Dealer says steel rims not strong enough?

I'm getting quotes for snow tires, and the dealership is telling me that I can't go with steel rims as the 2010 Prius' are too heavy, and I need to remount the snow tires on the factory aluminum rims as they are stronger. Because of the weight, they say the steel rims are not safe. I've searched for over an hour and can't find any mention of this anywhere else on the forums, and I've see plenty of discussion about people using steel rims on their Prius'. Is there any truth to this?

I don't know whether that's true or not, but you could ask the dealer specifically what authority they are using to support their claim. It should be more than just "because we said so."

The BS meter is running to the right on this story.

I have a Chevy van that's at least 1,000 pounds heavier than a loaded Prius. The el-cheapo steels wheels on that haven't collapsed on me in the 16 years I've driven it.

Think about it another way. Each steel wheel only has to support 800 pounds, at most.

Alloy wheels are popular because they are strong "enough", they look good, and they are lighter. Not because they are "stronger".

Your dealers knowledge must be poor...
16 inch silver painted steel wheels are available as an accesory.

I autocross a big heavy v6 mark4 Jetta on steel rims...

You would *never* imagine what a salesperson told me at my dealership when I asked the same question. The guy told me that steel rims are not allowed on Prius because it is a hybrid and the alloy rims serve for electrical insulation!!! :jaw:
And he offered me the original alloy rims for $800 *each* - so $3200 for *four* original alloy rims (not including the tires)!

I just stared in total disbelief and hanged the phone, saying nothing more. Called another dealer and got four original alloy rims with Nokian WR tires installed for $800 (although the rims were not brand new but slightly used - I didn't mind for that price ). He also added original (but slightly used) Prius all-weather mats for just $25 .

Sounds like a snow job from your dealer just trying to bilk you out of a practical solution. Save some time and money and get a mounted set from TireRack or someone else who actually knows what they're talking about. Steel rims (various design and strength considerations) have been used on cars weighing 6000 lbs and more for many more years than alloy. Alloys are generally better in weight-to-strength, but steel is perfectly acceptable. BTW, have you looked at your compact spare -- it's steel. Maybe the dealer can tell you "it was never intended to be used because it's not strong enough".

I can never get over that Toyota allows their dealerships to lie, cheat and steal the way they do. Seems like corporate reputation isn't a priority to Toyota anymore, and we all already know the car dealer/service stereotype that your dealer seems to be trying to live up to. Hopefully, this is a relatively isolated case since I've seen a number of posts here on PC from dealers/service depts that are concerned about their reputation.

Steel wheels are a lot stronger the most alloy wheels. That's the reason why most people use steel wheels in winter. If you hit a curb, there is less likely that your steel wheel will get structurally damaged.

But steel wheels are a lot heavier then alloy wheels. I don't know if it's out of spec for the Prius design? But it will eat up your mpg for sure.

The dealer in peterborough ontario sell Toyota steel rims for the Prius for $70 each
Tell you parts he is full of shit , and send an email to the owner and tell him why you will never go back there!!!!!

+1
Its a snow job for sure. Evey other vehicle I ever owned had steels. Sheez.

The only issue I have with my steels is that since they are multi-fit, they do not set perfectly on the hubs, thus making them lug-centric instead of hub-centric like the OEMs. Someone mentioned that might cause more wear and tear on the wheel bearings. But I got no conformation on that. Sides, I figure I will not be running these rims for more than a 1/3 of the year if that.

My GF's motorhome has steel rims....weight loaded with fuel, propane and water = 14,700 lbs.

Also, most Class 8 trucks use steel rims....up to 80,000 lbs GVWR without a permit.

The issue is not strength it is weight. Alloys weigh significantly less than a comparable steel rim. On a Prius the extra weight of the steel rims will reduce fuel economy slightly.

TFM,

So taking the extra weight into consideration, aside from the degradation in ride/handling and MPGs, are there any other negative side effects? Lord knows I've run steelies on many other cars during winter time with out any problems. But, as we all know, the Prius is a horse of a different color.

Hmm, I weighed my steels on a scale and they were 19lbs (w/o tire). That is 4lbs over the OEM alloys I believe. That doesn't seem like it would make much of a difference. And hasn't for me since putting them on. I have seem maybe a .5 to 1 mpg difference (same route/weather).

Putting design issues aside:

Alloy wheels are stronger pound for pound. You can have a steel wheel that is stronger then an alloy wheel and vice versa depending on the weight and the design. Allow wheels tend to have prettier designs which often are compromises on wheel strength while steel wheels tend to be a very basic sturdy design. I would tend to opt personally for alloys but I also check the weight and compare before I buy.

What alloy? :madgrin:

Seriously, the dealer's original statement is BS. The strength of the wheel is a function of the design, which includes factors besides the material it is made of (i.e. the designer will take the material properties into account when designing the wheel). A properly designed steel wheel can be just as strong as an alloy wheel. I cannot imagine that a company as conservative as Toyota would design a wheel out of any material that would not be capable of supporting a Prius if it fits properly.

With the shear volume of people who take their stock 15s, then upgrade t0 17s, I would think it would be SIMPLE to find a set to permanently mount to - and fairly cheap at that......... Try Ebay or Craigslist.com

The guy is confused. It's the depleted uranium rims that are
too heavy, not steel...
.
_H*

I would imagine changing to heavier rims and adding snow tires would drop your milage much more than .5 to 1mpg. You might want to sample more tanks.