Alloy wheels

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02 Nov 2012 21:15 - 28 Jun 2014 20:48 #1 by dandjcr
dandjcr created the topic: Alloy wheels
Forum Home > On the Road > Alloy wheels

from Paul Scherek:
Hi all,
I know some of you have alloy wheels - are you happy with them? Did you notice much difference in the ride quality or handling after the change to much less unsprung weight?
Alloy wheels in the past have seemed to be more about cosmetics than strength. The light weight should be a huge benefit, but is there a trade-off? Are the wheels strong enough to accept heavy off-road use?
Thanks,
Paul
September 12, 2011

from Hal Harvey:
No problems with mine and zero tyre problems in the four years I've had them too, which is very much unlike the years previous - trying to run 19.5s at genuine off-road pressures that they were never designed for I reckon cost me a lot of tyres. My ride is marginally better on-road and significantly cushier off-road with reduced pressures (typically 45-50psi on bitumen, 30-35 on corrugations and 15-20 on soft sand).
Also to reiterate, you probably won't get alloy wheels that have a rated load-carrying ability to match the rear end of an OKA. These are probably best for people who are consistently under GVM, not for vehicles that are consistently overweight.
September 12, 2011

from Paul Scherek:
Thanks Hal, That sounds pretty promising, four years is a good start. I still can't help feeling a bit nervous though, bashing alloys around out in the middle of nowhere.
It might depend anyway on what my Oka weighs when the camper is finished.
Cheers, Paul
September 12, 2011

from Tony Lee:
Something to be said for being able to get out the hammer and bash rims back into shape. Probably a bit old-fashioned given that we don't have tubes.
September 13, 2011

from Peter & Sandra James Oka 374:
Tony we've done over 7,000 kms on our new wheels and tyres over every road condition imaginable, from highway to deep sand, rocky roads and good dirt and they have performed faultlessly. The rim info is in the other thread but they are 16x8 Eagle alloys rated at 1550kg per rim.
I'm running 315/75R16 Hankook Dynapro ATM's which while they are borderline carrying capacity wise for the Oka are performing well.
I can actually lift them off the ground!
September 13, 2011

from Paul Scherek:
Hi Peter, Are your wheels the Eagle 058s?
September 13, 2011

from Peter & Sandra James Oka 374:
Yes, they are, bought from BG Wheels in Vic or Awsum wheels in NSW
September 13, 2011

from Paul Scherek:
Thanks Peter, Cheers, Paul
September 14, 2011

Peter & Sandra James Oka 374:
I forgot to add that if buying alloys that you need new wheelnuts, the cheapest I found were as per the other thread, on ebay, worked out at about $1.50 a nut.
If you can't find the other thread then give me a yell and I'll dig out the info.
I'd never go back to the steel rims, the alloys are so much lighter, give a far better ride, tyres are cheaper etc etc. If you carried two full spares inc rims they would still be several 100 kgs lighter then 5 steel wheels and tyres.
September 14, 2011

from Paul Scherek:
Hi Peter, I couldn't find the reference to the wheel nuts, so if you can find details I would be grateful. No hurry, I will finish the camper and weigh it before I decide. I will also need to weigh my wallet....... Cheers, Paul
>> Edit by Hal to save Peter searching - the post read:
I bought them from this seller on ebay. Very good description on his auctions so I could ensure I got the right ones and he answered email questions promptly, shipped straight away and I had the nuts in five days.
stores.ebay.com/EZ-Accessory?_trksid=p4340.l2563
Mr Lugnuts www.mrlugnut.com.au/ had plain black steel nuts to suit but they were too short in the body to allow a wheelbrace to be fitted as the alloy rims have a deep recess where the nuts sit. <<
September 15, 2011

from Tony Lee:
" If you carried two full spares inc rims they would still be several 100 kgs lighter then 5 steel wheels and tyres."
Has anyone got the actual weight saving between standard steel rims (not bolted rims) and equivalent alloy rims. Several hundred kg seems a bit of a stretch.
September 16, 2011

from Hal Harvey:
I also scratched my head about that a while ago, but maybe it can be if - you count six not five.
My standard 19.5" steel wheel with a well-worn 285 tyre weighed 68kg, and my fairly oversize 355 with full tread on a 16x10 alloy weighed 55kg. So difference times five is 65kg, minimum.
However Dean Howells with a solid-centred 19.5", presumably wider and wearing a 305, said his combo weighed 86kg. Replace that with a more normal-sized tyre on an alloy and you might have 50kg in the new one; and if you carried two spares that would be times six, a 216kg total difference.
Most-all people would fall somewhere in between, but I would expect closer to 100kg than 200kg.
September 16, 2011

from Dean & Kaye Howells:
Yes, that's right Hal. From memory I think I decided that 18" rims gave me a better choice of high load rated tyres, in particular the Pro Comps. Total weight on paper came out at exactly half of current per wheel, 43 Kg each. Multiply this by 6 wheels I would have a saving of 258 Kg in total of which 172 Kg was unsprung. Cost was the big issue here so I never ended going down this path.
Regardless of the above I am very happy with the Bridgestone 305/70R19.5's. They are extremely strong at 18 ply and load rating of 3150Kg. Bit of an overkill for #413 who comes in at under 5t fully loaded but allows me to safely run low pressures off road without compromising the side walls. The steel rims are19.5X7.50 - 6mm. Major overkill for me and probably better suited to a heavier vehicle but all I could get at the time I upgraded from the split rims. In theory half an inch under size for the tyres but in practice not an issue. So far I've done about 25 - 30K Km's on them and have worn about 2mm off them. Heaps still to go and they are re-groovable. Now I wonder if you can get 19.5" alloys..................?
September 16, 2011

from OKA NT Sales:
Hi Dean,
We are trialling some custom made 19.5" alloy wheels soon made for the OKA NT offset / PCD / stud pattern.
If successful I can go back to the supplier / manufacturer to see if they can do the same for the XT/ LT offset / PCD and stud pattern.
These currently weigh 13.67 kg each plus tyre, and have a load rating of 2000kg each.
Markus
September 16, 2011

from Dean & Kaye Howells:
Sounds pretty good Markus. I'll watch this space.
September 16, 2011

from James & Usha:
Seems like a number of good things going on Markus. Thanks for keeping us up to date. I look forward to hearing how all these things pan out.
September 16, 2011

from John & Laura Szkoruda:
Hi all,
we also have Eagle alloys 16x10's . Our weight saving from memory is around 40+kg/wheel & tyre. If you go back in the forums and look there is a full description of our wheels/tyres and I think the weights. We originally had 19.5 steel rims and tyres weighing in around 80kg-ish mark the alloys only weigh around the 45kg mark from memory so its a big weight difference over 5/6 tyres wheels. And I might add a lot easier on the back. We've been to Cape York, Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, Outback NSW, corrugated dirt roads, rocky roads etc and not had aproblem with the alloys, wouldnt go back to originals. We can let the tyre pressure down a lot more on the alloys for beach sand driving, than we could with the 19.5's.
Agree with Hal & Peter nothing but good things to say about the alloys.
September 17, 2011

from Paul Scherek:
That's great, thanks everyone for all the info. I will definitely go the alloy route, just need to decide on 16 x 8 or 16 x 10. I would probably favour the 8" as maybe giving a better ride on corrugations but I am not really sure about this.
September 17, 2011

from Peter & Sandra James Oka 374:
We're currently on the road in western NSW so can't give the weights of the rims and tyres but will try to do it when we get home in a month or so. 374 had 900x16 Michelins on the standard Oka split rims which are very heavy. From memory the weights that Laura gave are very close to what I measured and noted down in the shed at home.
September 18, 2011

from Ewart & Vivian Halford:
Hi everybody, I just weighed one of my standard split rims, 28kg, 255/100/16 XZL with rust band and tube weighed 44kg, total 72kg
September 18, 2011

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Last Edit: 28 Jun 2014 20:48 by Hal Harvey.

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