Ok guys, I came across a smoking deal on craigslist I couldnt pass up for 5 new Black Cragar 15x8 Soft 8 steel wheels. I really wanted to put 15x8 black alloy(aluminum) wheels on my truck due to weight of each wheel (28 pounds for steelies vs. 16 pounds alloy).

So my question is, does it really make that much of a difference with MPG and power lose using a steel wheel over an alloy wheel? Are you guys running steel wheels or alloys and how is you MPG and power when you switched. Or have you ran both and prefer one over the other? I'm looking at putting 31x10.50 Goodyear Duratracs on them.

Thanks!

 

i prefer steel rims due to the fact that IF i happen to bend one when wheeling, I can beat it back enough to get me home. once you bend an alloy rim it's done.

 

I am sure if you look you can remove 48 pounds of weight from your truck.

Me myself I only use the stupid Aluminum wheel because I have them .

Given the choice I would run steel

The extra receiver hitch parts I carry plus the 200 feet of #01 welding cable easily make up well over the aluminum wheel weight savings.

 

There's a difference between the two types of weights, that being above the leaf springs and that below. Its called "Unsprung weight", Unsprung weight has much more effect on how the car handles than an equivalent amount of weight above the springs. All this effects rotating mass, even a small change in weight can have large effects, such as decreased MPG and acceleration power loss. I'm sticking with the same size tire i have now just going with a heavier wheel that why im wondering if I'll notice the difference.

 

I really don't think it's going to make that big of a difference economy or power wise.
I dislike alloys because they're stupid bling for pimpmobiles and tuners, plus I have seen a few cheap ones explode because of shoddy casting.

 

I would agree with you if we were talking High performance Cars .

Not going to make that big a difference in MPG or Horse Power in 4Runners and Pick up Trucks the fact your talking 4X4 even makes it more of a moot point.

Please feel free to prove me wrong !!!

Try both the steel and Aluminum wheels see what your results are.

I have run both with the same tires I suppose if you did a dynamometer test and run a very controlled miles per gallon test .

The difference would not be enough to get excited about.

I can only go by the things I see from my own junk.

 

Here is my comparison... 33x10.50R15 BFG KM2 Mud terrains, stock 90s era Toyota steelies (15x7) and 18MPG average. Swapped to 315-75R16 Toyo Open Country MT (35x12.50), new Mickey Thompson Classic 3s (16x8) and get 18MPG average. The Toyos are a good bit heavier than the BFGs, and the Mickey wheels are a few pounds lighter than the stock steelies. Still, overall, the new set up is heavier, and my mileage didn't change.

I have put on 3K miles in 3wks so my situation is accurate and consistent.

 

Cool thanks for the responses. I didn't think i would notice much of a difference, so i'm going to bite the bullet and slap the Duratrac's on them in a few weeks. I'll post an update as to what I notice, if anything.

 

Embrace the spirit of experimentation!
I look forward to your thoughts on the outcome.

 

Remember it will be harder for your brakes to stop those wheels. And you will lose a little acceleration. If you have enough power and your confident in your brakes then go for it. I know in mine I wouldn't want the weight.

 

Depends on the rig, but the 98 pound ext cab 2 piece driveline has more effect on rotating mass "drag" then your small difference in rim weights. Since the driveline spins faster and changes rotating speed more dramatically then the wheels. But i honestly wouldn't look to either of those things for any noticeable mpg gains. I would argue the steel rims vs. alloy for wheeling, and maintenance reasons.

 

Myself I like the steel wheels better

I only use the Aluminum ones because I have them.

I am curious just what were your stopping distances between steel and aluminum wheels ??

Do you have the data speed / distance??.

What was your brake application pressure ??

Which brand pads and shoes were you using??

Curb weight of vehicle??

 

Well I changed my mind again!!

My buddy had a used set of 16x8.5 MB Chaos black alloy wheels for sale and I scooped them up and slapped on some Goodyear Duratracs! I couldnt be happier with my setup. It looks and runs awesome! I put 245/75r16 tires. Now i just need to figure out how to post pictures so i can share with everyone!

 

Hi guys,

A friend is offering his stock alloy rims (2nd gen 4Runner I believe) to me. My current rims are after-market steels (pic below) that sticks out around 1 inch beyond the fender flare.
I believe stock rims would not stick out as much, correct?

Do you think not sticking out (is that what's called zero offset?) would help with gas mileage/efficiency? Would it present less strain on steering components?

I understand wider stance is more stable but I;m a conservative driver so no big deal.

I don't really know how much the current steels weigh, but is it safe to say that alloys would weigh less?

This is a DD and not a rock crawler so chance of bending the rim is minimal.

Thanks a lot for your expert opinions, guys!

Here is my current rim:

 

Ray - the backspacing does look like a bit more than stock on those steelies, so the SR5 rims might not stick out that much. I don't think you will see any noticeable efficiency improvements assuming you keep the same width tires. I think the contact patch and rolling resistance are going to be the same, unless those steelies are wider, spreading your tire out more. Alloys will probably be lighter, but I don't think by much. Bottom line, I think any gas mileage savings would be too small to measure on a single tank of gas.

I personally like the look of the SR5 rims much more than almost any aftermarket rim I have ever seen, if someone offered me a free set, you better believe I would jump on it.

 

Happy New Year & thanks a lot, Cory. Exactly my sentiment; I have never seen after-market that look more aesthetically-pleasing than stock alloy. That's one aspect where stock has significant and obvious advantage.

 

Hi Rad,

Here's a pick of my '86 with 2nd gen alloys on it. They are relatively light with 31x10.5s on them.

sorry for the crappy cell phone pic, but you get the idea. I actually have a second set of these rims, and I plan on painting them like this:

and putting 33x10.5 bfg ats on. These look soo sick!!!

(heres a link to the thread where he painted them this way: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...-think-186378/)

Hope this helps.

 

Nice! Yeah my friend just sent be link to another 4Runner with same rims. Looks good. I'll pick them up this weekend

Discount Tire Co will remove all 4 tires from old rims and mount them on these for $40. Sounds reasonable.

Thanks a lot, MaltDisney, Cory85, Phil, & Chef who also replied on my thread.

BTW, Matdisney, ours are twins, and here's another 86 Runner behind Ruby Tuesday...

 

Thanks, again guys!

Got the 2nd Gen 4Runner tires installed today and I really like the almost stock look:


Tires don't stick out as much as the old steels. More details are on my build thread.

 

Looks better with the rad 80's gold steelies. They really make the awesome graphics pop.