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Old 10-23-2016, 10:49 AM   #1
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Wheels

Thinking about Alcoa wheels for my Mbs sunseeker. Any pros or cons.
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Old 10-23-2016, 10:58 AM   #2
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Lighter and look great don't do so well when you have a tire problem, and do require upkeep to keep looking good.
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Old 10-23-2016, 10:58 AM   #3
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I see many semi trucks with them, cost would likely be the "con" with a little weight savings as the "pro".

No rust to worry about, buff them shiny coat with a sealer they will look good.
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Old 10-23-2016, 07:34 PM   #4
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I plan on installing Alcoas on our GTS this coming spring when I de-winterize. Had we kept our MBS it would've had them installed on it by now.

As far as "cons" it can be difficult to locate a dealer who has them in stock. The Alcoa website lists their distributors. The one in DFW had the best inventory, and prices including shipping, when I looked.

The only other "con" is a suggestion to make sure you get some good extended valve stems for both the Alcoas and the remaining inner dual steel wheels. (I'm assuming you are only installing Alcoa's on the outer duals). I highly recommend duallyvalve.com as they have the correct size stainless steel valves for both the Alcoa and MBS wheels. I bought their valve stems for both our MBS, and GTS, to replace the FR junk valve extenders and they worked great.

I'm really looking forward to taking the "wheel simulators" off our motor home for the last time...
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Old 10-23-2016, 07:47 PM   #5
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If you like the shine of an aluminum rim then I would get them clear coated for a couple hundred dollars before they are installed. That will eliminate the oxidation that folks have referenced earlier in the thread. If you're like me, you can clean the rims yourself and buy a couple cans of clear from your local parts store or go whole hog and order it from these guys:

Touch Up Paint and accessories | AutomotiveTouchup

The can alone is worth the cost of shipping. The sprayer works better than many cheap paint guns I've used in the past. If you're a perfectionist like me you might also want to pick up some 2000 grit to knock down any orange peel that crops up from spraying.

The main benefits to switching to aluminum are:

1. ~400 lbs of extra CCC gained from removing the 100 lbs of unsprung weight from the wheels

2. slightly smoother ride

3. they're shiny...
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Old 10-23-2016, 07:54 PM   #6
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Is matching an alloy wheel next to a steel wheel in a dually position recommended?

I would think not due to the different torque specifications of the two metals.
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Old 10-23-2016, 08:30 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyGuy View Post
If you like the shine of an aluminum rim then I would get them clear coated for a couple hundred dollars before they are installed. That will eliminate the oxidation that folks have referenced earlier in the thread. If you're like me, you can clean the rims yourself and buy a couple cans of clear from your local parts store or go whole hog and order it from these guys:

Touch Up Paint and accessories | AutomotiveTouchup

The can alone is worth the cost of shipping. The sprayer works better than many cheap paint guns I've used in the past. If you're a perfectionist like me you might also want to pick up some 2000 grit to knock down any orange peel that crops up from spraying.

The main benefits to switching to aluminum are:

1. ~400 lbs of extra CCC gained from removing the 100 lbs of unsprung weight from the wheels

2. slightly smoother ride

3. they're shiny...
Im just the opposite. Clearcoating a polished aluminum wheel is asking for issues down the road (pun intended)... The coating will chip from road debris impacting the wheel, moisture gets underneath the coating and causes corrosion in the form of 'white rust'. My wheels are all uncoated and a little wax every year keeps them nice.

BTW, Alcoa offers their wheels in both polished and mill finish. Mill finish isn't bright polished but requires little, if any upkeep.
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Old 10-24-2016, 09:34 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford Idaho View Post
Is matching an alloy wheel next to a steel wheel in a dually position recommended?



I would think not due to the different torque specifications of the two metals.

Ford Idaho, I purchased a ford dually(in 2000),it has OEM aluminum wheels on just the outside rim. Not sure if this would apply to the Alcoas.


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Old 10-24-2016, 09:55 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by FricNFrac View Post
Ford Idaho, I purchased a ford dually(in 2000),it has OEM aluminum wheels on just the outside rim. Not sure if this would apply to the Alcoas.


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The issue with an aluminum outer and a steel inner is galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals. The aluminum and steel wheel will corrode together and become almost impossible to seperate, that can be an issue on the side of the road with a flat.

You can circumvent that with a wheel insulating ring (I bet your Ford has a doughnut between the inner and outer)...or, you can liberally coat the mating surfaces with never sieze but I prefer the doughnut.

I would also have the installer coat the mating surface of the steer rims / wheels with never sieze or you'll be using a sledge hammer on the rim to dismount it as it will sieze to the front brake hub. I've sledge hammered many a rim off myself.

A little bit of advance planning (doughnuts or never sieze) goes a long way towards easier dismount on the side of the road or at a tire shop.

Like I said previously, don't clearcoat an aluminum rim. It looks nice for a while until the coating gets compromised and then the rim gets real ugly.

My Ford came with clearcoated aluminum rims, I stripped them with compatible stripper (some strippers will react with aluminum and cause dulling of the polished finish), took some Mothers aluminum polish and went over them, applied wax and called it good. I wax them yearly, that is ir.

Finally, under no circumstances allow any installer to apply clamp on wheel weights to balance a tire. The Clamp on weights have a steel spring clamp that retains it. That steel spring clamp will cause galvanic corrosion between the aluminum rim and the clamp and they sometimes result in a leak between the tire sidewall (where it seats to the rim) and the rim itself.

Always use adhesive stick on wheel weights, always.
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Old 10-25-2016, 11:22 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SidecarFlip View Post
The issue with an aluminum outer and a steel inner is galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals. The aluminum and steel wheel will corrode together and become almost impossible to seperate, that can be an issue on the side of the road with a flat.



You can circumvent that with a wheel insulating ring (I bet your Ford has a doughnut between the inner and outer)...or, you can liberally coat the mating surfaces with never sieze but I prefer the doughnut.



I would also have the installer coat the mating surface of the steer rims / wheels with never sieze or you'll be using a sledge hammer on the rim to dismount it as it will sieze to the front brake hub. I've sledge hammered many a rim off myself.



A little bit of advance planning (doughnuts or never sieze) goes a long way towards easier dismount on the side of the road or at a tire shop.



Like I said previously, don't clearcoat an aluminum rim. It looks nice for a while until the coating gets compromised and then the rim gets real ugly.



My Ford came with clearcoated aluminum rims, I stripped them with compatible stripper (some strippers will react with aluminum and cause dulling of the polished finish), took some Mothers aluminum polish and went over them, applied wax and called it good. I wax them yearly, that is ir.



Finally, under no circumstances allow any installer to apply clamp on wheel weights to balance a tire. The Clamp on weights have a steel spring clamp that retains it. That steel spring clamp will cause galvanic corrosion between the aluminum rim and the clamp and they sometimes result in a leak between the tire sidewall (where it seats to the rim) and the rim itself.



Always use adhesive stick on wheel weights, always.

Good info SidecarFlip, thank you.


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