Why Are Alloy Wheels More Expensive Than Steel Wheels?

When comparing the prices of alloy wheels and steel wheels you might be sticker shocked. That's reasonable. Today, we are going to explain the reasons why alloy wheels are more expensive than steel wheels. 

To get to the core of why there is a price difference lets look at what each wheel is made out of. Alloy wheels are made of an aluminum alloy; whereas, steel wheels are made of steel. This greatly affects production costs because aluminum alloys are much more expensive than steel.

Steel Wheels

Steel wheels are made from rolled and stamped pieces of steel welded together.  Alloy wheels, on the other hand, are produced using much difference techniques.

Wheel Casting 

Cast alloy wheels are made by pouring molten aluminum into a wheel mold. Once cooled down, the wheel is treated with a particular finish or coating. This process produces a single piece high quality wheel with good durability. Cast wheels are highly common in both the OEM and aftermarket industry. They are the least expensive type of alloy wheel. 

Wheel Forging

Forged wheels come from a single piece of forged aluminum. The aluminum is precut into a cylindrical shape and is then milled by a CNC machine. The CNC machines mills the forged wheels with precision unheard of by any other method. This makes forged wheels much stronger than cast wheels and allows for larger sizes. Forged wheels are the most expensive type of alloy wheel because of the time required to make each wheel. 

Now that you know why alloy wheels are more expensive, don't forget to take care of them. Please read our article on how to properly clean your wheels.