Are gen 1 wheels aluminum or magnesium?

[STOUT 1]

Whats all magnesium on a these cars?

 

[Snake Bitten]

The valve covers are magnesium...not your wheels...

Nice to finally meet ya last Saturday...Drop me a PM with your address, I'll mail you a marker lense to replace the one you have that is "defective"...We have plenty of spares!!!

 

[STOUT 1]

Do you ever sleep? I really had a good time. That is the most vipers I've seen at one place, ever! Hope your feeling better.
-- you have mail..

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

It's my understanding that because magnesium is flammable they quit using it for wheels decades ago. The term 'mag' stuck though.

 

[Viperzilla]

The Koenigsegg CC and McLaren F1 wheels are Magnesium.

 

[SapphireGTS]

355 Wheels are magnesium as are some rods in F1 cars.

Magnesium is flammable but not very combustable. They used it on the M2 Bradley as armor. Using it for wheels and street car parts is a little obsessive.

 

[joe117]

So why are the valve covers magnesium? How much weight could have been saved over aluminum?
I've often wondered.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

How about carbon fiber wheels? That would be wild.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Magnesium and aluminum valve covers are nearly the same cost with a significant weight advantage for magnesium. That is because magnesium can be die-cast at a lower wall thickness offsetting the increased raw material cost. The problem is there are not many magnesium die-casters around. Magnesium plants must be ultra clean and low dust as magnesium dust is quite combustable. Solid material like a cover or wheel is not very combustable. Wheels do not lend themselves to die-casting or thin wall construction as wall thickness becomes a strength requirement. So weight savings are not as significant and costs are much more.