Talk:Alloy wheel

RE: Article

Hello, I have started this article with some information I both know and that I have researched, and I have also uploaded two pictures of the wheels on the two cars at my household, which I knew would work perfectly. Can anybody add some more information? Thanks Harrison Bass - HB4026 00:19, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

I've found contradictory information between the two articles. Here it states that aftermarket wheels are often referred to as "mag" wheels while commonly mistaken with "magnesium" wheels. However, at the magnesium wheel article it states that "mag" wheels refer to "magnesium" wheels and is often mistaken with alloy wheels. Who's right, who's wrong? Ghotiness 20:17, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

OK, from my experience, the term "mag" wheels originated for the motorcycle market, when manufacturers wanted to move away from heavy chrome plated steel spoked wheels, to a lighter more durable wheel capable of utilising tubeless tyres (rather than tubed tyres with inner-tubes). These were made from magnesium alloys, hence the abbreviated "mag" terminology.

"Alloy" wheels initally originated from car motorsports (the type of wheel, but not the name, because motorsport specific wheels are generally magnesium alloy), which then percolated into the general road-going car market. These car wheels, due to the cost of magnesium, where primarily made from aluminim alloys (although some more expensive OEM wheels can include magnesium and aluminium in the alloy), hence the term "alloys". HTH Teutonic Tamer 09:33, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

Alloy?

Calling aluminum (U.S. spelling) wheels "alloy wheels" is ignorant do to the fact that, in most cases, the only other type of wheel is a steel wheel. Steel is an alloy also, therefore steel wheels are alloy wheels.

Not really. I think you are being a little pedantic. It is now very common terminology in both car and motorcycle worlds (and trucks too) to class a pressed steel wheel as a "steel" wheel, whereas an "alloy wheel" is used for any formed or cast wheel which is made from any kind of lightweight alloy, be that magnesium alloy or aluminium alloy (or any combination of lightweight metalic components). Rgds Teutonic Tamer 09:40, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

I agree with the OP that the term is misleading because all wheels are alloy wheels. However you are correct that the common usage for the term "alloy wheel" is basically "anything other than the standard steel wheel". I think the article name is correct and the content of the article is correct. However it might be worth mentioning, for complete accuracy, that steel is also technically an alloy. 80.235.138.77 (talk) 13:59, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

Merge

Magnesium alloy wheel should be merged into this article. There are so many alloys that differentiating between them is pointless. 171.71.37.29 20:26, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

I agree they should be merged. We could then make a clear distinction between magnesium alloy wheels and aluminium wheels, whilst still keeping them under the same generically used 'umbrella' term of 'alloy wheels'. Teutonic Tamer 09:45, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

• Article is now merged. HarrisonB - Talk 07:13, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Rim vs wheel

Why is this article called "alloy wheel"?
Rim + tire = wheel. (i.e. Only the rim is alloy, while the tire is rubber) Socrates2008 (Talk) 12:46, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Erm . . . a rim plus a tyre does NOT equal a wheel! A "rim" is merely a term for the outer edge of a wheel - in the same way that a "rim" is the outer edge of say a volcanic crater! A "wheel" does NOT need to have a tyre attached to be called a wheel. -- Teutonic Tamer 22:11, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

It's probably down to regional/country differences in terminology. Socrates2008 (Talk) 22:32, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Composition

189.42.228.115 (talk) 23:49, 16 March 2008 (UTC)I have found conposition of ZK60: Mg- 5,6% Zn and 0,55% Zr by w. Could I add it to the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.42.228.115 (talk) 23:45, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

Wheel weight/mass

The entry states: "The mass of typical magnesium automotive wheel is about 8–12 kg (depending on model)." which is unsourced and--as far my limited looking around has netted--inaccurate. For example: Axis Mag-lites 17x7 are 7.1kg; Hammann magnesium 19x8.5 are 8.2kg; Minilite Magnesium in 14x6 and 15x7 are 4.5 and 4.8kg, respectively; Nismo LM GT Magnesium 18x10(!) are still only 7.8kg. Certainly we could debate the word "typical" in this context as magnesium wheels are more apt to be used in a racing situation (and thus will be larger/heavier wheels as a result) versus a passenger car (where the "typical" wheel size should not even breach the 8 kg listed in the article). I've looked through this site: http://www.wheelweights.net/ and the heaviest magnesium wheel I found was 10.3 kg. Using only that source as a frequency guide I'd perhaps suggest a range closer to 5-9kg as being roughly 1.5-2 standard deviations about the mean. Any thoughts? EDIT: Logged in to re-sign Avram42 (talk) 13:50, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

I updated the appropriate section with my findings, address it as you will Avram42 (talk) 02:56, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Production methods

I separated this out from the "magnesium" section because the methods seem to apply to all alloys. the language needs to be changed to reflect this and more detail needs to be added. 71.236.242.147 (talk) 04:13, 4 March 2012 (UTC)