Gjac wrote:
To me the main advantage that has not been mentioned yet is the manufacturing process and tolerance. The steel wheels are stamped in a die and may be with in .030 of an inch. The Al wheels either cast or forged are machined within .005. This makes for a wheel that is more accurate and easier to balance at high speed using less weight. Having said that, having hit a big pothole with mine it is easier to straighten a steel wheel with a hammer without cracking the wheel because the steel is more ductile that a cast Al wheel which is more likely to crack. The forged Al is stronger than cast and more ductile than cast but not as dutile as the stamped steel. The Al wheels look nicer but for me when I consider the cost vs performance benefit I would stay with the steel wheels.
Steel wheels have become rare in Class 8. They don’t pay.