Steel vs aluminum wheels - weight, handing, mpg?

[j1truck]

So the consensus is that there’s no difference between factory steel and aluminum wheels? and if there is, it would be small to have any impact?

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[Preaky241]

The biggest difference between the steel wheels and the factory aluminum options - the steel wheels are ugly.

 

[j1truck]

The biggest difference between the steel wheels and the factory aluminum options - the steel wheels are ugly.

Is 2k saving worth the ugliness?

 

[HerrJavier]

Living in the Northeast, my concern with steelies is RUST

 

[Preaky241]

Is 2k saving worth the ugliness?

I ordered an XL. $1k planned expenses, new wheels will be my biggest expense.

For me, 450-$600 definitely is worth it. Appears otherwise to be nice looking vehicle.

 

[I'm-the-Pan-now]

I put on only about 4,000 miles a year. I am not in my car long enough to take advantage of all of the extras that go along with the XLT or higher. So, I figured why spend the money? I went XL with the 2.0L and will have the steel wheels. Does not bother me at all. Plus, I want the dark interior because my job has me in contact with a lot of graphite and it sneaks in everywhere. I want the vehicle as a secondary family vehicle and it will work well for my hobbies. I will be extremely happy and grateful to get this vehicle and the steel wheels will work just fine for my purpose.

 

[grumpyunk]

Living in the Northeast, my concern with steelies is RUST

You should talk to all the people with alloy wheels that are corroded to the brake rotors and drums. The Al and Fe can form a galvanic action to make them difficult to separate. I have never heard of a steel wheel becoming difficult to remove due to the salt used on the roads in the NE, but am open to experiences.
tom

 

[Darnon]

Hubcentric steel rims can become a nightmare to get off if the part of the hub snout that sticks through the bore becomes rusted and forms a lip. Also of course the rim itself starts to rust. Unpainted aluminum rims eventually can get pretty gnarly with oxidation, too.

 

[grandpopa'sMPGs]

I like my steel wheels and would never consider aluminum. I was told that the extra 12 pounds per vehicle was like 15 pounds extra cargo, so I lost 15 pounds of body fat and I feel GREAT. I do mostly city driving and now get around 55+ MPG However my highway trips at 70MPH get me about 30 MPG. If you really want to increase MPGs get narrower steel rims and use 195/80R 17 high pressure tires and inflate to 55 PSI front and 45 PSI rear, after your warranties have expired. For me that will be 100,000 miles. I have 25,000 miles in 15 months.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

haha 4yr old thread!!

 

[grandpopa'sMPGs]

Same truck same question. This topic will become obsolete when the very last maverick exits this world

 

[notfast]

haha 4yr old thread!!

I blame the "similar threads" feature at the bottom. Makes it easy to find, well, threads on similar topics, but it doesn't take age of the thread or last post into consideration.

The steelies are heavier than alloys and would theoretically contribute to lower fuel economy, worse braking performance, and accelerated suspension wear due to having more unsprung weight.

But in a practical sense, any difference would be a rounding error. If fuel economy was significantly different then the EPA would require the XL with its steelies to be tested and rated separately, like how they do it for the Tremor vs a regular AWD EcoBoost.

Now if your chasing 10ths of a second on a circuit or drag strip, then every ounce helps. But for a daily driver on the street, you'd be better off driving with a lighter foot than switching to alloys on the premise of better fuel economy and less brake and suspension wear. You'll likely never recover the cost of the alloys in terms of fuel or brake pads saved.

Personally, I've humbled myself quite a bit. I went from wanting no less than an XLT Lux (mainly for the power seat) to shopping around for an XL hybrid AWD 4k tow. Yes the XLT is "only" like $2000 more, but I'd rather put that $2000 toward a topper than alloys I couldn't care more for and what I think is an uglier interior color.

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