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Hi there. I'm new to this whole thing. I have a Jeep and obviously am looking into lifting it. I am shopping around for tires and rims. Now, I know that Aluminum are lighter and generally have better tire fitment. And, that Steel are stronger and usually the first choice for 4-Wheeling. But, does anyone know if the extreme cold has any positive or negative effects on either of these. By extreme cold I mean down to as low as -40 C (-40 F). It can get down there every once in a while for short bursts where I live. I am wondering more specifically, when the tires are aired down below 5 psi. With the tire that cold, does one material hang on to the bead better than the other?

Welcome to the forum! I don't know what effect extreme cold has on aluminum wheels. I have seen aluminum wheels break or bend when the tires are run at low pressure. At least with steel you can usually somewhat straighten them enough to get home. My preference is steel, but I'm sure the aftermarket has some pretty bulletproof aluminum beadlocks $$ these days.

It looks like the Arctic Trucks folks are using Aluminum alloy exclusively. I wonder if there is a reason....hmmm. Great Question!

http://www.arctictrucks.com/?pageid=1296&categoryid=207

The only thing I have seen cause problems over the years is chrome plated rims. I'm sure it depends on how tight the tire seats on the rim but chrome seems to be more slipery.

I prefer steel in general as well for beatability.

I run alum, just because I got them cheap.

h2 wheels were plentiful and cheap, I got something similiar

In the four wheeler world alum is what everything is unless looking for cheap by the OEM's

I have peeled back the lip of a steel rim that caught on a rock at reiter.. It was peeled back far enough to stick four fingers into the tire.. I used a mini sledge I had sitting on the floorboard to beat it back straight enough to run it until I sold the truck with the same wheel mounted.