Magnesium wheels and unsprung weight?

PeterPan

Torque Junkie
Points
172
Location
Northwich Uk
Car
SECMA QT-R1000
hello everybody,

I've just been offered a set of refurbished magnesium alloys for my project car.

I have been considering buying a second set of wheels and tyres however the wheels I've been offered are 6J rather than 5.5J (still waiting to confirm OEM offset) now I realise that's not a huge issue regarding fitting tyres etc

But the Mags are twice the price of the equivalent brand new wheels in 5J

So my question really is to ask for some advice regarding set up/unsprung weight and handling etc to try to decide if they are a worthwhile investment???

Car in question is same as my avatar, 360kg
1000cc V-Twin Bike engine
2400mm long
1400mm wide

Any more information needed, please ask.
 
IF I go for these wheels it'll allow me to use 205/60/R13 tyres as opposed to 185/60/13 tyres...

Am I correct in understanding that this (combined with lighter magnesium wheels) could/should lead to significantly improved handling?
 
The lighter the wheel/tyre combination the quicker the suspension can react. However, the 205 tyre will be heavier than the 185, negating some of the wheel weight reduction. Also, the taller tyre will probably have an adverse effect on acceleration as it will alter the final drive ratio.

Magnesium wheels are cool but require careful maintenance in order to prevent corrosion.

Have a look here:

http://www.carsdirect.com/aftermarket-parts/pros-and-cons-of-magnesium-wheels
 
Thanks guys.

New wheels weigh just 4kg each (class A) but I'm still trying to find out the weight of the original wheels to compare the weight difference.

Car is still in build process so final drive can still be settled and tuned before it's finished.

I'm just trying to decided if they are worth the investment???
 
Just got a comparison against aluminium minilight aluminium alloys of the same design and they are coming in at 5.3kg each

Still awaiting a weight of original wheels ☹️
 
I'm not so sure about fitting wider wheels to your car, it's already lightweight and got quite a high (planned) power to weight ratio; you might find it's like wearing roller skates on an ice rink. There's a link at the foot of this thread called Tuning Tips Alloy Wheels where it's explained why it's not always a good idea to go wider.

Magnesium wheels will be a pain to keep if they're polished finish. We used to deal with magnesium castings and fittings and they'd corrode if you looked at them the wrong way. For local treatment you could use salicylic acid but it left the surface a different colour. Another thing if you want your car to be cool I'm sure you'll want a tyre pressure monitoring system but you'll have big problems with dissimilar metal corrosion.
 
I'm not so sure about fitting wider wheels to your car, it's already lightweight and got quite a high (planned) power to weight ratio; you might find it's like wearing roller skates on an ice rink. There's a link at the foot of this thread called Tuning Tips Alloy Wheels where it's explained why it's not always a good idea to go wider.

Magnesium wheels will be a pain to keep if they're polished finish. We used to deal with magnesium castings and fittings and they'd corrode if you looked at them the wrong way. For local treatment you could use salicylic acid but it left the surface a different colour. Another thing if you want your car to be cool I'm sure you'll want a tyre pressure monitoring system but you'll have big problems with dissimilar metal corrosion.

They are an expensive purchase too!
I think I've pretty much arrived at the conclusion that the benefits will be minuscule compared to the cost/maintenance/set up issues they will cause.

It's a road car (note to self) not a racing car and will likely be more capable than I am so really... the question is, will I be able to get the best out of it to even notice the marginal gains possible from reducing unsprung weight by a few KGs? Unlikely, was the answer I cane up with when I asked myself honestly.

Thank you all for your help and advice.
Really muchly appreciated
 
^^ I hear you buddy! In the mirror I see a legendary driver without an equal, on the track I see a poor dreamer who wishes he was a legendary driver :lol: Sometimes commonsense takes a long time to put in an appearance but when it does, it is very welcome all the same! ;)
 
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