First and foremost, the main purpose of the wheels on any vehicle is function. However, for many, there&#;s also a style aspect to them as well. When it comes to wheels, alloy and steel are the two most popular materials on the market today. Yes, there&#;s carbon fiber and a few other options out there, but by and large, it all boils down to steel and alloy.
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With that in mind, you might be wondering what the better option for your vehicle is. Steel or alloy? Let&#;s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of each type of wheel.
Alloy Wheels: What You Need to Know
Like we said in the opening, while wheels are designed to properly function and perform, many also consider them a complement to a vehicle&#;s style as well. If you&#;re among that crowd, then aluminum, or alloy, wheels are the way to go. In fact, it&#;s the way most automakers have opted to go with the models they develop, as alloy wheels have become more popular than steel ones today. Alloy wheels are stylish, as they&#;re offered in many different designs. They also come in a range of sizes and with various different finishes. Finally, alloy wheels typically offer performance benefits over steel wheels. Combine their stylish nature and performance benefits and it makes for an attractive product.
The key reason why alloy wheels typically perform better than their steel counterparts is because they are lighter in nature. It&#;s this lightweight offering that puts less strain on a vehicle&#;s suspension, permits faster starting and stopping, and also allows for better fuel economy. If you regularly drive in more demanding conditions, alloy wheels may also be the right choice for you. That&#;s because they&#;re better able to dissipate heat from critical vehicle components, like the brakes.
While there&#;s a lot to like about alloy wheels, they aren&#;t without their disadvantages. The biggest, arguably, is that they&#;re more prone to cracks, dents and damage. This is because alloy is a less durable material than steel, so while drivers typically choose alloy wheels at least partially for their appearance, their durability should also be a factor that is taken into consideration when weighing the pros and cons of each. Another factor that may prohibit drivers from going the alloy route is the higher cost of such wheels when compared to steel.
Steel Wheels: What You Need to Know
The two big advantages of steel wheels are that they&#;re more affordable and more durable than their alloy counterparts. In terms of the latter, it&#;s next to impossible to crack a steel wheel, a characteristic that makes it an ideal option for vehicles when driving in more rugged conditions. What&#;s more is that steel wheels won&#;t rust just so long as paint covers their surface. While it&#;s true that steel wheels may dent or bend, these irregularities are usually easily resolved by hammering the material back into its proper shape.
Despite affordability and durability benefits, steel wheels also have some notable drawbacks. For instance, they don&#;t look as good as alloy wheels and there&#;s not as vast of a selection as there are with alloy wheels. While you can purchase wheel covers to improve the aesthetics of steel wheels, their overall appearance can be a prohibiting factor for many.
The other main disadvantage is that steel wheels weigh more than alloy ones. This excess weight can potentially decrease a vehicle&#;s center of gravity and put more wear on the suspension. It can also negatively impact a car&#;s fuel economy and cause handling and acceleration issues. It&#;s important to note, however, that this excess weight from steel wheels can come in handy during the winter months when it can work to better stabilize a vehicle in snowy or icy conditions. For this reason, many drivers opt to swap out their alloy wheels for steel wheels during the winter season. Steel wheels may be an ideal year-round choice for vehicles that regularly off-road and heavy-duty work trucks.
A final drawback to steel wheels is that they&#;re not applicable for all vehicles. Most are only available in 16-inch rims and they&#;re not intended to be installed on vehicles that were designed to operate with alloy ones.
So what wheel option is best for you? Steel or alloy? Be sure to consider the pros and cons of each type. For more information on the key differences between alloy wheels and steel wheels, contact HD Wheels or visit https://hpdwheels.com/ today.
Choosing the right wheel for your vehicle is an extremely important decision that could affect you financially, both in gas mileage and the longevity of your wheels. When it comes down to it, there are two types of wheels to choose from: aluminum alloy wheels and steel wheels (or alloy rims and steel rims).
Each type of material has its advantages and disadvantages. From price to performance, this guide will compare the pros and cons of each type of wheel in order to help you make an educated buying decision on your upcoming wheel purchase.
If you are looking for wheels with style and performance, then buying alloy wheels is the route to go. Alloy wheels are more appealing to the eye than steel wheels and generally perform better than steel wheels. They&#;re made of multiple metals, most commonly aluminum or magnesium and are lighter than steel which reduces fuel consumption and increases performance through improved acceleration, braking, maneuverability (steering), and handling. They are also resistant to corrosion and dust, which eliminates the need for repairs as the wheels begin to age.
There are a large variety of alloy wheels to choose from as they are cast into many different designs. Alloy wheels have more customization options available and more advanced styling for finishes than their steel counterparts.
Alloy wheels are much lighter than steel wheels, which allows them to operate at a higher performance in most conditions. Fuel economy is a big advantage of alloy wheels, especially in the city. With the lighter frame of alloy wheels, it will put less strain on the suspension of your car. This will also allow for faster acceleration.
The main disadvantage of alloy wheels is their durability. When impacted by the road, alloy wheels tend to bend and even crack more easily than tougher steel wheels. The aesthetic appearance of alloy wheels is also threatened as they are more easily prone to cosmetic damage.
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Alloy wheels today are the standard wheels used for most cars do to their high-performance and appealing look. While they are more expensive than steel wheels, the majority of OEM wheels on the market are alloy wheels.
For drivers looking for a cheaper more durable alternative, steel wheels are the way to go. Steel wheels are significantly stronger than alloy wheels making them the ideal choice for use in the Winter and for more powerful vehicles.
Unlike alloy wheels, durability is a major advantage when it comes to steel wheels. Cracking a steel wheel is nearly impossible and bending a steel wheel would require tremendous force. As long as you maintain the layer of paint on your wheel as needed, your steel wheels will not rust.
Cosmetic damage is not typically an issue with steel rims as they naturally look rough and tough. This also makes it easier to repair a bent steel wheel since there is no fear of damaging the appearance. With tools, such as a hammer, you can easily revert your bent steel wheel back into shape.
Another advantage of steel wheels is the price. If the need arises to replace your steel wheel, the cost will be inexpensive compared to an alloy replacement. There are fewer options offered compared to the selection provided by alloy wheels, but steel wheels in general do not have an aesthetically pleasing look regardless. However, wheel covers are available in several styles to improve the look of your vehicle if desired.
The extra &#;unsprung weight&#; created from steel wheels can lower your vehicle&#;s center of gravity. This extra weight can decrease your vehicle&#;s agility and ability to accelerate. This can also put a strain on the suspension and other parts of your vehicle.
The extra weight of steel wheels is an advantage during the winter months. The extra friction will help keep your vehicle from slipping on the ice and snow. For this reason, and for the purposes of preserving their alloy wheels in the best condition possible, many owners will switch to steel wheels when the weather outside turns bad. However, the increased weight means higher gas mileage and decreased performance when compared to alloy wheels.
Steel rims offer little compatibility with vehicles not made for them. It is not recommended to use steel wheels on a vehicle that was made for use with alloy wheels. Additionally, steel wheels are limited in size as most are made with 16&#; size rims or less. Thus, you cannot downsize to a set of steel rims on high-performance vehicles and larger vehicles. Finally, there simply aren&#;t as many designs or options to choose from like there are with alloy wheels.
On average, alloy wheels cost around $50 and steel wheels can be found as low as $30. When making any buying decision, price is normally the most determining factor, but you have to take into consideration things like gas mileage and future maintenance when making a wheel purchase as well. However, if you don&#;t live in a climate where winter comes every year, you&#;re probably better off with going with alloy. If you do live in a colder climate, steel may be the best option depending on the size of your vehicle&#;s tires, especially if you&#;re someone who often needs to drudge through the snow.
Whether you choose alloy wheels or steel wheels, Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions has the wheel that&#;s right for your vehicle. Our online Wheelfinder will help you quickly navigate through our large inventory of high-quality OEM wheels to fit your vehicle. We also offer OEM Hubcaps, Center Caps & Trim Rings, Vintage Hubcaps, and more!
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