How do steel wheels hold up

Hello I am planning on getting a sr5 aclb 4x4 i4 which comes with the steel wheels.

[image from google]


my question is has anyone noticed a change in the appearance of them (rust, staining, etc)? Because if they will not look good after time especially with salted roads I might just get the alloys.

 

Get the alloys if you can. They will rust in salty road climates.

 

The alloys will corrode too. Either will last if you take care of them... wash, wax, etc.

 

As stated, either will if not properly taken care of. With that said, I see these all the time for sale here (rust belt) from 5-10 years old and they might have a small bit of surface rust, but still look pretty darn good. So Im going to go out on a limb here and say they should hold up well.
I have the alloys that came with my Sport, but was thinking of picking up a set of those steels used and throw Blizzaks on them to make a dedicated winter set.
This might not be a popular opinion, but I think they look good for a steel wheel. Solid no nonsense design IMO.

 

The sr5 tacoma steel wheel is the best around! I would have and have had no issues with them long term.

 

This is the correct answer. Either is going to hold up as well as you take care of them.

 

When you say a little surface rust do you mean something like if you are close to it like filling a tire you will see it but if you are walking past it you will not?

 

Does takin' em through the car wash count as takin' care of em'? That's all I do. If'n they git messed up, I'll have a good argument for some new Pro Comps or Centerlines with the wife.

: )B

 

You can always get them power coated.

 

similar to his question would it be enough to wash it with the car (I normally wash my car when it starts to look dirty) or would I want to raise them with a hose in between washes

 

Just look online at used sr5 tacomas 1gens same wheel with 300k miles.

 

Haha, well, I guess it would depend how hard youre looking.

My generic answer is going to be somewhere in between.

 

Black cosmoline them lol

 

Sounds like all you care about is what other people will see and think. If it is the rust that bothers YOU and not what others will see and think, you will notice every little bit. If money is tight get the steel. You can always pick up near new oem alloys off Craigslist or Marketplace down the road if you don't like how they look over time.

 

The wheels are one of the few things I do care about how I feel about them and how others feel about them. Having them all rusty will bother me and it will make the truck look bad


That is a good idea to get the steels then if I don’t like it I can get a different set of wheels.

 

I have stock alloys and they look good for 6yrs in snow belt. I wash regularly and wax yearly, they are wheels close to the dirt. I hate rust I’d stay away from steel unless your committed to them

 

Rustoleum when they need it and you’re good.

 

In the right conditions steel wheels can rust if ignored, alloys will look like hammered dog shit if ignored. They dont rust, but you will get chalky oxides on them. Back when I spent a lot of time on the beach my Jeep steel wheels held up great, later aftermarket took a lot of time to get back to new looking.

 

Welcome to the forum

Just like most other things in life, what you put in you get back out.

If you take good care of your wheels either steel or aluminum they will look nice for a long time, if you don't they wont.
Regular wash and wax will get you a long way.

I personally feel steel wheels are easier to care for, if they get shabby looking you can easily repaint them at home over a weekend for little money and effort.

Rust can form on the back side of the steel wheel where the face meets the rim from salt & dirt sitting there. Starting out with nice clean wheels take an hour and put a heavy coat of wax on the entire back side of the wheel especially in that area, repeat every fall.

 

So they are throwing in the truck if you buy the wheels? I would ask them to put the wheels on the truck so you could test drive them. LOL