rim will just crumble and crack.

kyle_22r

and keep in mind that steel wheels typically are made from a thinner gauge metal than aluminum ones -- the weight savings isn't really all that much with alloy wheels.

and with the 33x10 tires, you might be better off with a 7" wheel than an 8".

tc

You're in norcal, right? Ever hear of The Rubicon? LOL
very active TTORA group in norcal - they are doing stuff all the time:
http://www.norcalttora.com/

89red4x4yota

im running 15x8 mickey thompson classics with a 3 3/8 back spacing...looks really good. im running 31x10.5 BFGs

Radyota

I like to run steel rims in the winter and aluminum in summer. If I accidentally slide and whack a steel rim into a curb in the winter, the lip will bend over but the tire will still hold air so I can drive to the tire repair shop. With an aluminum rim, the lip cracks and breaks off, tire goes flat, I now have to change the tire, then drive to junkyard for new rim, AND drive to tire repair shop! See the advantages?

MorphiasX

That actually isnt necessarily true about the aluminum rims... I have 15x8 Progressive Custom aluminum rims (were on the truck when i bought it) with 32x11.50r15 BFG AT Ko's, and I was out in a local field one evening, did some donuts, and as I was cruising out of the dust very slowly, the front fell into a huge ditch that I couldnt see because of the dust. The ditch was as deep as my 32's, and I was sitting on my front bumper (custom steel bumper, so no damage) and my tcase skid. I put it in 4LO and backed out of the ditch, and checked for damage, sure enough one of my rims the lip got bent back a bit. It was still holding air, but I didnt feel comfortable with it like that, so me and my neighbor took a sledge to it and pounded it back, and to this day its fine, you cant even tell it got bent and bent back. I imagine it is possible to crack an aluminum rim, but it isnt always the case as people think it is...

JamesD

Steel for the trails, aluminum for the streets unless they are Alcoa's Most people who are hardcore off-roaders use steel. Look how many members here use steel.

James

Intrepid

I was thinking the same thing, there is tons of good wheeling in norcal...

The problem with aluminum rims is the breakage factor, yeah, you may get lucky like someone above and bend it, but chances are, you will either crack or chip it and it won't hold air anymore. We were having this discussion the other day and someone posted this:

ctcost

If you look inside your doorframe (driver's side) the sticker says you can carry 300 more pounds with the steel rims...Just a consideration if you want more weight. I like my original steelies and am either going to find another pair when I get the tires changed or powder coat these one at a time...probby easier just to find another set I guess.

trythis

I have used aluminum rims for metal casting, as the metal I was melting. Whatever the aluminum is they use for rims is not brittle like most aluminum. Most aluminum, you just heat a little and it cracks like chocolate cake, but wheel aluminum, will hardly budge even when it is dull red from heat and smacking it with a large sledge. I hate trying to break them up, so we use a plasma torch and that is still hard to do. I would imagin that steel wouldnt mind a few rebends, wheras aluminum would fail or make me uncomfortable after one bend.

Radyota

Yeah, I heard that Toyota uses a higher quality aluminum than other oem wheels (U.S. anyways) to cast their rims, so they're worth more to the recyclers. When I mentioned smacking a curb earlier, I meant with road tires, sliding sideways into the curb and folding/cracking the lip off of the rim. I saw a Chevy Malibu here at my apartment that must've slammed a front wheel into a curb like that (I saw a roadsign bent back on a curve here where I think it happened) and the lip was cracked off. The tire bead was exposed and the tire was going flat, but the owner drove it like that for over a month! Stupid! At the very least, Chevy rims are weak.