Ian
I’m very much up for one set in Black - and as I said that makes one of my standard sets up for sale at a sensible price.
First a quick comment on the British comment in the original post on this thread. It’s not just the UK, it is something affecting the industry as a whole, basically EVERY car built by a manufacturer must be disposed by said manufacturer when it’s life is over. There are also a number of materials which can no longer be used as of 2007, the biggy being Hexivalient chrome, which you find in almost every corrosion resistant coating. Even though all this is causing me major problemns at work they are correct to remove these materials as they are REALLY nasty. (The film Erin Brochovich is about hexivatient chrome).
Anyway onto Mag wheels.
I’ve used Mag wheels on a number of cars in the past, including special 1-offs and never had a problem (and that includes using 30 year old Minilites on a forest Rally, maybe I was lucky).
Remember that the original speced wheels for the 340R were Mag (they were late delivered so had to be retrofitted, but there are quite a few 340R’s out there running on them).
Hitting potholes heavily with an Alloy wheel can damage them, so there is no real major disadvantage by running Mag, you don’t need to miss every pothole on the road (you’d never manage it anyway). You need to be slightly more careful but not worth worrying about.
Correct that a reduction in unsprung weight is an advantage but the damping needs to be changed to really make the most of it, but as most people use adjustable dampers that kind of negates this really as no 2 cars run the same settings.
It also depends how sensitive you are to noticing changes in the way the car behaves as to the benefits.
1 point on the offset changes, I’d be surprised if they could do the Exige Offset, mainly because it makes no sense to machine 3mm off the mounting face, especially with the machining issues of Magnesium, it is easy (on tools) but difficult on safety.
I remember mixing Mg with water at school chemistry classes and it catches fire !! or explodes !! depending upon how brave you are with relative quantities
It is OK Rox - I have just been to the garage, thrown some water on my wheels, then a match, and they did not explode!
Seriously tho., if Dad can overcome the Alzheimers, he may recall at Oulton a couple of years ago we wandered into the Lotus MS “Tent”,where they looked after the racecars, and I do not think they actually used these speedlines to race on! I remember looking in the tyre truck, and they were using a wheel very similar in appearance to the standard Exige wheel. Though I have to admit, I may be talking complete bollox.
I thought it was Sodium that went pop with water!
You may remember Mag at school as the one that came in a ribbon and burned VERY brightly for a split second (hotter then the sun!). But don’t worry, in large quanities it is very stable (as in throwing your wheels on a bonfire probably won’t set them off!).
Ian
1 point on the offset changes, I’d be surprised if they could do the Exige Offset, mainly because it makes no sense to machine 3mm off the mounting face, especially with the machining issues of Magnesium, it is easy (on tools) but difficult on safety.
It’s the other way, they would need to machine 3mm less off the base.
They machine the bases anyway.
Guys
my comments about Mg catching fire were, of course, very tongue-in-cheek but the serious point i was making is that this quality makes me wonder how its protected from corrosion - - ie it reacts poorly in presence of water !!
IDG - i seem to remember we did this trick with Magnesium, Sodium and the real fun one Potassium !! as well as striking a spark in pure oxygen environments… that’s fun too !!
1 point on the offset changes, I’d be surprised if they could do the Exige Offset, mainly because it makes no sense to machine 3mm off the mounting face, especially with the machining issues of Magnesium, it is easy (on tools) but difficult on safety.
It’s the other way, they would need to machine 3mm less off the base.
They machine the bases anyway.
Badly written, What I was getting at is I don’t think they would design the wheel where they would have to machine off 3mm to make the original wheel. It would be more like 1mm or less. I don’t think there would be enough material on the bare casting to allow them to machine the Exige offset.
i.e. they’d have to make a new mold?
I’ll ask the question but it sounds liked it’d push the price up!
Now, given the other thread that’s going, how do we stop the spacer binding to the hub?! Our old friend Coppaslip??
Ian
or Duralec (sp?) ?
Add me to the list please.I definitely want a set(F+B).
Ian, as you mentioned, there is a poss for me as well. let’s wait and see the final price, shall we
laters,
B
I have had various magnesium rims, on the Mini they were just perfect as the rolling mass is so low the car just handled great ( 10 inch diameter ) - the large 13 inch wheels just want to keep going straight on - gyroscopic effect I think ?
Anyhow magnesium is hydroscopic I beleive and so unprotected they will start to weigh more and corrode structurally - I would never use old mag rims - didnt the Jaguar XJ13 crash at Mira because of mag wheel failure ?
Anyhow new ones will be painted or coated and so long as they are protected from scratches and the mating surfaces covered in our friend coppaslip I would not be worried at all about strength etc.
Stand to be corrected but thats my take
cheers, Andy…
laters,
B
Now, given the other thread that’s going, how do we stop the spacer binding to the hub?! Our old friend Coppaslip??Ian
I asked the missus and she says greaseproof paper always works for her - at least up to gas mark 8!
if Dad can overcome the Alzheimers, he may recall at Oulton a couple of years ago we wandered into the Lotus MS “Tent”,where they looked after the racecars, and I do not think they actually used these speedlines to race on! I remember looking in the tyre truck, and they were using a wheel very similar in appearance to the standard Exige wheel. Though I have to admit, I may be talking complete bollox.
Russ i think you are correct I bought a set of ex MS wheels complete with the Yoko slicks a few years ago from SW Lotus - they are the same Rimstocks, the only difference being the different offset on the rears.
Uldis - are you saying that the different offset was necessary only because of the different brakes fitted to the MS cars and did not have anything to do with the wheel bearing failures they were having?
Excellent answers and links…cheers
Uldis - are you saying that the different offset was necessary only because of the different brakes fitted to the MS cars and did not have anything to do with the wheel bearing failures they were having?
Yes, that’s as far as I know, having spoken with Kelvedon and others (don’t remember who else)
I like the standard black wheels to be honest so happy to make an offer to anyone wanting some cash for their old set to help fund the new purchases !!!
Just let me know
AndyD could be your man, see the top of the page.
Ian
Ah good point - (note to self - read all posts properly !)
So can I contact him thorugh the site on a message or something as you can tell I’m not a technical man !!