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Aluminum Wheel Scrap Prices

As of October 2, 2026, scrap yards are paying about $0.81 to $1.05 per pound for clean aluminum wheels, or $1.80 to $2.32 per kg, with tires, weights, and valve stems removed. That's 58% to 75% of the LME aluminum price of $1.40. Wheels are clean cast alloy, so they pay just below extrusions and well above mixed cast aluminum.

Every aluminum grade is on the scrap aluminum prices page, and every metal is on the scrap metal prices hub.

Aluminum

What yards pay for aluminum wheels

Per pound
$0.81 to $1.05
Per kilogram
$1.80 to $2.32

Estimated yard price: 58% to 75% of the LME aluminum price ($1.40/lb as of October 2, 2026). Ranges cover the spread between yards.

Estimates checked against posted yard boards on September 18, 2026.

Aluminum wheel calculator

Enter the weight. The estimate uses the per-pound range in the price card above. Add a yard's quote to see where it lands in that range.

$

Estimated payout

$8.15 to $10.54

At $0.81 to $1.05 per lb.

Yards pay on their own scale after grading, and boards differ by region, so use the range to judge a quote.

LME aluminum, the price behind wheels

The wheel price is a fixed share of this benchmark per pound. When the chart moves, yard boards follow within a day.

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What counts as a clean aluminum wheel

Cast alloy rims with tires, weights, and valve stems removed. Chrome-plated rims price a little lower.

Aluminum wheels are non-magnetic and light for their size. If a magnet sticks, it's a steel wheel and sells with the steel.

The tire has to come off; yards won't pay the wheel rate with one mounted. Pull the valve stems, knock off the balance weights, and keep the weights in a separate bucket. Lead weights left in a wheel bin are a contamination deduction, and they sell on their own line on the lead side.

What lowers the price of a wheel

  1. 1
    A tire still mounted. Yards won't pay the wheel rate with a tire on.
  2. 2
    Balance weights left on. Lead weights in the bin are a contamination deduction. Sell them separately as wheel weights.
  3. 3
    Chrome plating. Chrome-plated rims price a little lower than bare or painted ones.
  4. 4
    Steel wheels in the pile. A magnet finds them. Mixed in, they can get the load graded down.

Related grades

Nearby grades and what they bring per pound. The full board is on the scrap aluminum prices page.

Where this estimate comes from

The estimate is the live LME aluminum price times the share yards typically pay for this grade (58% to 75%). The share was set by dividing posted yard prices by the same day's benchmark, using these public boards, and last checked on September 18, 2026:

  • Rockaway Recycling (New Jersey), posted board of September 18, 2026
  • Central Metal Recycling (Chicago), posted board, mid-September 2026
  • MetalRecap national price survey, September 17, 2026
  • ScrapMonster North American grade spreads, June 2026

Published by MetalCharts, a free precious metals resource providing real-time prices, interactive charts, educational guides, and portfolio management tools. All market data sourced from COMEX, LBMA, and LME.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a scrap aluminum wheel worth per pound?
About $0.81 to $1.05 per pound at a scrap yard for clean wheels, or $1.80 to $2.32 per kilogram, with LME aluminum at $1.40. Weigh the wheels after the tires come off to estimate a set.
Do I have to take the tires off aluminum wheels before scrapping them?
Yes, to get the wheel price. Yards won't pay the clean wheel rate with a tire mounted, and the valve stems and balance weights should come off too.
Are chrome aluminum wheels worth less?
A little. Yards pay slightly less for chrome-plated rims than for bare or painted ones.
How can I tell if a wheel is aluminum or steel?
Use a magnet. Aluminum wheels are non-magnetic and light for their size; a magnet sticks to steel wheels, which sell as steel.
What should I do with the wheel weights?
Keep them in a separate bucket with the clips on and sell them as wheel weights, about $0.10 to $0.25 per pound today. The yard sorts the lead from the zinc and steel weights.
Why do aluminum wheels pay more than cast aluminum?
The closer scrap is to a single clean alloy a mill can use, the more of the LME price a yard can pass on, and wheels are a known, clean cast alloy. Mixed cast like grills and housings varies a lot in alloy and often has steel inserts, so it pays 35% to 43% of LME aluminum against 58% to 75% for wheels.