Thanks for the short video. My experience is that many who say that they drive steel rims because they are easier to repair in terms of bush mechanics, have never been in such a situation themselves and have not really looked into the subject in depth. This also applies to many other - let's just call them "myths" in the offroad and overlanding area. And of course, as you said, an aluminum rim can also be repaired in principle. If it is badly damaged, not so easy, but it can be done and I have also slightly straightened an aluminum rim in the past with simple tools during a motorsport event. And there are also aluminum rims on the market that are much more stable than the standard steel rims. Just take a look in the rally / motorsport area. It is, by the way, very unlikely to destroy a rim in a touring vehicle. So, you can discuss this topic philosophically of course, maybe something for long campfire evenings, and modify your rig on and on with rims and whatever, but you can also just pack your rig and go on a great trip with it as it is.
Enjoy these short subjects you present. I’ve have always used the stock wheels on our vehicles, I know they will fit and are ratted for the GVW for the vehicle.After market wheels can look better than stock but come with some problems at times.
Hi Emilie I have repaired a steel rim but on a van It was very heavy loaded and due to the great roads in England it went into a pothole op-ed the tyre bead and flattened the steel rime it was knocked back with a lump hammer {1kg} and a chisel the tyre was still good so aired up and 🤩👍🏻 Safe travels in the 🇺🇸
Steel rims, and yes I have straightened one on the side of a track with a 2kg hammer. Takes some effort but when you are stuck in the middle of Australia you have plenty of time. Just like to add steel bull bars for the same reason, alloy will brake it you try to straighten it and every remote property will have welding gear for steel.
As well, it depends where you go. Alloys (disregarding they are high or low pressure casted) can be straightened and tig welded. Still rims depending on their strength can be worked with chisel like of tool, an ad-hoc hammer, heat and lots of elbow grease. If I would go overlanding I would take 2 spares as many overlanders do.
Let me tell you a story…. Many years ago I was travelling through Provence, I happen to notice a lovely young lady, as I was looking at her I drive straight into a kerb and REALLY damaged my alloy rim 😂 And no, i wasn’t in Boo!!!! I managed to get it to a French local garage and the mechanic straightened it with a hammer and a piece of wood, so it CAN be done on an alloy as well 😇 Kind regards Tony
I prefer my steel rims (Dotz Dakar) because of a single reason: I can access and/or exchange both drive member and half shaft without removing the wheel. Simple as that. I don't think there are alloy rims for the Defender that allow this very practical access.
If you're traveling in a resourcefull country, it doesn't matter. You can get new rims easily enough. But if you're planing on going to less developed places, steel rims are more recommended. Even though you're not gonna fix a bent rim yourself, a basic shop with basic tools will be able to put that rim back on the road. Buying a new rim can be done in some places, but that only applies if the alloy rim you have, is the same size as the 16 inch factory issued ones. That's because the fixation pattern is very specify to the defender, and it doesn't share that pattern with many other vehicles. Here in Brazil (most South America too), you're only gonna find the original 16 inch ones. Other than that, you're screwed. Being able to repair your rim (even in shops) is a good feature.
I have broken 2 steel rims. Never broken an alloy rim. I have been offroading for 48 years. When I started out it was split rims verses steel one piece rims. The split rims were crap.just saying things and technology changes.
Pues las Cooper M/T, las tengo montada en llantas de acero. Las Bridgestone M/S en llantas de aleación. Las cambio según la salida que haga. Well, the Cooper M/T, I have them mounted on steel wheels. The Bridgestone M/S on alloy wheels. I change them depending on the outing I do.
Well, if I'm going to go out off road, I choose the Copper. For example, I go to a Natural Park, even if I have to travel on an asphalt road to get there, I ride the Mud Terrain. Soon I'm going to take a trip to the south of France, all by road, a tourist trip, so I'll put the M/S , the Bridgestone on. The latter have less consumption and better grip on asphalt. To change them I have an electric car jack, and an impact screwdriver/screwdriver, to speed up the wheel change, and make it easier and more comfortable.
I’ve heard the argument that an alloy wheel will shatter, where as a steel wheel will just bend. Well, if you ever hit an alloy wheel hard enough to shatter it, that the least of your problems. Because an impact force of that magnitude will have launched your front diff three time zones away, your engine will be in orbit… and you’ll probably be dead. 😂
Blindo alloys as developed for and used by British Army for their Defenders do me with MT tyres. If you damage either steel or alloy I have to question your driving skill &/or style.
Not on my landy but i have straitened steel rims with a hammer and a few tools. Not perfect but still rolling. When i went to the tire shop, they told me they can Only fix alloy rims and not steel. Personally i dont believe it and i think its a ploy to get me to buy alloys. I have seen alloys fixed with poor welding and body filler. Hidden sins with paint. Extremally dangerous practice.
That’s indeed dangerous and also kinda weird a garage doesn’t straighten up steel rims when most people say you can only do that on steel and not alloy! How did you damage your steel rim?
@@offtrackfamilyAgreed. I hit a pothole. Did not see it. Slight crested rise and a dark night with street lights out. bent front badly and a dent to the rear on drivers side (Right). Loving these short videos. Covering plenty things and quickly. Open to discussion. Its awesome
Thanks for the short video. My experience is that many who say that they drive steel rims because they are easier to repair in terms of bush mechanics, have never been in such a situation themselves and have not really looked into the subject in depth. This also applies to many other - let's just call them "myths" in the offroad and overlanding area. And of course, as you said, an aluminum rim can also be repaired in principle. If it is badly damaged, not so easy, but it can be done and I have also slightly straightened an aluminum rim in the past with simple tools during a motorsport event. And there are also aluminum rims on the market that are much more stable than the standard steel rims. Just take a look in the rally / motorsport area. It is, by the way, very unlikely to destroy a rim in a touring vehicle. So, you can discuss this topic philosophically of course, maybe something for long campfire evenings, and modify your rig on and on with rims and whatever, but you can also just pack your rig and go on a great trip with it as it is.
Enjoy these short subjects you present. I’ve have always used the stock wheels on our vehicles, I know they will fit and are ratted for the GVW for the vehicle.After market wheels can look better than stock but come with some problems at times.
Happy you enjoy and thanks for sharing your point of view too
Hi Emilie I have repaired a steel rim but on a van
It was very heavy loaded and due to the great roads in England it went into a pothole op-ed the tyre bead and flattened the steel rime it was knocked back with a lump hammer {1kg} and a chisel the tyre was still good so aired up and 🤩👍🏻 Safe travels in the 🇺🇸
How difficult was it to repair it by yourself?
Steel rims, and yes I have straightened one on the side of a track with a 2kg hammer. Takes some effort but when you are stuck in the middle of Australia you have plenty of time. Just like to add steel bull bars for the same reason, alloy will brake it you try to straighten it and every remote property will have welding gear for steel.
Thanks for sharing this 👍🏼
As well, it depends where you go. Alloys (disregarding they are high or low pressure casted) can be straightened and tig welded. Still rims depending on their strength can be worked with chisel like of tool, an ad-hoc hammer, heat and lots of elbow grease. If I would go overlanding I would take 2 spares as many overlanders do.
Not sure yet what we will go with as we need to test this new tire setup over the next months
Are the stock rims 6.5j?
Let me tell you a story….
Many years ago I was travelling through Provence, I happen to notice a lovely young lady, as I was looking at her I drive straight into a kerb and REALLY damaged my alloy rim 😂
And no, i wasn’t in Boo!!!!
I managed to get it to a French local garage and the mechanic straightened it with a hammer and a piece of wood, so it CAN be done on an alloy as well 😇
Kind regards
Tony
😂 she must have noticed you then 😜
Don’t know. I’ve never had that issue. But being old school I would carry a tube along with the spare.
👍🏼
I prefer my steel rims (Dotz Dakar) because of a single reason: I can access and/or exchange both drive member and half shaft without removing the wheel. Simple as that. I don't think there are alloy rims for the Defender that allow this very practical access.
If you're traveling in a resourcefull country, it doesn't matter. You can get new rims easily enough. But if you're planing on going to less developed places, steel rims are more recommended. Even though you're not gonna fix a bent rim yourself, a basic shop with basic tools will be able to put that rim back on the road. Buying a new rim can be done in some places, but that only applies if the alloy rim you have, is the same size as the 16 inch factory issued ones. That's because the fixation pattern is very specify to the defender, and it doesn't share that pattern with many other vehicles. Here in Brazil (most South America too), you're only gonna find the original 16 inch ones. Other than that, you're screwed. Being able to repair your rim (even in shops) is a good feature.
Yes I also feel depending where you travel some parts are easier to replace and some other parts might be easier to repair but complicated to replace
Biggest difference is failure mode. Steel is more likely to bend rather than crack and alloy is more likely to crack rather than bend.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages 👍🏼
Can't see you going so extreme as to bend a rim. I've done a lot off roading over the last 14 years; never bent a rim. I'll stick with my alloys !
Agree with that but bad things can happen even if not going extreme
I have broken 2 steel rims. Never broken an alloy rim. I have been offroading for 48 years. When I started out it was split rims verses steel one piece rims. The split rims were crap.just saying things and technology changes.
It does change over the years and thanks for sharing your experience
Pues las Cooper M/T, las tengo montada en llantas de acero. Las Bridgestone M/S en llantas de aleación. Las cambio según la salida que haga.
Well, the Cooper M/T, I have them mounted on steel wheels. The Bridgestone M/S on alloy wheels. I change them depending on the outing I do.
Which one you choose for what kind of outing?
Well, if I'm going to go out off road, I choose the Copper. For example, I go to a Natural Park, even if I have to travel on an asphalt road to get there, I ride the Mud Terrain. Soon I'm going to take a trip to the south of France, all by road, a tourist trip, so I'll put the M/S , the Bridgestone on. The latter have less consumption and better grip on asphalt. To change them I have an electric car jack, and an impact screwdriver/screwdriver, to speed up the wheel change, and make it easier and more comfortable.
Thanks for sharing that 👍🏼
Steel rims. Not the nicest but the strongest
👍🏼
I’ve heard the argument that an alloy wheel will shatter, where as a steel wheel will just bend.
Well, if you ever hit an alloy wheel hard enough to shatter it, that the least of your problems. Because an impact force of that magnitude will have launched your front diff three time zones away, your engine will be in orbit… and you’ll probably be dead. 😂
😄 absolutely! It's what i think too
Must say it has happened here may timed in city environment. Nothing else has been broken.
Alloy rims. I bent a steel rim and tried to straighten it out; virtually impossible! If you are going to the States, getting a new rim is easy enough.
Also think depending where we are, replacing shouldn’t be much of a hassle
100% steel rims..............
👍🏼
Blindo alloys as developed for and used by British Army for their Defenders do me with MT tyres. If you damage either steel or alloy I have to question your driving skill &/or style.
Will see how our rims (steel or alloy, not sure yet which ones are best for the adventure) handle a full year of travelling
Not on my landy but i have straitened steel rims with a hammer and a few tools. Not perfect but still rolling. When i went to the tire shop, they told me they can Only fix alloy rims and not steel. Personally i dont believe it and i think its a ploy to get me to buy alloys. I have seen alloys fixed with poor welding and body filler. Hidden sins with paint. Extremally dangerous practice.
That’s indeed dangerous and also kinda weird a garage doesn’t straighten up steel rims when most people say you can only do that on steel and not alloy! How did you damage your steel rim?
@@offtrackfamilyAgreed. I hit a pothole. Did not see it. Slight crested rise and a dark night with street lights out. bent front badly and a dent to the rear on drivers side (Right).
Loving these short videos. Covering plenty things and quickly. Open to discussion. Its awesome
100% steel rims………
👍🏼