Choosing the Right Truck Wheels
Steel, Cast Alloy, or Forged Alloy wheels – the choices are few, but getting the right set for your vehicle could prove a bit more complicated if you don´t know the difference.
Whether you´re aiming for some lightweight wheels that offer maximum shine, or going for a more heavy duty option to handle that off–road workload, it pays to know what type of wheel will best suit your needs.
| |
Steel Wheels |
Forged Wheels |
Cast Wheels |
| Material |
Heavy duty steel |
Aluminum Alloy |
Aluminum Alloy |
| Process |
Stamped construction provides better durability and a more consistent composition |
Extreme heat and pressure are applied to create dense, durable wheels |
Low-pressure casting allows better metal malleability and flexibility |
| Durability |
Heavier and meatier steel provides excellent durability and a consistent composition |
Aluminum alloy is densely melded with heat and pressure for tough and durable wheels |
Rust-resistant for a long-lasting shine, but can't take a beating in off-road conditions |
| Performance |
Tough and heavy duty wheels that can withstand extensive punishment |
A strong, reliable set of wheels that are also lightweight, versatile, and stylish |
Lightweight composition makes them a perfect choice for speed-tuned vehicles |
Cost |
Inexpensive to manufacture, and therefore, the most cost-efficient for consumers |
Forged wheels are the premium package, and appropriately carry a relatively premium price tag. |
Come in a wide price range depending on style, size, and brand. |
Steel Wheels
Although slightly heavier than alloy wheels, steel wheels employ solid construction and heavy-duty materials to reap certain benefits. The stamped construction of steel truck wheels provides better durability and a more consistent composition that you can’t get out of cast and machined alloys. The end result is that steel wheels are typically more uniform, and therefore, less prone to wobbling. Additionally, steel truck wheels boast excellent longevity, as they are less porous and more resistant to corrosion from dirt, sand, or brake depletion.
Advantages of Steel Wheels
- Heavy Duty Durability -
While slightly heavier than alloy wheels, steel wheels are also more durable. Additionally, steel is more malleable than aluminum, preventing chipping or breakage due to impact.
- Consistent Composition -
The stamped construction of steel wheels helps them to be more uniform and symmetrical, increasing structural integrity and reducing the likelihood of wobbling.
- Longevity -
Steel truck wheels are less porous than aluminum wheels, allowing better resistance against dirt, sand, and brake depletion.
Rock Crawler Xtreme Steel Wheels
The Pro Comp Rock Crawler truck wheels are renowned for heavy-duty construction for consistent performance and durable, off-road toughness. Offering quality construction and availability in a number of stylish designs you would hardly believe that many of these wheels are priced significantly lower than most other wheels with the same features. Experience for yourself why Pro Comp Rock Crawlers are our most popular truck wheels.
American Racing Wheels
Featuring wheels of all designs, sizes, and colors, American Racing’s line of steel truck wheels immaculately fuse style with performance and durability. From the white Wagon Wheel model, to the black Renegade design, to Tail Gunner chromes, American Racing wheels employ supreme construction and slick architecture to create wheels at prices that anyone can appreciate.
Forged Alloy Wheels
The ultimate in alloy wheels, aluminum forging utilizes heat and extreme pressure to create dense and strong wheels that are durable, yet still remain lightweight. Although forged aluminum wheels are slightly more expensive than other wheels, this is because no expense is spared with regard to tooling, development, equipment, and manufacturing, and the results show in the quality of these truck wheels. For maximum durability and the utmost reliability in an alloy wheel, forged aluminum wheels have no equal.
Advantages of Forged Alloy Wheels
- Extreme Heat Forgery -
Forged alloy wheels are subjected to extreme heat during the construction process, allowing the aluminum compounds to meld, creating dense and durable wheels.
- Lightweight -
Advanced aluminum alloy compounds are lighter than steel wheels, which is less of a detriment to a vehicle’s drivetrain and overall performance.
- Excellent Value -
In general, forged alloy wheels tend to be slightly more expensive than their cast aluminum counterparts; however, in terms of durability, weight, performance, design, and overall quality, forged alloy wheels are the best overall value, giving you the most bang for your buck.
Pro Comp Forged Alloy Wheels
Choose from chrome or polished wheels from Pro Comp, one of the industry’s leading manufacturers of high quality, high performance wheels. The advanced forged aluminum also affords the privilege of thinner spokes, more detail, and more options for wheel design, while also remaining lightweight and sturdy. Unique in conception, unrivaled in execution, and sleek in design, these alloy truck wheels are constantly the target of turning heads and jealous stares.
Weld Racing Wheels
Incredible chrome and polish styles that can’t be found anywhere else: that’s what you get with Weld Racing truck wheels. Featuring a vast array of sizes to choose from in all of the latest styles, these truck wheels employ sturdy circumferential and spoke construction to create some of the most durable wheels on the market that will get you noticed time and again.
American Racing Wheels
Chrome, polished, and even Teflon constructions headline American Racing’s series of forged truck wheels. Revolutionary technology graces each of these sublimely designed wheels, as wicked spoke designs, and a variety of metal shades comprise one of the best lines of truck wheels on the market. For durability and quality you can trust, American racing’s premier line of forged alloy wheels is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
Cast Alloy Wheels
Through high technology and metallurgic artistry, cast-molded alloy wheels are a reliable option that provides many performance benefits for on and off road drivers. Using aluminum compounds combined with low-pressure casting, the end result is truck wheels that are lightweight and durable. The porous metal compound of cast alloy wheels helps to dissipate heat during excessive brake application, and also provides a rust-resistant, easy-to-clean shine.
Advantages of Cast Alloy Wheels
- Low-Pressure Casting -
Cast alloy wheels employ low-pressure casting techniques for increased malleability. This allows alloys to be more flexible, therefore granting manufacturers a certain level of metallurgic creativity.
- Porous Metal Compound -
The aluminum alloy of cast wheels is more porous, which allows better airflow through the wheels to help cool down heated brakes.
- Rust-Resistant Shine -
Cast aluminum alloy wheels are rust-resistant, easy to clean, and produce a consistent, long-lasting shine.
Pro Comp Xtreme Alloy Wheels
Count on Pro Comp Xtreme Alloy tires to provide the latest, eye-catching styles in lightweight wheels for today’s performance trucks and SUVs. Using state of the art low pressure casting for unsurpassed wheel strength, and advanced alloy composition for lightweight, temperature-efficient performance, Pro Comp’s multiple styles of chrome and polish wheels at affordable prices are tough to beat.
Mickey Thompson Wheels
Mickey Thompson’s complete line of aluminum wheels bear highly distinctive styling, mirror-like finish, and unheard of durability. Advanced rotary casting technology goes into each truck wheel, resulting in an attention-getting look that offers high load ratings and a classic feel. Some bolt patterns are model specific to ensure perfect and easy fitment, and a multitude of designs are available.
Dick Cepek Wheels
For polished aluminum truck wheels with an off-road look and feel, look no further than Dick Cepek wheels. Utilizing the same care, quality, and performance that Dick Cepek is known to offer, their entire line of wheels is built for maximum caliper clearance for today’s modern trucks and SUVs. Dick Cepek truck wheels come in a number of bolt patterns and styles.
Diamo Wheels
Featuring some of the hottest new designs for custom truck wheels in the industry today, Diamo wheels are a high quality option that offer wicked spoke design, sturdy reliability, and affordability. With cast-constructed wheels ranging from polished chrome, to machined silver, and machined black, Diamo’s line of custom truck wheels is progressively emerging as a contender in the industry.
Helo Wheels
Helo is a name synonymous with style in truck wheels. Offering custom, street-oriented wheels tailored for stock, lifted, or lowered trucks, the massive selection of the hottest designs has something for everyone. With so many slick designs and colors available, it’ll almost make you overlook the high-tech construction and overall performance that make these some of the most dependable truck wheels on the market.
Moto Metal Wheels
Moto Metal truck wheels are all about style, and it certainly shows in their true street designs that are perfect for today’s trucks and SUVs. Available in polished chrome or a striking black finish, proper offsets are available within a massive selection of styles and finishes to help your truck make a statement with its wheels. One look at Moto Metal wheels is all you need to see what makes them great.
XD Series Wheels
Custom designed for the lifted truck and SUV/market, the rugged designs of XD Series cast aluminum wheels provide the ultimate style statement on or off the road. With chrome and black painted designs unlike any other and supreme construction for the utmost performance in any situation, XD Series wheels are sure to cause invoke a large following of jealous onlookers.
American Racing Wheels
Combining yesterday’s classic styles with the modern, practical designs of today, American Racing offer high quality truck wheels as functional as they are trendy. With a vast selection of cast aluminum wheels, built tough for durability and high load ratings, American Racing delivers performance you can trust, clean and unique designs, and prices that make purchasing wheels easy.
KMC Wheels
For sparkling polish and outrageous style unattainable by most competitors, KMC truck wheels offer some of the hottest wheels available on the market, and it shows in their unmistakably hip designs. With a wide variety of wheel sizes and styles to suit your truck needs for the perfect style statement, there is simply no substitute for KMC truck wheels.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Wheels
From American Racing wheels -- the manufacturer known as a frontrunner in the truck wheel industry -- comes Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s excusive line of cast truck wheels. Designed with the spirit of a racer and built with off-road toughness, the line of cast aluminum wheels embodies incredible performance and race-inspired designs to create a final product worthy of attaching Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s name.
Dropstar Wheels
For that custom “DUB” look, Dropstar wheels are the ultimate in lowered vehicle style, offering some of the best-looking, most audacious wheel designs for low-riding trucks or other vehicles. Available in a variety of sizes and a gleaming chrome polish, Dropstar delivers on high quality cast aluminum wheels that are built to last and pleasing to the eyes.
TiS Wheels
As the progenitors of the industry’s first true 30” wheel, Twenty Inches Strong knows a thing or two about crafting slick-looking, high quality wheels, 20” and larger. Sturdy cast construction combines with advanced engineering to create massive metals that are reliable, stable, and efficient. With innovative styles and revolutionary construction, Twenty Inches Strong truck wheels are quickly expanding upon their reputation as an industry leader in chrome wheels.
Ice Metal Wheels
Mixing the dynamic flair of flashy street rims with the rugged toughness needed to handle off-road situations, Ice Metal truck wheels offer versatility, dependability, and style that competitors can only dream to attain. High quality cast aluminum, revolutionary engineering, and excessively retentive attention to detail goes into all Ice Metal wheels.
Motto Wheels
The hottest new chrome wheels in awe-inspiring new designs, exclusively from Motto truck wheels. Featuring cast aluminum wheels available in a number of sizes and styles, Motto’s focus on high quality truck wheels in stylish designs can be seen in every wheel in Motto’s exclusive line of sparkling chromes. Motto spares no expense to ensure that cutting edge technology and peerless construction has gone into every inch of metal.