No performance differences for the most part, unless you plan on running lightweight forged alloys.

Steelies win every time. They are more durable and cheaper to replace. The main thing is corrosion resistance, alloys will eventually corrode, oxidize, and leak. Nothing wrong with cheap alloys though. More often than not, used sets of OEM alloys will be cheaper than a new set of steelies.

 

If you run steelies in salt-belt areas, be sure take some time each spring to wirebrush or sand off any surface rust, prime and paint. It will help them last a lot longer.

 

A kinda basic question....

I have a neighbor that has driven his OB on his daily rural mail route (paved and dirt roads) for the last 6 or 7 years running the stock alloy wheels. In central Maine, we use lots of salt on our roads.

His alloy wheels are a bit dull but seem to have held up well to this abuse. I have seen other steel wheels that were driven under not-as-harsh conditions that were in poor condition due to rusting.

Based on what I've seen here locally, I decided to purchase alloy wheels for my winter tire setup.

 

I've had multiple sets of winter tire packages from Tire Rack for 4 vehicles over the past 15 years. One set was steel, and were nothing but an eyesore. If you take reasonable care of even cheap alloy wheels, they will outlast your car and look great over the long haul. I wash and wax them each season. It takes me maybe 45 minutes per year to keep them looking like new.

 

Alloy wheels are, in general, significantly lighter. Though both steelies and alloys vary somewhat by exact make and model and there may be a little overlap.


That has performance advantages and disadvantages.


- By traditional measures, lighter wheels = better handling and better gas mileage.


- But, specific to winter, a heavier wheel adds unsprung weight. Adding a few pounds of unsprung weight, in terms of traction, may be the equivalent of many times more sprung weight (above the suspension). And it adds to winter traction in the same way that putting sandbags in a light vehicle does.


And built into that is how it's built. Many alloy wheels are designed to be light. And they are stiff and brittle. So in winter's potholes, they tend to crack easier, and any corrosion can accelerate that. And steel, well, they usually make them with plenty of material, and it'll bend well before cracking. That said, yes, they make stronger, more substantial alloys too, they just tend to be on the heavier side of the alloy spectrum, and are often marketed towards off road or rally and things like that. Just looking at how much material is there can tell you quite a bit.


Alloys will discolor but rust is far less of an issue than it is on steel wheels. It's just that it takes a lot more rust to actually harm a steel.

 

...But, specific to winter, a heavier wheel adds unsprung weight. Adding a few pounds of unsprung weight, in terms of traction, may be the equivalent of many times more sprung weight (above the suspension). And it adds to winter traction in the same way that putting sandbags in a light vehicle does...

While it is true that adding some extra weight in snowy conditions might help with traction in certain conditions, that same added weight in bumps, turns, or grades can can result in less traction.

Most vehicles have a suspension (read shocks/springs) that is generally "tuned" to react best within a specified weight range.

Adding unsprung weight (ie steel wheels to a vehicle engineered to be fitted with lighter weight alloy wheels) may cause suspension travel to react slower resulting in a loss of road contact.

 

Steel wheels are tougher and cheaper, and that durability may be most useful just after the snow is gone. Think spring- when the road is still full of nasty potholes.

I happen to have my snow tires on a second set of factory alloy wheels and it's not the end of the world- but I'd love it if I could find steel wheels that fit.