Don't worry they're steel wheels! This is the 1st car in 40 odd years I've had with steel wheels, and on getting it, I thought that would be the first mod I would do, get a set of alloys. However, steel wheels are a revelation! I don't worry at all about 'kerbing' an alloy, and spend fortunes keeping them pristine. They have maintained 100% air pressure now in over 3 months, with alloys I was always pottering around keeping the darn things topped up. The reason I painted them was that despite buying very expensive black wheel trims (they were £16 for 4!), I could see rusty bit of wheel through the slots.

Some smooth black Hammerite took care of the wheels, and I now confess, I love the 'basic' look so much I'm now reticent to put the trims back on. A far cry from when I forked out £1500 for a set of 18" Oz SuperTurismos for my GT4!

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

Don't worry they're steel wheels! This is the 1st car in 40 odd years I've had with steel wheels, and on getting it, I thought that would be the first mod I would do, get a set of alloys. However, steel wheels are a revelation! I don't worry at all about 'kerbing' an alloy, and spend fortunes keeping them pristine. They have maintained 100% air pressure now in over 3 months, with alloys I was always pottering around keeping the darn things topped up. The reason I painted them was that despite buying very expensive black wheel trims (they were £16 for 4!), I could see rusty bit of wheel through the slots.

Some smooth black Hammerite took care of the wheels, and I now confess, I love the 'basic' look so much I'm now reticent to put the trims back on. A far cry from when I forked out £1500 for a set of 18" Oz SuperTurismos for my GT4!

There a lot of good points to having steel wheels 🙂

4 hours ago, StephenFord said:

Don't worry they're steel wheels! This is the 1st car in 40 odd years I've had with steel wheels, and on getting it, I thought that would be the first mod I would do, get a set of alloys. However, steel wheels are a revelation! I don't worry at all about 'kerbing' an alloy, and spend fortunes keeping them pristine. They have maintained 100% air pressure now in over 3 months, with alloys I was always pottering around keeping the darn things topped up. The reason I painted them was that despite buying very expensive black wheel trims (they were £16 for 4!), I could see rusty bit of wheel through the slots.

Some smooth black Hammerite took care of the wheels, and I now confess, I love the 'basic' look so much I'm now reticent to put the trims back on. A far cry from when I forked out £1500 for a set of 18" Oz SuperTurismos for my GT4!

Nice mate!  I'm always kerbing my alloys.  I should take more time when i park but I just can't be bothered 😄  What makes them hold their pressure better?

Nice!  Paint is something I've never been able to do, just haven't got the dexterity for a smooth & even coat despite trying a few wheels and minor parts over the years!

If you're leaving the trims off you should paint that rusty hub centre though!

 

I was told (though take it with a pinch of salt!), by an alloy specialist is that the alloy in most wheels is porous so air naturally escapes, in addition to having very low profile tires, so that every pot hole momentarily allows a gasp of air to go! Steel wheels are just air tight!

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

If you're leaving the trims off you should paint that rusty hub centre though!

 

You are absolutely correct! LOL Though I had no intention of leaving trims off hence I masked up the center and wheel nuts, wish I hadn't bothered as that was time consuming. Hammerite is very forgiving, I'm no painter, honestly...

I've been using hammerite for 35-40yrs and as you say it is very forgiving and excellent stuff for these kind of jobs.

I am a steel wheels fan also. Have steel wheels on my 2015 Fiesta Style Econetic Diesel(standard on Style model) The Econetic Diesels had a spare wheel as standard and on the 'Style' model  it is identical to the wheels on the car. About the only car where you got a spare without paying extra that matches the other 4 wheels.

On my previous 2007 Fiesta zetec when the original tyres wore out I changed the 15 inch Zetec alloys for 14 inch steels with taller narrower tyres on. 

Alloys do look nicer but in every other respect it is all negative

 

Is this an April fools joke, it's been posted Monday April 1st. Good one though 👍

28 minutes ago, wilto said:

Is this an April fools joke, it's been posted Monday April 1st. Good one though 👍

Yes, but it was posted after mid-day, so all OK LOL Minor update, thanks to Toms observation, I went back and painted the centre hubs as well as the wheel nuts just to tidy it up. And to be extra anal, I have now ordered 4 x plain black wheel centres (56mm) as it appears to be a standard 'alloy wheel' size! Will post an 'update' photo when all done. Was chatting to my neighbour yesterday who like me is a petrol head, and it took him back to the 70s when he got some wide steel banded wheels made for his Escort, he loved my wheels!

(For our younger viewers, banding a wheel was a process of slicing the steel wheel in half on the circumference, welding a band of steel in, hence creating a 'wider' wheel which years ago was not commercially available - it was before the internet was invented LOL)

Hi, did the 56mm centres fit? I’ve my winter steelies in a gunmetal finish and have been searching for a centre cap for ages! 

1 hour ago, GJKent said:

Hi, did the 56mm centres fit? I’ve my winter steelies in a gunmetal finish and have been searching for a centre cap for ages! 

Sadly, no, they didn't fit. They looked as if they would, but the aperture is simply a different profile to that of an 'alloy' wheel, and the center cap wouldn't even push on at all. Last week, I gave in, and replaced my original set of £16 wheel trims. They do look much better though as the newly painted wheels beneath give them a whole new appearance!

 

Have you considered a set of centre hub stickers at all? I've just got a few for the Focus, but I run ST220 18's so the caps aren't exactly common to find something different for. Changed the colour and picked up these for mine.. Not everyones taste but more for the comic appeal ^_^

 

2 minutes ago, WireyWhenWet said:

Have you considered a set of centre hub stickers at all? I've just got a few for the Focus, but I run ST220 18's so the caps aren't exactly common to find something different for. Changed the colour and picked up these for mine.. Not everyones taste but more for the comic appeal ^_^

 

Stickers wouldn't work on a steel wheel as there is nothing for it to stick to, just a 56mm hole. I really though the 'caps' would have been a good solution, but hey, I think alot of things that don't actually work out LOL

Ahhh sorry, I misread and thought you'd wanted the trims to have something on them- my bad!

Have you thought about making or adapting them somehow? Stick some jam jar lids together etc.. lol!

In all fairness I'm sure a project like that would make an interesting guide for here, I don't think I've come across anyone who has attempted it yet so might be something for the slower evenings to play with? 🙂