mRambo

I have a 1998 2500 with the L29 (454) and 4Wd. I bought the car new in 98 and its served as the family assault vehicle, but I was never fond of the heavy steel wheels. I heard somewhere down the line that this particular model needs steel wheels because of the torque the engine displaces. Can somebody back this up? I was looking at some OEM 2500HD wheels, alloy and steel and need to know if I still need to use the steel set, or if the aluminum alloy wheels are strong enough nowadays.

73shark

Welcome to the forum.

Might check w/ dealer that sells aluminum wheels or other suppliers like Tirerack.

SWHouston

Welcome to the Forum Rambo.


There are many inferior brands of Wheels. You should specify what vehicle you have including the engine size when you discuss the purchase. Shark was very correct in directing you to TireRack, who certainly will have several Rim choices which are right for you.




http://www.tirerack.com/tires/index....=true&index=xx

iluvchevy

When it comes to strength, there's a big debate which is stronger between the alloy and steel. But some hardcore offroaders prefer steel wheels because they can be be bent back. And for regular drivers, aluminum alloy rims are strong enough and I'm sure they are tested on a pass fail basis before they become available in the market.

mRambo

Thanks all, I appreciate the welcome. I looked at tirerack, but thats more for a conventional project. My specifics require Chevrolet or broadly GM truck wheels, when the time comes I'll have a custom set made. I'm aware of all the differences, pros and cons one set has from the other. I guess my next question is whats the limit on how big they can be in diameter (and at least for the rear ones how much wider can they be)? I plan to completely replace the awful brake system and the ones I plan to use wont fit in the stock rims. I'll size the tire accordingly to make it all run smoothly, but at some point the trans/gears will be looked at and replaced. Thanks again.

Chevrolet Customer Service

Welcome! Happy to have you on the forum. Good luck with everything!

Amber N.
Chevrolet Customer Care

SWHouston

Keep in mind that you're 4WD, ALL the tires must be the same diameter, for that, and your ABS as well. (ie: same on front and rear).
There are slight differences in our rides for some reason, but you need to decide on what Rim diameter you want to use, then the Width, then the Tire you will use. Some who really want to go big, do a Lift Kit, and when you get the fender wells up out of the way, the sky's (almost) the limit with sufficient offset.

As I recall, 1998 options were 17" & 18" but you could go larger to facilitate the new Brakes.

Another note of caution about the gears...
Remember it's x2 on the differentials if you want to change ratio.