Dealer says steel rims not strong enough?

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by bedrock8x

It is totally BS. NASCAR only allow steel rims for the race cars. What does it tell you?

They have no fashion sense?

Tom

[CGYPrius]

I appreciate everyone's input. I did some checking around and I have three dealerships telling me that there is no Toyota steel rim available for the 2010 Prius. I called two other dealerships further away from my City, and they are selling tire and steel rim packages, and they say they are Toyota steel rims. I questioned them as to why other dealerships are saying they don't have steel rims, and they aren't able to confirm why. One dealership told me that the steel rims are from the base model of the Prius, and yes, I questioned him on what base model that was, as I didn't think there was a steel rim even on the base model. This is bizarre!

[spiderman]

Originally Posted by CGYPrius

. One dealership told me that the steel rims are from the base model of the Prius, and yes, I questioned him on what base model that was, as I didn't think there was a steel rim even on the base model. This is bizarre!

Perhaps the Prius model I has steels rims?

[Jim05]

Originally Posted by CGYPrius

I appreciate everyone's input. I did some checking around and I have three dealerships telling me that there is no Toyota steel rim available for the 2010 Prius. I called two other dealerships further away from my City, and they are selling tire and steel rim packages, and they say they are Toyota steel rims. I questioned them as to why other dealerships are saying they don't have steel rims, and they aren't able to confirm why. One dealership told me that the steel rims are from the base model of the Prius, and yes, I questioned him on what base model that was, as I didn't think there was a steel rim even on the base model. This is bizarre!

Give TireRack a try. You can put together a package for ~$600, although that won't come with sensors. You might also be able to get a decent deal at a local tire dealer. Sensors at TR are $356, and probably won't be much different at a local shop. I don't know if there are better deals out there, but I've always had good luck with TR. Only other option (not the greatest, but cheaper) would be to swap winter tires on your current wheels. HTH a bit.

[KK6PD]

Originally Posted by bedrock8x

It is totally BS. NASCAR only allow steel rims for the race cars. What does it tell you?

Nothing actually, but they dont run Hybrids either.
Nor do I ever remember a Nascar event held in a Blizzard!!!

Or PINK paint schemes!!!

What does that tell you!!!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by dogfriend

From a materials viewpoint, steel has higher Fracture toughness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia than aluminum alloy. Fracture toughness is a measure of the ability to absorb energy without causing a fracture in the material. So a steel wheel may be able to absorb more energy from a pothole than an aluminum alloy wheel. But, again, it is also a factor of the overall design of the wheel.

I'm no NASCAR fan, but perhaps this is why? Not potholes, but maybe a cast wheel would be more likely to come apart when they start playing bumper cars?

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I'm no NASCAR fan, but perhaps this is why? Not potholes, but maybe a cast wheel would be more likely to come apart when they start playing bumper cars?

I don't know their reasoning, but it would be true that an aluminum alloy wheel would be more likely to turn to shrapnel while a steel wheel might be bent but less likely to fly apart.

I would also add that fracture toughness is the reason that they don't design wheels out of concrete or glass.

[Boo]

Originally Posted by CGYPrius

I appreciate everyone's input. I did some checking around and I have three dealerships telling me that there is no Toyota steel rim available for the 2010 Prius. I called two other dealerships further away from my City, and they are selling tire and steel rim packages, and they say they are Toyota steel rims. I questioned them as to why other dealerships are saying they don't have steel rims, and they aren't able to confirm why. One dealership told me that the steel rims are from the base model of the Prius, and yes, I questioned him on what base model that was, as I didn't think there was a steel rim even on the base model. This is bizarre!

I don't know what that one dealership was talking about (maybe he doesn't know as well?).

In the US at least, no generation or model of Prius has ever had steel rims (except the donut spare). Gen I, Gen II, Gen III, base, standard, Touring Edition, option packages, no option packages -- doesn't matter, they all came with alloy wheels.

[bedrock8x]

One of the reason is when there is a flat and lost the tire, the steel rim will keep the car running to go back to the pit stop. An aluminum rim will burnt up in no time and starts a fire.

The point here is that the steel rims are strong enough for the cornering stress put on the rims running at 200+mph, so the argument that a steel rim is not strong enough for the Prius to run snow tires at highway speed is pure fiction.

Originally Posted by dogfriend

I don't know their reasoning, but it would be true that an aluminum alloy wheel would be more likely to turn to shrapnel while a steel wheel might be bent but less likely to fly apart.

I would also add that fracture toughness is the reason that they don't design wheels out of concrete or glass.

[PriusDreamer]

Steel wheels can be and are just as strong (or stronger in some instances) than aluminum. they can more easily be banged back into shape, rather than replaced, if you bend them. They are definitley heavier pound for pound to attain the same strength of aluminum rims. Let's go back to the weight issue. A four pound per wheel additional weight is equivalent to approximately forty pounds in the car. This is generally refered to as unsprung weight. That being said, other than a small mileage loss and some extra wear and tear on the brake and suspension components (due the the weight being on the wheel as opposed to in the car) there is little downside or risk to using steel wheels of the correct size and wheel offset.