Allow vs Steel

[icon30]

I currently own a 2009 JK and I'm thinking of getting some 33inch( or 285 70 ) tyres and also new rims. Can any please tell me if there is much of a difference between steel and allow in terms of feel, on and off the road. I use the car as a tourer, but also use it to do off-road and plenty of beach work. I understand that a 4kg difference on each wheel ( by going to a steel rim) can make a difference in the unsprung weight of each corner and also the performance. There is a big price difference between allow and steel so I want to make the right choice. I was also reading an article in 4WD action mag , which said that new generation allow are stronger than steel ( but harder to repair.
My JK is 4 door diesel with a 2inch lift.
Any advice would be great!!

[snowing]

Firstly.. that's alloy. lol
Good quality modern alloy wheels are light weight and strong. They are stronger and tougher than steel wheels but with a much higher price tag and very hard or impossible to repair if anything happen to them while offroad in the middle of nowhere. With that said, even steel wheels can be bashed back to life while offroad, I would still choose alloy. By the time you apply the same force that caused damage to the alloy wheel to render it unusable, the steel wheel would be unable to repair by that time and bashed into scrap metal.
So for a JK, I would rather go for something lighter.

[NTRubicon]

Never noticed much of a difference in the feel of steel vs alloy myself. It's all about getting the rubber to the surface you're on, and weighing overall 16-20 extra kg is hardly noticeable. if you change offset of the wheel to accommodate a larger/wider tyre then you will notice a change in steering feel and weight in the corners, but this would be the same if you had changed offset and width on an alloy as well. There will be more pressure on your drivetrain as well, so things like axle shafts and uni joints are under a little more threat depending on the driving conditions

Alloy is harder to repair, and it scratches nicely on rocks, but it doesn't bend like steel can. If you're taking wheels to extremes that will bend steel or break an alloy though, you're likely to be breaking other things as well, like CV, uni joints, drive shafts, suspension arms, and the like, and therefore should probably maintain a healthy savings account to compensate for the driving style you adopt.

If your driving is primarily limited to beach driving and lower tyre pressures that ensue, the most important thing is to have something that holds the bead from popping off, which is the territory of bead locks or second air type systems, most suited to steel rims (harder to fit second air to alloy wheels than steel).

I run alloys now because they suit my driving style, fit my tyres, and came with the Jeep. If I were to go 37" muddies I would probably look at steel wheels, most likely bead locks, as I would not be doing highway driving on tyres that size. To each their own though

[icon30]

Thanks guys...great advice. And yes, I know it's alloy...damn autospell check!!

[LeighP]

You know, you'll get away with factory alloy wheels running 285/70x17....in case you were wondering. Cheapest option all round.

[anthony1]

Alloy. I nearly went steel, but in the end glad that I didn't after I felt how heavy even the new alloy wheels and tyres were when I changed them around. I don't think it would've affected the driving i do, but it makes a big difference when you are handling them on tyre changes.

[chris0375]

If you don't want to change offset stick with stock wheels. I have seen plenty of bent steel wheels. I have never seen an alloy bent. Stock alloys are so cheap and plenty strong enough.

The payload of a wrangler is such that the wheels are never going to have a huge amount of weight on them.

Unless you are racing I don't know how you would manage to break an alloy. And replacements are dirt cheap.