[VitNick]

Hi all,
Wanted to know if alloy wheels are fine to use offroad. I know they are known to split and crack and not bend like steel rims. But on a light weight zook surely they can't crack that easily. Just being a tight uni student who's trying to save on buying new rims. Has anyone had their alloys crack offroad, I've seen ome cracked alloy but it was smashed into a gutter at speed

Thanks VitNick

[Fatzook]

They'll be fine mate. Unless you plan to use it for comps.....

[jdk81]

I had a wheel smash into something pretty solid, in a car incident/crash type event, which I would hardly consider normal wheeling.
It cracked away a tiny part of lip, and it gouged the alloy too.
It was still fine to use until getting it changed etc.
This was an extreme event and a product of my stupidity and poor judgement.

But in general wheeling they were absolutely fine, and I punished my car pretty hard.
Christover has those alloys now (except the damaged one, its in my shed as an air hose holder).

[christover1]

I'll report back here after a few years of off roading and touring.
Have already noticed an improvement in braking, steering and power with road use.
Could be a big improvement in longer touring trips.
I also decreased my track a little, which would also account for improvements.

[VitNick]

Thanks heaps, looks like im keeping the alloys. Thanks again for replying so quick

[Ausuki]

christover1 wrote:

I'll report back here after a few years of off roading and touring.
Have already noticed an improvement in braking, steering and power with road use.
Could be a big improvement in longer touring trips.
I also decreased my track a little, which would also account for improvements.

Im surprised they make a noticeable difference, i though youd only be talking about a couple of kg each.
Have you logged any fuel figures?

[atari4x4]

christover1 wrote:

I'll report back here after a few years of off roading and touring.
Have already noticed an improvement in braking, steering and power with road use.
Could be a big improvement in longer touring trips.
I also decreased my track a little, which would also account for improvements.

what did one of the alloys weigh on their own?

[christover1]

Only just fitted, so nothing measured fuel use wise.
Did weigh them with tyres fitted, and without.
Some weight loss is from smaller tyre, some is because of using non retreads, some from no tube.
As stated gains expected from narrower track, tyre, lower height and less wind drag and less rotation resistance

My heaviest tyre / steel wheel combo was 33kg each, had 2 of those on rear..
Worn 31's on steelies were 27kg, those 2 were on front.
New 30's on alloys are 22kg each.

I did weigh alloy rim by itself, but weight has escaped my memory
Think it was around 9 or 10 kg.

In process of lightening camper and its wheels, too.

[christover1]

PS my scales are very dodgy

[atari4x4]

alloys are only 1kg maybe 2kgs lighter, a 15x7 steely is 11kgs.

[christover1]

Sounds about right, wasn't a lot in it.

Lot of weight loss in losing the remoulds.

[Rhinoman]

I weighed a set of 8 x 15 American Racing Alloys once, they were 50% heavier than the 7 x 15 steels I put on there instead. Not that surprising really as they were 10mm thick whereas the steels were 2mm thick and aluminium is only 1/3 the weight of steel. The stock alloys got scratched and gouged when used off road and very soon started to look nasty.

[want33s]

I ran these for a few years with 38mm spacers and Staun internal beadlocks. I have no dramas at all with alloys for onroad/casual offroad use.

[VitNick]

Sounds good, I'm curious now after what christover1 said to see what my economy will be. I'm looking at using retreads which the added weight/ rolling resistance. I will keep track of how my economy goes now, and once I put the retreads on I'll post up the numbers

[upgarage]

atari4x4 wrote:

alloys are only 1kg maybe 2kgs lighter, a 15x7 steely is 11kgs.

Not sure how you got those figures

15x8
Pro comp alloy =7.25kg
Pro comp steel = 14.5kg

[christover1]

That was from my quoted weight on my alloys,
but dodgy scales and dodgy memory, could be inaccurate.

I guess it also depends on other factors in the wheel build.
My steelies were not heavy duty builds, either.

[atari4x4]

upgarage wrote:

atari4x4 wrote:

alloys are only 1kg maybe 2kgs lighter, a 15x7 steely is 11kgs.

Not sure how you got those figures

15x8
Pro comp alloy =7.25kg
Pro comp steel = 14.5kg

what style of procomp, the ones with the small round holes will have more metal in them than the sunny style rims + you're quoting a 15x8 & that's got to have more metal in it again.

i got it straight from the speedy wheels website, but i rounded it up for the slow kids up the back. they actually weight 10.687kgs.

http://www.speedywheels.com/2011/specif ... tWhite.pdf

not sure how you got those figures.