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-   Tyre & Alloy wheel Section (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-alloy-wheel-section/)

-   -   Are Steel wheels/rims better than alloys? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-alloy-wheel-section/15046-steel-wheels-rims-better-than-alloys-3.html)

I have read some good reviews about neo in team bhp,Its made for our road conditions and has ISO certification so nothing to worry about.But I would like to know what could go wrong if there is some flaw in alloy wheel please: Will it just fail to hold air pressure or cause any major problem enough to cause accident?

That will probably depend on the type of flaw I guess. If it is a minor bend in the rim edges, then it will probably let air escape, which, then, renders the wheel pretty much useless. In case the alloy is not strong enough or has low tensile strength, it might not sustain a heavy impact, like a speedbreaker/pothole at > 70-80 kmph, and might bend out of shape, or worse even, break! In that case, I don't think I need to elaborate on the kind of safety hazard that might be..

A few points worth noting:

- Alloy wheels that break / crack under high pressure is a sign that they aren't of very good quality. Bending indicates that it's of good quality. That said, a massive shunt will destroy any component, good quality or not.

- Alloys are generally lighter than steel wheels and are supposedly stronger as well. Also, unlike steel wheels, they are not prone to rust so I would imagne that they'd last longer. Again, it depends on how well (or badly) you take care of your car.

- Tubeless tires work well with both steel and alloy wheels. However, it isn't advisable to switch from tube-type tires to tubeless while retaining old steel wheels that may have signs of rust. - (thank you Nikhilb2008 :D)

They say, good quality alloys (not too bling bling) are supposed to be half the weight of steel rims. Recently I was shopping for 14' alloys to replace my ageing 13" alloys that came as OE. I purchased 4 Neo alloys that were plain Jane. The dealer sold it real cheap saying these are older designs and thus going cheap.
I did not mount them on the car since I wanted to double check if they fouled with anything inside the wheel well. Unfortunately the offset (ET) did not match and it did foul with the front struts. At the A*S*S there was a digital weighing machine so I compared the weight ....

OE 13*5J alloys were 5.5 Kg
OE 14*5.5J alloys were 5.85 Kg
OE 14" steel rim was 10.1 kg (found some traces of rust even on the brand new peice)
Neo 14" alloys were 7.98 kg plus/minus 100 gms !!!

Is this acceptable by ISO standards? I don't know who to trust these days !!

I used to debate with myself whether these alloy wheels have any plus point other than beatification! So, after much hesitatation, I have recently got 14 inch [ same as OEM diam] alloys [ make - Plati ] fitted onto a Ford Fiesta and a Logan. I have noted much improvement in the pick-up, lightness of steering etc. There is slight improvement in the milage too , have not measured accurately. Ride quality has also improved. The vehicle feels more responsive and light at the wheel- though these are subjective.
I would say this is an improvement over steel wheels [ except the cost part] and if the cost can be bourne, alloy wheels are a better option. My intutive suggestion is to not exceed the wheel diameter compared to the original- perhaps that is where the milage related complains come from.

When we are looking for affordable alloys we should skip the light weight part.Its not possible to make affordable alloys using very expensive metals,so if you find affordable light weight alloy then it should probably be something like this http://www.fordmods.com/gearbox-susp...ys-t77565.html

Edit:OE alloys are mighty expensive than the after-market ones made in India! so they are lighter.

Both Alloy and Steel wheels have advantages and disadvantages of their own and are suited for different types of driving; but in general if you want beauty and performance you should go for alloy, and if you want tough, inexpensive, standard workhorses, you should go for steels.

Alloys :
1. The aluminum/nickel alloy is much lighter than steel and makes for more agile performance and better acceleration.
2. A car with alloys on is generally much more fun to drive.
3. Alloys do tend to bend easier than steels under road impacts, and have a tendency to crack if bent too far. Alloys are generally not repairable, once it gets bend you may repair it but it has to be used as spare for safety reasons.
4. The degree to which an alloy wheel is pliable or brittle depends greatly on how much nickel is added to the aluminum to make the alloy – more nickel adds weight and tends to make the alloy more brittle, less means a lighter wheel that is softer and tends to bend more easily.

This is where the alloys are risky because at a speed of 80-100KMPH on the highway if the alloy develops a crack and the air goes out then you very well know the consequences.

Steel :
5. Steel wheels are heavier than aluminum, so when you put steel wheels on a car that has had alloy wheels, you tend to find that the extra weight dampens acceleration and agility and is hard to manoeuvre.
6. Steel wheels are significantly stronger than alloy wheels. It takes greater force to bend steel wheels, and it is almost impossible to crack them. But steel wheels are subject to rust and proper care needs to be taken to prevent then from rusting.
7. Steels are also usually 75-80% less expensive than alloy wheels, making them great for a second set, and inexpensive to replace if badly damaged.

Ultimately your choice of wheel type will depend on your individual aesthetics and your motoring aspirations. No matter what you choose, make sure you research all the options.

I have used tubeless tyres on steel wheels in my earlier Santro for more than three years without any issue.

@Giriji hope this helps you in taking the dicision.

@Sommos; While agreeing with most of your points 1 disagree with the strength aspect. I have seen plenty of badly bent steel wheels but an yet to come across a broken alloy. An alloy will break and not bend.

The advantage of the weigh factor is the reduction in unsprung weight, which in turn improves the road grip and compliance on bumps. In fact early Jaguar E-types were made with inboard rear discs to reduce the unsprung weight. They did not work too well due too brake cooling issues, which proved to be a nightmare!

As long as the wheels are balanced +/-100 grams is okay i guess. I'm saying this because the four wheels+tyre combo will not weigh exactly the same once wear and tear sets in and after any puncture repair is done. If the difference in weight is not huge then for a road car.

Btw could you share the weight of the 14" MGA alloys you bought if you had the chance to weigh it?

No need to weigh it, the gross / net weight is printed right on the box. I will let you know t'row. They are still lying in the boot and the new BS Turanzas too.

Note that mine is a Lancer and the weight mentioned earlier are for the Mitsubishi OE 13" and 14" alloys. The list price at the A*S*S was approx 8500/- plus taxes but they did not have a set of 4 and no new stock expected. It took me 3 months to find a perfect match to OE i.e. PCD=100, ET=45 and Width=5.5J

The Swift/Dzire OE alloys were the closest match. After purchase I realised that the center hole (where the logo cap fits) was smaller by 3 mm. This was not allowing the wheel to mate properly with the hub so I had to shave off 1.5 mm on the hole circumference on a lathe machine; just 4 mm deep from the inside end. After that it was a perfect fit and was approved by the A*S*S

The weight of Swift/Dzire OE 14" alloy wheel is 5.9 kg
Today I mounted all 4 with new tyres on my car.

Hey I thought the size of OE alloys for the new Swift/Dzire was 15" alloys. From where did you get these alloys 14" and what price did you pay for it?

Is it available at the Maruti dealerships? Am looking out for my new swift.

Great it is lighter than the steelies, the weight saving is substantial.

Today i weighed the Neowheels Urban alloys (which is now un mounted and put up for sale) on a bathroom scale and each wheel registered 5.5 kilos approximately. The scale not being a digital one won't read to the last gram but the needle always stopped at the same point with all 4 wheels.





I had 13" Axis Neowheels on my Astar for two years and has been through all kind of bad roads and they're been very reliable. Thats why i bought them for my Swift too.

1.Although one of the advantages is low weight, there are factors that affect that difference. Eg: if you are going for upsize and the wheel is considerably larger, the weight can be more. The design of the wheel and how much coverage is has can also make a difference.

2. All reputed brands like BBS, OZ, borbet etc are light weight. Same cannot be said about the cheaper chinese and taiwanese brands that we see commonly on the road or even in teambhp alloy section. They may not be even as reliable as the good brands. But everyone uses cheap brands than good ones, so maybe the weight advantage is negated in practical indian scenario.

Hey guys,

Nice thread going on for the biggest question one has - steel rims or alloys? One that was bugging me for a long time too.
I was looking to upgrade my car's tyres, as they are too skinny :Frustrati - MRF ZEC 155/80 R13 on an i10 Magna. Earlier I was thinking about moving to alloys, but after reading this thread am looking to stick with steel rims. Also, my service advisor at the service center asker me not to have meatier tyres since it can void the warranty, which is going to end in a couple of months. So, can you guys help me with the following questions (Moderators, please advise if this is the right thread) -

1. I read another thread on putting 175/70 R13 tyres on i10 stock rims. There was a lot of confusion there. :Shockked: But, I am ready to change the rims too, since the stock rims are 4.5J and not recommended for this tyre size. So, is the Hyundai Accent's (not Xcent) rim a perfect fit in i10? Not sure about the size of those rims.
2. Is the tyre size 175/70 R13 a wise choice? 14"ers will need the mud flaps to be removed (as I read in a separate thread).
3. Which tyre brand to go for? Thinking about Bridgestones, but open to suggestions.

This is my second car, so don't have much info on this topic. Would be glad if you guys can help.
P.S. - The reason for not switching to alloys (which look great) is purely financial. My running is pretty less each month and want to keep it economical.

Thanks