Steel Vs Alloy rims... lets here the Pro's & Cons

Steel - all the way. Unless of course you just want to look pretty! ;-))

I guess it depends on the application. Are you cruising Rundle Street with the doof-doof music turned up, just doing easier tracks like the Oodnadatta/Birdsville, or hardcore OffRoad type stuff??

I think I would opt for steelies. You can get the white Sunraysia type for $50 to $60 each- and I reckon on a deal for 6 they would sharpen the pencil. While a bit heavier, they are not 'brittle' like alloys. Yes, you can belt a major ding out of them, and if they are completely stuffed, it's not a huge sacrifice to dump them.
Start looking at wrecking yards too for wheels, and also larger Tyre outlets that do big business in wheels- they may have trade ins off a new vehicle.
Would only take 1/2 hour and a couple of stubbbies to swap over before and after trips!!

Its not advised to use an alloy as a ground/sand anchor either.

Steel/Alloy Rims

Run only steel rims on GU patrol - have about 4 sets different
tyres so can pick optimum for application.

With only manual tools can change 4 wheels over in 30min.

Often don't bother to change spare for odd weekend trips as its usually
same diameter anyway so works in a pinch.

Mostly use 16X7 rims as about 3kg lighter each than Nissan steel 16X8
and about same weight as Nissan alloys.

Steels offer a bigger range of offsets ,most alloys just zero, which
helps in getting most out of available wheel travel in wheel arch.
On long touring trips I run 33-34inch 255/85/16 cooper st.

In ROH Trak11 wheels I use 3 colors are available.

By picking 10mm neg offset the slightly narrower steels actually give
wider track and more stability to car with weight saving and strength
increase.

The available Nissan alloys don't even provide improved heat dissaption
so was in net no reason for them.

Careful of cheap alloys , many don't have steel wheel bolt inserts
and gouge quickly.

Steels of course don't mark so easily when using tyre pliers and if
you watch latest 4wd monthly simpson crossing disk they warn heavily
about using alloys as a ground winch anchor.

Robin Miller

Get an R & R Beadbreaker kit and swap tyres at home. Easy and will save you heaps in the long run.

Go the extra set of steel rims. I have always had an extra set of six steel rims, normally with a much more aggressive tread. If you bugga an alloy it will be more $$ than the six steel rims. Alloys are stronger only in the plane of the wheel, forces in the same plane as the axil will damage them. That is why you should not use them as an anchour point.

It makes sense to have a set of highway tyres that are quiet around town and a more A/T style tyre on steel rims. It only takes 1/2 hour or so to change them over and save yourself a lot of stress worring about stuffing an alloy that may cost $1200 to replace.

Steve

I've just fitted 17" x 8" steel wheels to my 120 Prado. They are Kings Wheels I purchased through my mate who runs a Bob Jane T Mart. They were $130 each ($120 for white) plus $20 for dome centre wheel caps (not required just look pretty). Total cost $730. The cost of one Toyota alloy is about $830. I think the best option for yourself is to have a separate set of wheels as long as it fits your budget. You can swap the wheels depending on your expected driving needs. They are not going to wear out while their sitting in your shed. You can always sell them if you change your vehicle to something that does'nt fit your second set of wheels.

Garry

Well I like the look of alloy wheels and have just replaced our steel rims with alloy rims.I know if you damage one out whoop whoop your in trouble but if you totally stuff it chances are if you had steelies on you probably would have damaged it/or tyre beyond repair too.Have done plenty of outback driving on all sorts of tracks with both steel and alloys and have never damaged either,drive to conditions and your on the way .

Coyote

Ahhh........ the vexing question

Me? I for one always ran Telecom Tyres on splits and scoffed at anything else.

Then I changed to tubeless a few years ago.

Last year I ran steels(Speedie's 16") and bent one,on a sidetrack off the Connie Sue.

This year I have run Cooper STT's on the original Nissan alloys in extreme offroad conditions and apart from a couple of staked tyres have had no problems.

Alloys are reputed to be far stronger than steels but as has been mentioned, if you stuff one, it is STUFFED.

The thing is not to stuff one.

I drive carefully, use correct tyre pressures to my specs all the time, make sure where I am placing my my wheels and hopefully will come through unscathed.

I carry a steel as a spare for the trailer and as an extra spare for the truck.

So there you have it....lol

Cheers

Hi Coyote

I still see if you can go 16" where prices and tyre range is better , the trak11's I mentioned are better by design than some other steels and will fit the larger brakes that my petrol patrol gu has over the diesels.

My latest set this year are silver at $85 each new.

Robin Miller