Forged Wheels

[Heater]

Searching for the best rated/strongest forged wheels, not just machined, although I have heard and/or seen that some forged wheels are machined., Anyway - looking for insight into the wheels and also - has anyone changed their lugnuts from OEM to titanium, or something as strong?

Putting together the strongest setup to avoid a disaster.

Thanks.

Sponsored

 

[Ratbert]

I'm not sure I've seen many wheel-related disasters here. What disaster scenario are you envisioning?

Note the old adage about wheels: Inexpensive, Light, and Strong: pick any two.

 

[Terrymo]

I'm not sure I've seen many wheel-related disasters here. What disaster scenario are you envisioning?

Note the old adage about wheels: Inexpensive, Light, and Strong: pick any two.

Beat me to it. Anyone can google forged wheels. But I want to hear about imminent disaster and the steps that need to be taken to require forged wheels and titanium lug nuts. People here have broken axles in half without any wheel damage.

 

[Heater]

I’ve sheared off lugnuts while replacing brakes and rotating tires. Wanting the insurance of something stronger. Thanks.

 

[2nd 392]

https://Titan-7.com - T-AK2, off road, also T-AK1. . Love the wheels, true forged, light, beadgrip knurled. That said, it was a year 8 months between getting the wheels and the back ordered center caps, and when received the front didn’t fit and had to be drilled for the axle.

forged titanium lugs available but their products aren’t cheap.

 

[CorvZ061]

I’ve sheared off lugnuts while replacing brakes and rotating tires. Wanting the insurance of something stronger. Thanks.

you broke lugnuts/studs and thats the fault of the wheel?

 

[Terrymo]

@roaniecowpony can probably provide some good advice on whether there is any real benefit to titanium lug nuts other than weight savings and what the downside would be.

Edited to add his previous post on this

“ Aluminum and titanium both have characteristics that can lead to galling of the threads.

For Aluminum, either 2024 or 7075 in their respective highest hardness condition, is stronger than the cheap 6061 alloy. But 6061 is the most available and cheaper, therefore it get the nod for most machined parts where there strength requirements are vague or undefined by the manufacturer. 7075 carries its own baggage with its susceptibility to intergranular corrosion, stress corrosion, etc., making 2024, with its strength between 6061 and 7075, a more rounded choice for products exposed to the elements.

Titanium is expensive but can be a good choice where the strength of mid strength steel is needed but weight is critical. Basically, you're paying multiple times the price of steel to save a bit of weight.

Steel, in appropriate alloys and hardness, is the best functional choice for lug nuts. Titanium and aluminum offer no real life benefits, other than being "trick", for a lug nut. Save your money and use it for something else.”

 

[Terrymo]

https://Titan-7.com - T-AK2, off road, also T-AK1. . Love the wheels, true forged, light, beadgrip knurled. That said, it was a year 8 months between getting the wheels and the back ordered center caps, and when received the front didn’t fit and had to be drilled for the axle.

forged titanium lugs available but their products aren’t cheap.

I know you’re always ranting about the evils of unsprung weight so I tracked down your next purchase, These would look pretty pimp on your Jeep.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Searching for the best rated/strongest forged wheels, not just machined, although I have heard and/or seen that some forged wheels are machined., Anyway - looking for insight into the wheels and also - has anyone changed their lugnuts from OEM to titanium, or something as strong?

Putting together the strongest setup to avoid a disaster.

Thanks.

All aluminum wheels are machined, regardless of cast or forged. Otherwise they wouldn't have a tire bead, valvestem hole, lug stud holes, hub hole, and they'd be rough surface and wobble. They may not be "machined" on the spoke or face, but the surfaces that contact anything are indeed "machined".

Cast aluminum wheels are used, by OEMs, on virtually all passenger vehicles and light trucks. Forged wheels are only used by OEMs when either less weight or higher strength is needed.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I’ve sheared off lugnuts while replacing brakes and rotating tires. Wanting the insurance of something stronger. Thanks.

Did you break off the studs themselves? That would imply a seized thread or over torque. Most of the lugnuts on the market are Chinese and usually not hardened and their thread fit is loose. Most people aren't familiar with thread fit, but they have tolerances just like any machined part, which include pitch diameters, % of thread engagement and other features. Going with a maker like McGard or Gorilla will go a long way toward getting quality materials and dimensional compliance.

Aluminum and titanium lugnuts are really a poor use of those materials in all but the most extreme racing uses. Even NASCAR uses steel lugnuts on their cars and only recently did the Cup cars go to a single center nut, while Xfinity still uses steel lugs.

BTW, both aluminum and ti can be low strength, depending on alloy and heat treat.

 

[2nd 392]

I know you’re always ranting about the evils of unsprung weight so I tracked down your next purchase, These would look pretty pimp on your Jeep.

Uh huh, you’ve posted how you like them

I like them for maximum performance

 

[Sportacus]

You have FORGED snd then you have rotary forged aka “flow formed” which are a hybrid of cast and forged wheels.

A true, monoblock forged wheel is very strong, light and very expensive; well over $1k per wheel (see CCW or Forgeline or HRE), give or take. It also depends on if the forged wheels are made here in the US, Taiwan or China. The most expensive being US made of course. Theyre typically made to order. Some call them “billet” wheels, because theyre machine from a solid billet of T60161 forged aluminum. Putting something like that on a wrangler would be overkill. Theyre more appropriate for a high horsepower or race car.

my jeeps wheels are flow formed (rotary forged). They are very light and stronger than your typical cast wheel but not as strong as a real forged wheel.

i hit a curb, sideways, at about 70mph. I had 3 piece forged wheels on my car. The wheels that hit the curb bent. A cheap wheel would have broke into pieces. But those wheels were $5k+ (pre-covid pricing).

there are some companies putting out rotary forged wheels for jeeps, like what i have (Welds). Its not the strength but the light weight. My wheels are 23lbs. 17x9.5

this is my wheel, except since i bought mine they added the faux rash ring which added weight to the wheel. Theyre still lighter than most of the boat anchors people are running and for only $300 a pop…. I can HIGHLY recommend these wheels. Ive been running them for 6 years now.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

The real answer here is steel. Takes a beating, wont crack, can be straightened enough on the trail to hold air by using a hammer.

 

[wibornz]

ATX Slab Wheels are very strong and take a beating. Mine have 153,000 miles on the wheels. The bead lock rings are huge and thick. It is a heavy wheel. They are no longer available though.

 

[Terrymo]

Uh huh, you’ve posted how you like them

I like them for maximum performance

My Jeep is all black and grey and I blacked out my piggy KMC bead locks. Those lug nuts would look spicy!

Sponsored