00-ITR-373

Volk has made Magnesium rims in the past.
I wasn't sure, and am still not sure if they are durable enough for street use.
For example, is it brittle, but on a track it wouldn't matter, or is it really durable as long as you don't hit a curb head on?

Well, some have said they think brittle and do not run it on the street. One web site I did find said the following:
http://www.magnesiumwheels.com/info.php?cl=22
The reliability and solidity of any wheel depends upon the technical characteristics of the production alloy. So does your safety.

Magnesium alloys have numerous advantages, in areas as disparate as safety and economy.

1. High strength-to-weight ratio.
Magnesium alloys are the lightest of all the structural metals. They are 1.5 times lighter than aluminum, 2.5 times lighter than titanium and 4.3 times lighter than steel.

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4. Unique dampening properties.
Some magnesium alloys can absorb impacts and dampen vibrations. Vibration durability of magnesium alloys is approximately 100 times higher than that of Duralumin, 20 times higher than alloyed steel and 300-500 times higher than titanium alloys. These properties make magnesium unmatched when manufacturing suspension brackets of sports cars, bicycles and wheelchairs, small light aircrafts.

5. Excellent fatigue strength.
Magnesium alloys do not surpass the best aluminum alloys or high-strength titanium alloys and steels. Nevertheless, they confidently overtake aluminum and can compete with the best steels relative to their ability to resist repeated loadings and concentrators of pressure.

6. Good impact and dent resistance.
Significant elasticity helps maintain the round form of automobile magnesium wheels and magnesium bicycle rims after the strong impact caused by an obstacle. The ultra light magnesium bicycle frame gets deformed only for two tenths mm after removal of 600 kg loading. This property is also very important when manufacturing automobile panels.

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8. Manufacturers prefer light alloys.
The fact is that rigidity and reliability of the structure, especially those working on a bend and torsion, depend not only on the properties of a material, but also on its geometry. For example, rigidity of a plate is proportional to the third degree of its thickness, and its weight is proportional only to the first degree. If we take magnesium and steel plates of equal weight, the magnesium one will be approximately 16 times more rigid; and at identical external influences, the tension in a magnesium plate will be 18 times lower. For the same reason a thicker magnesium pipe is much more difficult to crumple at side impact, and the lightest magnesium bicycle frame "will not fold" at an impact caused by an obstacle, which will occur with a heavier steel frame. For example: If we hit an aluminum ski pole with an equal weight magnesium pole, the dent will remain on an aluminum pole.

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So, I'm not sure what to go with, but the website is the most concrete evidence I have. Just wondering if some of you guys know, or have heard opinions?

Thanks.

Padawan

I assume you've never seen a small piece of magnesium burn.

00-ITR-373

I have, but I'm not sure if that means it's o.k. to drive on the street! I figure as long as I don't drive anywhere near FL/NC I should be fine!

Padawan

I would be at least slightly concerned about the possibility of such large pieces of magnesium coming in contact with a source of flame, such as might occur after a collision or as the result of some form of engine failure (e.g. fuel system rupture). There just doesn't appear to be any real advantage to running magnesium wheels over something such as the Regamaster Evo/Spoon SW388, which weighs roughly 8.5 lbs.

sackdz

Um, I don't think that's an issue. They would need to get VERY HOT. If the get that hot you've got other things to worry about such as your car being ablaze (still don't think they would burn).

CRX7

From what I understand the latest Corvette wheels are Magnesium alloy. They seem pretty streetable to me, just expensive.

2dark2bslow

umm keyword: magnesium ALLOY. you think mclaren f1's would put a wheel on their 1 million dollar car if it caught the car on fire

SUPERAUTOBACS

I was informed once that magnesium alloys dont bend but break into bits.
Besides that, i gotta quetion the dollar to performance ratio. Wheels like this come with a hefty price tag.

00-ITR-373

Thanks guys for all the help.
Yeah, $/performance is not in question, I understand it's rediculous. But that doesn't mean myself or others on here wouldn't pay for a set.

I'll research the Corvette rims and try to find out more. Just very little info.
Thanks!


[Modified by 00-ITR-373, 6:56 AM 12/20/2002]

TodaSi

Yes, in fact the Mg OEM wheels have returned for 2003.


adios,

Shane
def.con.one Racing

Kengs

Troy,

RS Watanabe makes a forged Mg wheel called the Cyclone

B( * Y * )BIES

I've heard good things about

Here's one of their popular rims:


I know you can get FULL magnesium rims - BUT - If this doesn't help, then please disregard this post.

Wai

Magnesium alloy wouldn't burn like magnesium.

[edit]Misinformation deleted


[Modified by Wai, 10:40 AM 12/20/2002]

Darkteg

these are popular around europe, although most of them (tecnomagnesio) are just as heavy (or more) as the regular alu wheels. only the racing spec wheels are magnesium.

RTW DC2R

arent stock ITR wheels magnesium? I read that somewhere and Im pretty sure it was on an ITR stats sheet of some kind.

woodog

no, it's made of aluminum alloy.

MrBite

No it doesn't, magnesium actually needs a pretty high temperature to ignite, but once it does it's hard to put out (you can sandwich it between blocks of dry ice and it won't go out). I think what you are thinking of is sodium/potassium/metals from that family.

Todd00

Everything you wanted to know about Magnesium but were afraid to ask:

http://members.tripod.com/Mg/mggen.htm



[Modified by Todd00, 11:22 AM 12/20/2002]

Mr Hammond

When the C5 generation were first introduced there was a $3000 optional MG wheel/tire combo available.

Wai

Oh yes that was potassium that I was thinking. In chem class, the potassium needs to be stored in oil to avoid moisture. And magnesium was a small metal strip that we burnt, and a bright light was emitted.

Chris N

LOL. Potassium/sodium/lithium rims would be great!!! Yea, that stuff in chemistry class was great. Putting a SMALL piece of potassium in a bucket of water and watching the water go everywhere with an accompanying BANG and a large black spot left on the ceiling. Good stuff.

Magnesium burns that bright red/magenta color, correct?

Magnesium alloy is a whole lot different. I'd say if the corvette has Magnesium alloy rims, they are safe for daily driving.

Todd00

In college we threw a rather large chunk of Potassium in a pond. Now *that* was cool to watch (as we were running like hell).

Casey

iTrader: (5)

te37 MAG lights? hmm

Padawan

[QUOTE]I assume you've never seen a small piece of magnesium burn.


Magnesium alloy wouldn't burn like magnesium.
QUOTE]

No, a magnesium alloy wouldn't burn with the same properties as pure magnesium. My point, however, is this:

Magnesium wheels (or basically any part constructed from magnesium) must bear the increased machining/material costs over their aluminum counter-parts. In addition, there can be no argument that even a magnesium alloy will burn with substantially greater intensity and greater likelyhood than an aluminum alloy. Decreasing the proportion of magnesium in a particular alloy will obviously reduce these characteristics, but will also obviously reduce the benefits associated with using magnesium for construction in the first place.

Yes, even aluminum will burn under the right (though extremely limited) circumstances. However, such circumstances would never occur in an automotive application, whereas it is quite easy to imagine a situation where a magnesium wheel could indeed pose a fire hazard (as more than one race driver could attest to).
Have there been situations in which a car running magnesium wheels has had those wheels burn? Of course - and one need only browse the Web to learn more of such instances. However, search for a situation in which a safety crew has had difficulty extinguishing a car's aluminum wheels, and you will likely find nothing.

When there are aluminum wheels available that are priced attainably and are extremely light weight (e.g. CP-035, Evo, SW-388, etc.), there is minimal justification for runing a magnesium wheel that, after all is said and done, will likely weigh more than one of the above-mentioned wheels anyway.

97ITR217

I remember back in my home town (HongKong), there are all kinds of street motocycles with Magnesium wheels eg: Honda NSR250R-SP being one of the common one.
I will definately not doubt about their street-ability, but rather the strength of them. I heard that they are quite vulnerable to being bent.