P1MP5QU4R3D

Ok All

I am AGGRESSIVELY looking for some new rims

And although most of the ones that I really like I have been told will not fit I am still trying to find something that will work

I have come across a handful of Steel rims that have a whole lot of potential

Other than the additional weight issue......

What are the cons of going with Steel?

AnotherDude

iTrader: (1)

I'm not an expert, but I believe weight is the biggest thing. You shouldn't worry about steel vs aluminum either. It should be more about forged rims vs casted rims. This will determine the quality and durability of what your'e buying.

ScionTCSS

Of course its a weight difference between steel and aluminum. Aluminum is lighter. But easier to break in some aspects. Not as durable.

Kanchi

iTrader: (4)

What are you wanting out of a wheel? Looks/ performance/ low cost? Cast are cheap but aren't very durable in the long run, machined are decent all around (similar to stock), steel ate uber durable but heavy/lacking in style and heavy (usually), forged is the best of all but spendy.

Tomas

In a cast rim, what do you experts feel is an average lifetime in order for you to consider them not very durable?

What is their normal failure mode?

As most have said, weight is the largest drawback to steel wheels in general, but their failure modes are a bit different than alloy wheels, which is why serious off-roading has traditionally been done on steel: You can bend em, but they generally won't crack or shatter like an alloy. THe steel wheel will get you back home. :o)

For an everyday street car, wheel weight is a much overrated "problem," as in just normal use, the difference in weight is not a significant factor.

(My seven year old cast alloys are each about 6 pounds lighter than the steel wheel they replaced.)

Tom

Kanchi

iTrader: (4)

Whenever I think of cast I think of broken Konigs or Rotas. For the average consumer they will be fine, but tag a curb or a decent pothole (sorry Brian), and they bend and crack. I know I am a brand ***** and over build but I have also broken a cast wheel from a brush with a curb and bent several less expensive wheels from potholes. Point is this if you are going to drive like a normal person you will be five with cast. If you are going to drive like a typical tC owner...make sure your spare is accessable if you get cast/spun aluminium.

2006xbbop

From the tirerack...

One-Piece Cast Wheels

This is the most common type of aluminum wheel. The casting of wheels is the process of getting molten aluminum inside a mold to form a wheel. There are different ways this can be accomplished and although it sounds simple, this is truly an art when done properly.
GRAVITY CASTING
Gravity casting is the most basic process of pouring molten aluminum into a mold utilizing the earth's gravity to fill the mold. Gravity casting offers a very reasonable production cost and is a good method for casting designs that are more visually oriented or when reducing weight is not a primary concern. Since the process relies on gravity to fill the mold, the aluminum is not as densely packed in the mold as some other casting processes. Often gravity cast wheels will have a higher weight to achieve the required strength.
LOW PRESSURE CASTING
Low pressure casting uses positive pressure to move the molten aluminum into the mold quicker and achieve a finished product that has improved mechanical properties (more dense) over a gravity cast wheel. Low-pressure casting has a slightly higher production cost over gravity casting. Low pressure is the most common process approved for aluminum wheels sold to the O.E.M. market. Low-pressure cast wheels offer a good value for the aftermarket as well. Some companies offer wheels that are produced under a higher pressure in special casting equipment to create a wheel that is lighter and stronger than a wheel produced in low pressure. Once again in the quest for lighter weight, there is a higher cost associated with the process.
Spun-Rim, Flow-Forming or Rim Rolling Technology

This specialized process begins with a low pressure type of casting and uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. The combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel without the high cost of the forging. Some of the special wheels produced for the O.E.M. high performance or limited production vehicles utilize this type of technology resulting in a light and strong wheel at a reasonable cost. BBS has used this technology for several years in their production of racing wheels for Formula One and Indy cars. BBS's RC wheel for the aftermarket is an example of a wheel produced using spun rim technology.

In forged wheels, computer numerically controlled
(CNC) mills add the cosmetics and the bolt circle to exacting tolerances.


Forged

The ultimate in one-piece wheels. Forging is the process of forcing a solid billet of aluminum between the forging dies under an extreme amount of pressure. This creates a finished product that is very dense, very strong and therefore can be very light. The costs of tooling, development, equipment, etc., make this type of wheel very exclusive and usually demand a high price in the aftermarket.
Multi-Piece Wheels

This type of wheel utilizes two or three components assembled together to produce a finished wheel. Multi-piece wheels can use many different methods of manufacturing. Centers can be cast in various methods or forged. The rim sections for 3-piece wheels are normally spun from disks of aluminum. Generally, spun rim sections offer the ability to custom-tailor wheels for special applications that would not be available otherwise. The rim sections are bolted to the center and normally a sealant is applied in or on the assembly area to seal the wheel. This type of 3-piece construction was originally developed for racing in the early 1970s and has been used on cars ever since. The 3-piece wheels are most popular in the 17" and larger diameters.
There are now many options for 2-piece wheels in the market. The 2-piece wheel design does not offer as wide a range of application that a 3-piece wheel allows, however they are more common in the market and the prices start well below the average 3-piece wheel. Some 2-piece wheels have the center bolted into a cast or cast/spun rim section and other manufacturers press centers into spun rim sections and weld the unit together. When BBS developed a new 2-piece wheel to replace the previous 3-piece street wheel, they used the special rim-rolling technology (originally developed for racing wheels) to give the rim section the weight and strength advantages similar to a forged rim. On the high-end of the 2-piece wheel market you can find wheels using forged rims and forged centers. Since these are only sold in small volume and due to the high development and production costs associated with the forging process, they tend to be on the high end of the price scale.
High Light Technology (HLT)

The High Light Technology (HLT) process used in the manufacturing of O.Z. Racing's Alleggerita HLT and Botticelli HLT wheels, for example, uses rollers to compress and elongate the material along the barrel of a low-pressure cast aluminum wheel to obtain the desired profile. This process, which is directly derived from O.Z.'s experience in F1, produces wheels that are extremely light and strong.
The flow forming process and the HLT technologies combine to create mechanical characteristics similar to those of a forged wheel. This permits a dramatic reduction in wheel weight while enhancing structural rigidity vs. a standard cast wheel.

P1MP5QU4R3D

My biggest issue is the offset.

I want something that fits the car

Her name is darkness......

I want something mean

Most of the Rims that I have been looking at are for trucks (Black Rhino, American Outlaw, etc)

The last sales guy I talked to looked at me like I was crazy when I told him what I wanted to do

Tomas

(Personally I think 99% of the wheels that will fit on an xB Classic at too spidery and spindly, and those few that aren't tend to have way too many sharp edges in their design or a bunch of real or fake bolt heads, or gee-gaws that just make them too fancy. I want plain, solid, smooth wheels, either solids or broad five spokes - a lot like I used to run on my 4x4s...)

P1MP5QU4R3D

Exactly Tomas

I feel the same way

I want something I haven't seen before on mine

But I have found some options that I am thinking about

Like these

http://www.cragarwheel.com/products1...rSeries69Delux
http://www.cragarwheel.com/products1...ies313Smoothie ( I would want these black though )
http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse....18BH&pID=21436 (these aren't bad, but not completely feeling them )
http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse....-18B&pID=23738 ( another one that "almost" works )

But I am still looking

I will find something or some way to get what I want

I refuse to settle

VENisME

Diamond racing wheels look pretty cool to me.

Tomas

I'd really enjoy having the Cragar 313 Smoothies on Vanilla, but of cours they don't make any that would even remotely fit. I'd even take the Cragar 69s. The Baccarat and Incubus wheels? No way. Not even as a spare...

BZinn1

Yep I have been the owner of a cast wheel that hit a large pothole at 70mph and it was not pretty,the rim did not break but to be honest I was very surprised it did not....it hit so hard to to the point that it bent my front sway bar and the A arm and nearly took out my strut.

Aluminum wheels are great,but their drawback is indeed breaking under conditions they were not meant to withstand, and in most cases not repairable.

Steel wheel.....not even sure of that many manufactures out there that make them,and those that do,theya re made to order and spendy,in fact they can be more costly than a set of forged aluminum.

What types of driving are you thinking....track use.....daily.....offroad....?

I personally like steel wheels,but most are gonna be made to order,offsets,size,etc all done per order.They look great if you do the right tire and offset and width....

P1MP5QU4R3D

Just daily driving

I have been looking at steel wheels also

Still looking for just the right look