How Are Your Aluminum Rims Holding Up?

[Camera Hunter]

I just bought my 2007 Tacoma Prerunner TRD Off Road that came with the OEM aluminum rims. I'm looking into getting steel wheels and snow tires (I live in the Chicago area), although just out of curiosity, if you keep your aluminum rims on all year round in snowy and salty conditions, how have they held up? Any tried and true methods of minimizing corrosion and damage due to harsh winters?

Thanks

[thunder_pkg]

I used my last Tacoma alloy rims winter and summer. They were pitted up pretty good after 3-4 winters.
Just bought steelies and winter tires for my 08 TRD. Extra money, but will be worth it in the long run.
Big note: if you have tire pressure sensors in your alloy rims, make sure you get the proper ones for the steelies. The valve-neck angle may be quite different. I learned the hard way and ended up with 4 busted sensors.

[Camera Hunter]

Thanks thunder_pkg. Where did you get your wheels and tires and how much did they end up costing? I'll end up needing P265/70-16s, although I may go with 245s based on other advice I've received. Again, thanks for the response.

[thunder_pkg]

I got mine locally at GCR Tire, and they supplied me with the Toyota rims. I'm running P265/70-17 Blizzak W965's on my TRD Dbl Cab. The steelies plus tires worked out to $1100 plus tax.
I should mention that I ran 2 sets of Blizzaks for over 50,000 miles on my '96 Tacoma, and never once did they let me down, no matter what the ice & snow. We get plenty here in NS! So, I bought Blizzaks again.

[Camera Hunter]

I had to check Google Maps to see where Truro is in Nova Scotia. I can imagine you get quite a bit of interesting weather there in NS. We get some unusual weather here in the Chicago area as well, so I definitely want to prepare now. Stay warm!

[blazze2005]

I have The 17" Aluminum Sport wheel on my 2005 Trd Sport Tacoma and 2 of my rims are showing signs of cancer behind the coating. They are starting to bubble under the coating in small areas.

Other then that I love them and they are easy to keep clean. If you buy aftermarket chrome wheels make sure you keep up on polishing them or they will really get bad and be hard to clean.

[Streaks]

Our winters here in Pa have been mild the last couple yrs.
Despite the fact they toss down 20 million lbs of salt @ the drop of a snowflake, my wheels are just fine. No real signs of cancer.
But, I clean them at least once a week.

[Camera Hunter]

Originally Posted by Streaks

Our winters here in Pa have been mild the last couple yrs.
Despite the fact they toss down 20 million lbs of salt @ the drop of a snowflake, my wheels are just fine. No real signs of cancer.
But, I clean them at least once a week.

I appreciate all the responses. Streaks, when you say you clean them once a week, do you just hose them off with water, or do you do more?

[05Moose]

Hey Camera Hunter, be aware there was a thread somewhere here a month ago about the wheel pitting problem. From what I saw on that thread, only those with the wheels that come on the TRD are having pitting problems. Those of us without the TRD have different wheels and haven't observed any problems (I live in snow country too, and 100+ degree summer temps). So, pay more attention to responses from those with a TRD regarding pitting wheels.

[Camera Hunter]

Thanks Moose--I'll do that

[Splicer]

Originally Posted by 05Moose

only those with the wheels that come on the TRD are having pitting problems. Those of us without the TRD have different wheels and haven't observed any problems. So, pay more attention to responses from those with a TRD regarding pitting wheels.

Unless things have changed, we have TRD Off Road (16", also optional on SR-5), and TRD Sport (17"). Which TRD wheels are you referring to?

[Streaks]

Originally Posted by Camera Hunter

I appreciate all the responses. Streaks, when you say you clean them once a week, do you just hose them off with water, or do you do more?

Just a dish soap usually, nothing to harsh. I use a "dobe" pad ( non-abrasive scrunge-type thingy) and a toothbrush. Gets all that brake dust off.
I also rotate the tires a little more than usual and when their off....I clean the insides.

A far as the type of wheels.....I was under the understanding that even the non-TRD (Pre-Runners and SR-5's) all had Aluminum wheels.
It is only the base models that have the "Steelies"...am I wrong??

[Splicer]

I use car wash soap (milder than dish soap & won't remove wax -- same as I use to wash the truck) and a wash mitt, with a toothbrush for the nooks & crannies. And yeah, unless I'm in a big hurry, I clean the insides of the wheels when I rotate...

IIRC from when we bought our '05, SR5 was the base model, with 16" steelies standard and 16" aluminums optional. Might have been a regional thing, too.... Toyota seems to do that with option packages...

[05Moose]

Yeah, we all have aluminum wheels but if you look at the design of the TRD wheels, they're different than the Non-TRD wheels. The ones I've seen on the TRDs are more polished and do have a different design. Mine are more like the flat aluminum rather than polished. I've attached pics of both.

[Splicer]

05Moose, the pic on the left is a TRD Sport 17" wheel; on the right is a 16" wheel that comes with the TRD Off Road package...

Thanks for posting those to help clear up any misunderstanding.