Steel and alloy wheels crushed with hydraulic press: video

STEEL or alloy wheels: which are better for your 4x4?

It’s a question that has been asked many a time, around many a campfire, over many a beer. Add a few more beers and you might even try to prove that one is stronger than the other and therefore better for a 4x4 application.

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The common belief among four-wheel drivers is that while alloy or mag wheels generally look better than plain, old steel – and should be lighter, saving you small amounts of fuel and resulting in better suspension performance – they are prone to crack or break easier than a standard steel wheel rim.

Steel wheels are more likely to bend than crack when they hit a sharp bump or rock and, in some cases, a bent steel wheel can be beaten back into shape with a hammer; while alloys simply crack and become unserviceable.

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We’d hazard to guess that the guys from the Hydraulic Press Channel on YouTube had a beer in hand when they figured people would love to see what they could break, bend and blow up with their hydraulic press.

You’ll be surprised at how therapeutic watching everyday items crush, compress and comply under 20 tonnes of force can be.

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We took an interest when the lads decided to see how both steel and alloy wheels coped with the pressure. Each wheel was fitted with an inflated tyre and pressed to destruction. The results weren’t surprising, but they were entertaining.