crinklystarfish Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Is there any benefit apart from aesthetics?I buy into the argument that for high performance vehicles less rotating and unsprung mass is highly desirable, but on motorhomes?I've been thinking of buying some as my original steel ones have started to corrode from the inner faces outwards. I'm wrestling with the justification though, and may just strip and repaint the originals.Are they just an expensive luxury that make me a bigger target for thieving scum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Keats Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 A thief is attracted to displays of attractive objects. Posh additions suggest one has posh toys. My neighbour's house was entered twice cos it looked posh. His neighbour's house was tatty and untouched, within was a fortune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Dont do it unless you buy locking wheel nuts a big security fence and guard it like the crown jewls . You wont just have nocturnal endurisis from sitting drinking tea all night you will have a Mycardial Infarction ...Don't do it . Oh at the cost when they are appropriated :D another Mycardial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Crinkly's not thick and I suspect that he already knows the answer to his question. Personally, if my wheels were badly rusted I might consider just buying a new set, steel of course as alloys are purely for aesthetics.My steel wheels came with really nice plastic hubcaps, which make them look almost as pretty as alloys. I tie them on by threading those plastic tie thingies through the cooling holes in the wheels and I've never lost a hubcap yet.My private car is in the bodyshop at present for a paintwork job and one thing that's costing me few quid is refurbishing the front alloys where they've caught the kerb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Re stripping and repainting the original steel wheels, I have done it in the past by buffing off the rust and then carefully "painting" washing up liquid round the tyre, close as possible to the rim, and then spraying with a silver wheels aerosol. When dry, scrub off the overspray on the tyre with a scrubbing brush. Result, new wheel and clean tyre. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 caraprof - 2007-07-23 10:24 PMCrinkly's not thick and I suspect that he already knows the answer to his question. Personally, if my wheels were badly rusted I might consider just buying a new set, steel of course as alloys are purely for aesthetics.My steel wheels came with really nice plastic hubcaps, which make them look almost as pretty as alloys. I tie them on by threading those plastic tie thingies through the cooling holes in the wheels and I've never lost a hubcap yet.My private car is in the bodyshop at present for a paintwork job and one thing that's costing me few quid is refurbishing the front alloys where they've caught the kerb.Where YOU'VE caught the kerb !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 bob b - 2007-07-23 10:28 PM Re stripping and repainting the original steel wheels, I have done it in the past by buffing off the rust and then carefully "painting" washing up liquid round the tyre, close as possible to the rim, and then spraying with a silver wheels aerosol. When dry, scrub off the overspray on the tyre with a scrubbing brush. Result, new wheel and clean tyre. :-D If they are seriously rusted on the rims, it may be beneficial to find a local workshop that can remove the tryes and bead blast the wheels before repainting. This would help to make sure you don't get tyre pressure loss via the rims and would give a longer lasting job. Our M/H had Alloys fitted from new and if Payload is a problem, the handbook says there is a weight saving of 12kg (total for the 5) against Steel wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 bob b - 2007-07-23 10:30 PMcaraprof - 2007-07-23 10:24 PMCrinkly's not thick and I suspect that he already knows the answer to his question. Personally, if my wheels were badly rusted I might consider just buying a new set, steel of course as alloys are purely for aesthetics.My steel wheels came with really nice plastic hubcaps, which make them look almost as pretty as alloys. I tie them on by threading those plastic tie thingies through the cooling holes in the wheels and I've never lost a hubcap yet.My private car is in the bodyshop at present for a paintwork job and one thing that's costing me few quid is refurbishing the front alloys where they've caught the kerb.Where YOU'VE caught the kerb !!And on a SL 500 Merc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 flicka - 2007-07-23 11:07 PM If they are seriously rusted on the rims, it may be beneficial to find a local workshop that can remove the tryes and bead blast the wheels before repainting. This would help to make sure you don't get tyre pressure loss via the rims and would give a longer lasting job. Our M/H had Alloys fitted from new and if Payload is a problem, the handbook says there is a weight saving of 12kg (total for the 5) against Steel wheels. Payload isn't an issue and if I do refurbish I'll certainly have the tyres off and blast them. I might even powder coat them.Can anyone offer up any reason to go to alloys though, other than the shiny / pretty thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Alloy wheels are supposed to be stiffer than pressed steel ones. I guess if you drive like Lewis Hamilton you would notice the difference. I have steel wheels which I painted white (poorly) and consequently am unlikely to suffere from siezed on wheel nuts or wheel theft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 bob b - 2007-07-23 10:30 PM caraprof - 2007-07-23 10:24 PM Crinkly's not thick and I suspect that he already knows the answer to his question. Personally, if my wheels were badly rusted I might consider just buying a new set, steel of course as alloys are purely for aesthetics.My steel wheels came with really nice plastic hubcaps, which make them look almost as pretty as alloys. I tie them on by threading those plastic tie thingies through the cooling holes in the wheels and I've never lost a hubcap yet.My private car is in the bodyshop at present for a paintwork job and one thing that's costing me few quid is refurbishing the front alloys where they've caught the kerb. Where YOU'VE caught the kerb !! You shouldn't jump to conclusions old chap. My wife did it I'm afraid, and that's not a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Alloys for pozers and Boys who never grow up he he tum te tum :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 peter - 2007-07-23 11:09 PM bob b - 2007-07-23 10:30 PM caraprof - 2007-07-23 10:24 PM Crinkly's not thick and I suspect that he already knows the answer to his question. Personally, if my wheels were badly rusted I might consider just buying a new set, steel of course as alloys are purely for aesthetics.My steel wheels came with really nice plastic hubcaps, which make them look almost as pretty as alloys. I tie them on by threading those plastic tie thingies through the cooling holes in the wheels and I've never lost a hubcap yet.My private car is in the bodyshop at present for a paintwork job and one thing that's costing me few quid is refurbishing the front alloys where they've caught the kerb. Where YOU'VE caught the kerb !!And on a SL 500 Merc? OK Peter, we've had the odd run-in in the past but please, why do you have to keep behaving like a sulking child and having these sly little digs whenever you can?It's not very edifying and shows you in a very bad light. Move on please and get over it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 crinklystarfish - 2007-07-23 11:19 PM Payload isn't an issue and if I do refurbish I'll certainly have the tyres off and blast them. I might even powder coat them.Can anyone offer up any reason to go to alloys though, other than the shiny / pretty thing? I can think of one reason against, mundane though it be. If you hit an alloy wheel rim hard enough it tends to fracture, whereas steel will bend. Most alloys will distort a bit on impact, but not much, and cannot be straightened, whereas steel will distort to a slightly geater extent, but can be straightened - albeit you need a specialist to do it properly. Now think object on motorway at night, or a skid into the kerb on a slippery or icy road. A bent steel rim stands a better chance of maintaining an inflated tyre that a fractured alloy one. With 3.5 tonnes or more driving the wheel onto the obstruction, I think the chances of a fracture become even greater. The relative weight saving of alloys is small, the cost is high, and their safety, in my opinion, at least questionable. I think they are primarily bling, and serve only to advertise the probable presence of other bling within.Delicately rusted steel is far better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 caraprof - 2007-07-23 11:35 PMpeter - 2007-07-23 11:09 PM bob b - 2007-07-23 10:30 PM caraprof - 2007-07-23 10:24 PM Crinkly's not thick and I suspect that he already knows the answer to his question. Personally, if my wheels were badly rusted I might consider just buying a new set, steel of course as alloys are purely for aesthetics.My steel wheels came with really nice plastic hubcaps, which make them look almost as pretty as alloys. I tie them on by threading those plastic tie thingies through the cooling holes in the wheels and I've never lost a hubcap yet.My private car is in the bodyshop at present for a paintwork job and one thing that's costing me few quid is refurbishing the front alloys where they've caught the kerb. Where YOU'VE caught the kerb !!And on a SL 500 Merc? OK Peter, we've had the odd run-in in the past but please, why do you have to keep behaving like a sulking child and having these sly little digs whenever you can?It's not very edifying and shows you in a very bad light. Move on please and get over it! :-( What's that all about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted July 24, 2007 Author Share Posted July 24, 2007 Thanks Brian, good call. It's one that I hadn't so far factored in. The case for retaining steel is thus far ever-building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 alloy wheels, as I've recently said in my regular column, do offer some advantages in ride comfort over steel wheels for exactly the reason Steve made in his opening post, lower unsprung weight which will aid a better ride and roadholding at even moderate speeds. Because the unsprung mass is reduced the wheel can follow the surface of the road quicker. Mainly they are for pretty looks but there are advantages. Another advantage is they generally have larger gaps between the spokes which gives the brakes more air flow and will therefore minimise the chances of brake fade when descending big hills. As has already been mentioned, steel wheels do have more flex in them and this is why they regularly need repainting. The flexing cracks the paint and the moisture and brake dust get under it and rust forms. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panagah Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 because they look nice, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Hi, Michele Have you checked your Bessacarr as I thought all of the E7?? range had alloy wheels as standard, mine has ? michele - 2007-07-23 11:34 PM Alloys for pozers and Boys who never grow up he he tum te tum :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 davenewell@home - 2007-07-24 6:54 AM alloy wheels, as I've recently said in my regular column, do offer some advantages in ride comfort over steel wheels for exactly the reason Steve made in his opening post, lower unsprung weight which will aid a better ride and roadholding at even moderate speeds. Because the unsprung mass is reduced the wheel can follow the surface of the road quicker. Mainly they are for pretty looks but there are advantages. Another advantage is they generally have larger gaps between the spokes which gives the brakes more air flow and will therefore minimise the chances of brake fade when descending big hills. As has already been mentioned, steel wheels do have more flex in them and this is why they regularly need repainting. The flexing cracks the paint and the moisture and brake dust get under it and rust forms. D. Perhaps this debate isn't as clear cut as we all thought it was a couple of posts ago. Descending the Grossglockner Pass a few weeks ago I was waved down by a British motorcyclist who could smell my brakes overheating.We stopped for an hour and put the kettle on!Perhaps alloys would have helped here? It's an interesting point. And I must concede that they do look good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 I'm 100% anti alloy wheels on motorhomes and (unless a steel wheel is clearly unsuitable) I'd prefer not to have them on cars either. As far as I'm concerned, once you discount the (questionable) cosmetic 'benefit', any potential weight-saving/stiffness/brake-cooling pluses of alloy wheels for motorhomes are swamped beneath the real-world negatives that have already been mentioned. It also needs to be borne in mind that, unless an alloy wheel is in the base-vehicle manufacturer's parts catalogue, there's every chance that, just a year or two on when a large pot-hole or motorway debris smashes one (or, in my neighbour's case, two) of your pretty wheels, you won't be able to obtain an exact replacement. These things are fashion items: wheel designs rapidly change and there's no reason to assume that the makers will retain superseded designs in stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Bry Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 crinklystarfish - 2007-07-23 9:20 PM Is there any benefit apart from aesthetics?I buy into the argument that for high performance vehicles less rotating and unsprung mass is highly desirable, but on motorhomes?I've been thinking of buying some as my original steel ones have started to corrode from the inner faces outwards. I'm wrestling with the justification though, and may just strip and repaint the originals.Are they just an expensive luxury that make me a bigger target for thieving scum? Like the others that have posted before, I've only ever seen one M/Home with alloys. Looked ab fab, but that was about it.There's enough cleaning and polishing to do on the "VAN" without adding to the work load. You could get those plastic chrome ones and do what Caraprof has suggested, and tie them on with a cable tie.The other alternative is to contact companies like "Dent Master" or the like, who will come out and do the job for you. Not cheap though, I was told they asked someone for £75 per wheel.Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Derek Uzzell - 2007-07-24 9:19 AM I'm 100% anti alloy wheels on motorhomes and (unless a steel wheel is clearly unsuitable) I'd prefer not to have them on cars either. As far as I'm concerned, once you discount the (questionable) cosmetic 'benefit', any potential weight-saving/stiffness/brake-cooling pluses of alloy wheels for motorhomes are swamped beneath the real-world negatives that have already been mentioned. It also needs to be borne in mind that, unless an alloy wheel is in the base-vehicle manufacturer's parts catalogue, there's every chance that, just a year or two on when a large pot-hole or motorway debris smashes one (or, in my neighbour's case, two) of your pretty wheels, you won't be able to obtain an exact replacement. These things are fashion items: wheel designs rapidly change and there's no reason to assume that the makers will retain superseded designs in stock. Mmmmm! The Thot Plickens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Parke Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Years ago Ford fitted a steel wheel alloy lookalike to Mk 2 Cortina G.T & Lotus varients called 'Rostyle'. These had the look of alloy with the cheaper cost of steel. I do not know if they are still on the market but, perhaps, would have made a good compromise! Regards, Mike & Cherry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b6x Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 What's wrong with buying them just because you think they look good? I'm sure there's no evidence to support "alloy wheels = theft target" There's many things in this hobby that people buy because they personally want it, that could give the same impression to a would-be thief. For example: fully automatic sat TV - a nice flat screen TV and receiver? a rear garage - a couple of nice bikes or a scooter? solar panels - lots of expensive gadgets needing lots of power? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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