Hooniverse Asks Bonus: Are Steel Wheels Dead?

Kamil Kaluski

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Comments

G500 steelies

Few years ago I came upon the above G500 for sale on an Internet forum. It was love at first sight – someone had the balls, the knowledge, the audacity, and the respect to put a proper set of steel wheels and all-terrain tires on the mighty, but often dub+ wearing, USDM Geländewagen.

The selling price was reasonable too, only $40,000 at the time, and the truck was rather mint. I was ready to pull the trigger on it too, but I was about thirty grand short.

Anyway, after dealing with the aftermath of my wife’s off-road adventures, I started looking around for steel replacement wheels for my MDX. They’re much stronger, cheaper, and can be fixed with a big hammer if they get bent. Try that with your lightweight aluminum/magnesium/carbon-fiber/uranium wheels.

To my surprise, I found none. The after-market winter wheels were 16″ and I have brand new 17″ tires. Wheels off the base Honda Ridgeline would fit, but they are one-inch narrower, and I don’t really want to go that way. The second gen MDX does have a full-size steel wheel used as spare, but the bolt pattern is different.

So, are the days of strong and affordable steel wheel over? Are they really that uncool?

 

About

Kamil Kaluski

Kamil Kaluski

East Coast Editor. Races crappy cars and has an unhealthy obsession with Eastern Bloc cars. Current fleet: 4Runner, Integra, Regal, Lada

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62 responses to “Hooniverse Asks Bonus: Are Steel Wheels Dead?”

  1. Maxichamp Avatar
    Maxichamp

    I like them. I saw a set on a new white Camaro and it looked great.

    Reply
    1. Stu_Rock Avatar
      Stu_Rock

      I also like those "heritage steel wheels" (as GM calls them). Unfortunately they won't fit the V8 cars because of clearance issues with the bigger brakes.

      Reply
  2. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    Depends on the vehicle. They're still standard on many full size pickups and I wouldn't go with anything else.

    Reply
  3. dculberson Avatar
    dculberson

    The base model (or maybe the rental trim) of the current gen Chrysler 300 still comes with steel wheels with plastic hubcaps. That really surprised me.
    That G500 looks really tough. I love it.

    Reply
  4. calzonegolem Avatar
    calzonegolem

    I love steelies. My current car is the only one I've owned with alloys.

    Reply
  5. Devin Avatar
    Devin

    I think they're ripe for a comeback:
    <img src="http://www.redline360.com/garage/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013-Subaru-BRZ-RA.jpg"&gt;
    Incidentally, I've got steelies myself, albeit with some plastic wheel covers.

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Comeback? Yes, I'd agree based on what I've seen.
      <img src="http://www.cars101.com/subaru/impreza/wrx11wheel3.JPG"&gt;

      Reply
      1. buzzboy7 Avatar
        buzzboy7

        That looks surprisingly good. Stormtrooper with steelies hmmm…

        Reply
  6. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    Some new hubcaps cover the steel wheels so well, they look like alloys. Ford has been good about that.
    Steel wheels are heavy and have an effect on MPGs. When manufacturers are trying to eek out that last tenth, they'll reduce the rotational mass. Just wait for the plastic wheel…
    <img src="http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/3189/4921/32972460005_large.jpg&quot; width="450">
    Sure looks like a hubcap, huh?

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      The real rotational inefficiency is not so much the steel construction of the wheel itself, but the addition of the obligatory dog dish hubcap and chrome trim ring.
      <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2082/2217237303_627d2d1d46.jpg"&gt;
      compared to:
      <img src="http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu202/killersvtcobra/JEEPWHEELS003.jpg&quot; width="500">

      Reply
      1. P161911 Avatar
        P161911

        In general steel wheels are lighter than alloys, until you get to the super-lightweight aftermarket alloys.

        Reply
      2. dukeisduke Avatar
        dukeisduke

        Vega FTW!

        Reply
    2. pj134 Avatar
      pj134

      I was always impressed with the Aura XE steel wheels.
      <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/2007-Saturn-Aura-XE.JPG&quot; width=500>

      Reply
  7. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    Since every NSX seems to have non-stock wheels, I thought for sure there would be one with steelies. No such luck.
    Though that BRZ ^^^ looks hella sweet on steel wheels.

    Reply
  8. oldcarjunkie Avatar
    oldcarjunkie

    I think the huge wheel sizes we have today make a difference. Take a 13" wheel vs 13" aluminum one – weight difference isn't too bad. Ramp that up 19" and the weight difference is significant. Hard to find any new cars with smaller than 15" rims these days.

    Reply
    1. Stu_Rock Avatar
      Stu_Rock

      This is the correct answer.
      My Buick comes with 17 in wheels, and I ended up with an extra tire from the previous owner. After several months of hunting, I found the rare 17 in steel wheel that shares the car's bolt pattern (used on GM minivans one model year only), so I put the two together for a full-size spare. Holy moly, that thing is heavy. It's 53 lb–about 10 lb heavier than the car's regular wheel/tire assemblies.

      Reply
    2. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      Goes with what you say: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/effects-of-u…

      Reply
  9. M44Power Avatar
    M44Power

    Plenty of steelies left in the off road world. Cragar makes some very attractive steel wheels that I've been tempted (at least until I saw the weight) to put on my ZJ.

    Reply
  10. BradleyBrownell Avatar
    BradleyBrownell

    My last few cars have been on steel wheels. Currently, though, I don't own a single set.

    Reply
  11. BYoung Avatar
    BYoung

    I miss them as well. As "all season" tires are a compromise in all seasons in Michigan I've grown accustomed to having two set of tires for each vehicle with the winter snows mounted on steelies. 24 tires/wheels. The Mustang GT ('88) has the 4-lug rotors, further narrowing my options. Steel wheels look perfect on almost any car sporting aggressive winter tires and are an awesome option for many sport coupes if you want the street racer look. You can still find them in Europe. Of course, you can still find 15" tires in Europe as well, including snows. I blame American auto designers/makers for assuming that every buyer wants 22" chromies and 1/2" sidewalls. We don't.

    Reply
  12. $EX¥ HAMMER Avatar
    $EX¥ HAMMER

    cars are using larger and larger brakes that necessitate larger diameter wheels and they get heavy fast when they're steel. could you imagine 20" steelies?
    since they're only steel, why don't you find a set in the diameter and width you like and see about having them redrilled to your bolt pattern?

    Reply
    1. Kamil_K Avatar
      Kamil_K

      Another issue is the cost of the OEM spares for the new MDX… they want over $200 for each one, so that's completly out.

      Reply
      1. Eywolf Avatar
        Eywolf

        "Wheels off the base Honda Ridgeline would fit, but they are one-inch narrower, and I don’t really want to go that way."
        Have you tried looking into a shop to widen the wheels by an inch?
        It's a common thing to do with steel wheels for the wide 44-46" snow tyres for 4×4's here in Iceland if you don't want to shell out for the expensive custom wide ones…

        Reply
    2. tiberiusẅisë Avatar
      tiberiusẅisë

      I just found out the hard way that the doughnut spare for my Ford Edge is aluminum. Who knew?

      Reply
      1. danleym Avatar
        danleym

        Your use of "the hard way" is somewhat ironic.

        Reply
        1. tiberiusẅisë Avatar
          tiberiusẅisë

          I'd like to say "I got a million of them" but it would be more accurate to say "I walk right into them a million times."

          Reply
  13. SSurfer321 Avatar
    SSurfer321

    Subie is and always has been on steelies.
    F150 was on stock alloy but now on forged aluminium.
    Check Black Rock steel wheels. They have fitments for some Acura. http://www.blackrockwheelsapplicationguide.com/Ap…

    Reply
  14. Preludacris Avatar
    Preludacris

    Kamil, you should check into some companies that make steelies for racing. They'll build to your spec for around $100 per wheel. http://www.diamondracingwheels.com/index.html

    Reply
  15. Vavon Avatar
    Vavon

    <img src="http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/120523/135r1/2711e4j_20.jpeg&quot; width="650/">
    As long as these exist, the steel wheel has nothing to fear!

    Reply
  16. Wolfie Avatar
    Wolfie

    I used chrome wheels and baby moons on a bunch of cruisers over the years,still a good look on the right car.

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      http://hooniverse.info/2012/07/31/hooniverse-asks-…

      Reply
      1. Wolfie Avatar
        Wolfie

        I love the Hooniverse.
        I found a set of original full "Moon discs" In an old scrap yard bought cheap ,because""they got no holes for valve stems".
        Back in my youth,would paint the steelies silver,tap on a set of trim rings and baby moons and ride in style.

        Reply
  17. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    Steel wheels are alive and well. Some consumers may not even know that their car has them… http://www.hayes-lemmerz.com/steel_wheels.php http://www.sae.org/automag/material/01-2006/1-114…

    Reply
  18. CABEZAGRANDE Avatar
    CABEZAGRANDE

    Nah, steelies will live on. Basically every base model still comes with them from the factory, and the police departments love them because their cheap, strong, and can run over a curb with just a bend instead of a break so a pursuit can continue. the combination of strength and ductility in response to high impact while remaining cheap really isn't matched by any other material, so until we find a material that has those properties at a lighter weight, I think steelies will endure.
    And what pattern is your MDX on? I'm sure you could find some full size spare steelies from something else that would be about the right size. Or like Preludacris said, Diamond makes high quality custom spec steelies for a very affordable price.

    Reply
    1. CABEZAGRANDE Avatar
      CABEZAGRANDE

      *they're.
      Damn I wish this filter would let me have an ID account.

      Reply
      1. Kamil_K Avatar
        Kamil_K

        Go to: http://www.intensedebate.com/userDash
        Create account, log in, and make sure that your browser remembers that you're logged in.
        Go to Hooniverse, refresh, and it should automatically sign you in.
        Just think of all the +1 you have been missing.

        Reply
        1. CABEZAGRANDE Avatar
          CABEZAGRANDE

          Work filter bounces me if logged into ID, doesn't if I just come in as a guest. My life is like a fart 🙁

          Reply
  19. mnm4ever Avatar
    mnm4ever

    It is not the steel wheels that are uncool… its the MDX. For proper off-roaders you will find steelies a plenty. My personal favorites are the simple 10-hole steelies you see often on Wranglers. Your problem will be finding steel wheels that big, most of the off road wheels are 15".

    Reply
  20. Stu_Rock Avatar
    Stu_Rock

    I'm also in the pro-steel camp. Even for a nice specimen of an older car, I'd rather get a set of Cragar Soft-8 or D-window steelies than the ubiquitous and rather inoffensive Torq-Thrusts.
    I also favor them on new cars; if I were to buy a new car, I'd buy one of the fancy packages that forces alloy wheels in order to get heated seats and memory mirrors, but then I'd sell the alloys on Craigslist to fund a set of the base steelies and better tires.
    The catch is that many new cars have wheel diameters that are impractical for steelies because they would be too heavy (as Oldcarjunkie mentioned above).

    Reply
  21. Jordan Avatar
    Jordan

    Heck I threw a set of 2011 Camaro Steels on my Galaxie (1966) Convertible. I think they look awesome and they were Super CHEAP.
    <img src="http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n549/jrdnwheeler/IMG_1212.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
    1. Tim Odell Avatar
      Tim Odell

      Dude…that's awesome. Didn't know the new Camaros were 5 on 4.5…

      Reply
      1. CABEZAGRANDE Avatar
        CABEZAGRANDE

        They aren't. All the Zeta cars are on a 5×120 pattern (which is just different enough than the old 5×4.75 (120.65) pattern to cause issues).
        Jordan, where'd you get them re-patterned? They look pretty great on there 🙂

        Reply
  22. I Think Not Avatar
    I Think Not

    When I went to replace the tires on my 1980 Rabbit, I was dishearted by how hard it was to find cheap 13" tires. 15" is the new base wheel size, apparently, so no manufacturer makes 13" tires in the volumes they usedter, hence the $50/tire cost.
    So, instead of prolonging the misery, I bought a 15×6 steelie+tire package on the interwebs. The steelies weren't a perfect fit, as I needed a 5mm spacer for the tire to not rub on the springs (back) and struts (front), and my gas mileage did noticably drop. Still — I welcome the added grip, and with about 1" of lowering, I think they look quite mean, though they could use some trim rings, for sure.
    <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Nx3rpy7gFk8/UPNUpU29aLI/AAAAAAAADKY/UFmBSHANhpI/s640/P1133280.JPG"&gt;

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Yea, that's kind of a cool look.
      Okay, very cool.

      Reply
  23. jeepjeff Avatar
    jeepjeff

    As others have mentioned, steelies are alive and well in the off-roading aftermarket. A quick google says that the stock rim size is 17"x6.5" with a 45mm backspacing. You've got the same 5×4.5" bolt pattern as my Jeep, so I know there are 17" steelies out there in that bolt pattern. The backspacing and and width might be a problem (I expect anything less than 8" is going to be difficult to find, since Jeep guys are normally putting a minimum of LT35x12.5 tires on those rims). However, the backspacing on Jeep wheels is going to generally be deeper than 45mm, so you can fix it with spacers (but: there is a long standing debate on JeepForum as to whether those are safe or not).
    That said, I'm still running the stock alloys that came with my Jeep.

    Reply
  24. KaZo86 Avatar
    KaZo86

    Steel wheels aren't going anywhere but they're certainly a price conscious feature, not one of performance of any kind.
    My daily driver '84 Mercedes 300TD sports factory aluminum (forged, i think, based on the design) 14" wheels. 13 lbs a piece, i've never seen a lighter factory wheel on anything, period. In my previous Mercedes, an '83 300D, I drunkenly took a curb at 15 or so mph. Popped the tire, bent the suspension control rod, but the wheel was fine.

    Reply
    1. Guest Avatar
      Guest

      In 1993 special edition Miatas had a sub 10 pound 14" alloy wheel.

      Reply
  25. pj134 Avatar
    pj134

    Note sure what bolt pattern and size you're looking for, but Cragars come in a 17×8 or 17×9 depending on bolt pattern.
    http://www.cragarwheel.com/images/medialibrary/7C… http://www.cragarwheel.com/products16-21/CragarSe…
    http://www.cragarwheel.com/images/medialibrary/D9… http://www.cragarwheel.com/products16-28/CragarSe…

    Reply
  26. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    My 2011 Silverado came with silver painted 17" steel wheels. The truck is black, I've debated taking a can of black spray paint to the wheels.

    Reply
  27. Tim Odell Avatar
    Tim Odell

    On cars from the factory? Probably, on all but the lowest of low spec subcompacts.
    …and the base Camaro, with 17s. I was elated at the idea of a steelie + 6MT equipped base Camaro until I finally sat in one.
    Trucks and (real) SUVs are still sporting them in some cases.
    Aftermarket for 4x4s is huge with steel wheels, as well as older cars.

    Reply
    1. Stu_Rock Avatar
      Stu_Rock

      The one exception I can think of:
      <img src="http://carimages1.everycarlisted.com/images/dodge-charger-oak-ridge-tn_YPA-62692_70037_1.jpg&quot; width=480>

      Reply
  28. Battles Avatar
    Battles

    I can't think of a car on the road that's not improved by adding black steels.
    <img src="http://www.passatclassic.de/beetle/bugx6.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/olipirate/ab45f444cde811e18c261231381b537e_7.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/subaru-targa-pickup-5362251_l_3955251a40441212.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://www.m2bmw.com/alex/slut2.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p87/mocco7/iphonejuly005.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt305/classiccarshots/UPO69/IMG_1503.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu222/chamba1977/Retro%20Rides/ww2558446568_4wwe6ec71451www_b.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/8205/image072vj4.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r279/hak074/57_vette_racer_3.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
  29. LTDScott Avatar
    LTDScott

    Maybe they're dead from the factory, but the stance/Euro crowd is eating them up. Diamond Racing is probably selling more of their steelies for import applications than they are for actual race cars now.
    <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTAyMxMePyRzfW43jZ7lULIQqE1Vgtse1rq0PAu1f-1yESC518Fvw&quot; width=700>
    <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/macleanshaun/jurnle/3.jpg&quot; width=700>

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      In my Tn autox days, there were 3 guys running VWs- 2 MK1 Sciroccos and a Rabbit GTi. All had steam roller wheels from Diamond. Looked pretty badass. And kicked the crap out my me and me little ROStyle wheeled MGB.

      Reply
  30. MattC Avatar
    MattC

    I have steelies on my Base Rav4. One thing I absolutely despise is wheel covers especially ones that try to look like alloys. However, I will gice credit to GM and Ford that have made proper cowheel covers over their respective steel wheels that match perfectly (wheel skins).
    I also do not like the flat black most manufacturers use. I bought my Rav4 used and decided to lose the factory wheel covers. I then prepped them and sprayed wheel specific paint (aluminum in color) and it made a world of difference in appearance. Now all I need to do is find a proper center cap to fit.

    Reply
  31. ChironRocket3 Avatar
    ChironRocket3

    <img src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/539225_4903813385863_1888588146_n.jpg"width="600"&gt;
    I like black steelies (and raised white letter tires, which BF Goodrich has never made in a diameter greater than 15") that I downgraded to smaller brakes in the front so they'd fit. (Come on…it's a Malibu. A Malibu WAGON. I ain't gonna be trail-braking Turn 14 at Road America with it anytime soon.)

    Reply
    1. ChironRocket3 Avatar
      ChironRocket3

      *I like black steelies (and raised white letter tires, which BF blah blah blah) SO MUCH that i*
      There, fixed it.

      Reply
  32. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    I've got a pic (like a real photo) of my old A4 with the steelies and autx tires. I'll see if I can dig it up and post it tomorrow.
    It looked pretty damn good.

    Reply
  33. Ol'Shel' Avatar
    Ol'Shel'

    Ti would give you the look of steel, with the cost of JDM-only alloys…

    Reply
  34. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    Every year come October/November, the roads start to fill with cars rocking steelies and snow tires. If nothing else, steelies scream "I have common sense!" I dig it.
    <img src="http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p203/rae1975/164B16AA-F3DD-46ED-9FFA-961E8D4C805D-8885-000004CC3A7D76F2.jpg&quot; width=500 /img>
    But I genuinely like the steelies Honda used on the last-gen CRV. I don't know if it was a factory wheel on anything else (although I've seen enough cars on them in the winter), but it's not bad looking. Distressingly, I know a dealer that'll chrome the things to try and move inventory. It just looks wrong, considering how simple and honest the standard steelie is.

    Reply
  35. Lotte Avatar
    Lotte

    I came across these two photos a while back:
    <img src="http://www.challengertalk.com/forums/attachments/f79/53940d1346214289-18-charger-police-wheels-img_0466.jpg&quot; width="500/">
    <img src="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa125/kevdupuis/IMG_0041.jpg&quot; width="500/">
    I think these look fantastic! Same ones on the Charger Stu-Rock posted above. Especially with the trim rings (and I have no idea where they were got because Mopar sure doesn't make 'em). And I learned that the center cap goes on with a whack of a rubber mallet; it is seated on special lipped lug nuts. I really dig steel wheels with a shiny chrome center cap.

    Reply
  36. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    Cragar Wheels at Summit. Search over.

    Reply