Aluminum wheels?

[spotaneagle]

the only reason one rim is better than another is because it is already mounted and balanced, usually costing 25$ i cant see dropping 100-150$ to change out wheels not being cost effective at all unless the alum rims are spaced out further, have also read that certain rim patterns can give you aerodynamic help, but, still not worth it to spend more than 10$ on anything like this especially since the steel rims are obviously lighter! did you know that aluminum rims are very thick? and steel ones are thin, the volume is so great on alloys that they are usually heavier.... heavier rim to me, means my car sticks to the road, in the game of minute balances..., plus steel rims tend to bend easily wheras alloys get chunks taken out of them, so alloys for longevity...

[theholycow]

It's common knowledge that aluminum rims are lighter; that common knowledge may be wrong. Aluminum rims have more volume of material but aluminum is less dense, so it's possible for them to be lighter. The question is, are they?

I went to tirerack.com but didn't find any steelies to compare...

[theclencher]

Some are and some aren't. Only "weigh" to know is to weigh them or have the specs.

Factory alum wheels for my car are lighter than factory steelies.

Aftermarket alum wheels on my truck are heavier than factory alums.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Yup, I have one of those rims nekkid, I'd guesstimate it at about 15lb, whereas a 14" steelie is typically 19-25lb ish, aftermarket rims are real hard to find in the sub 17ish pound range unless you pay $$$ and then they look like spindly breakable things. Factory lightweights should be able to take pounding a curb once in a while.

Saturn and GM factory alloys always seem to be on the light side.