How to find out what wheels I have?? Mag's, Aluminum...etc

[mgray]

How can I tell if they are magnesium, aluminum or chrome?? I know chrome is usually easy to tell....but what about the others?

Thanks

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How to find out what wheels I have?? Mag's, Aluminum...etc

Moved out of the FAQ section and into Detailing 101

Please don't start threads in the "Information Station"

Thanks...

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How to find out what wheels I have?? Mag's, Aluminum...etc

How can I tell if they are magnesium, aluminum or chrome?? I know chrome is usually easy to tell....but what about the others?

Thanks

Can you contact the manufacture? That would be the sure fire way to find out.

Are these new wheels on a new car or older wheels from the 60's or 70's?

Chrome is easy to determine in most case but sometimes it can be hard to tell chrome from polished and clear coated aluminum as it's possible to polish aluminum to a very high brilliance.

Most common custom wheels that are not chrome or painted are aluminum versus magnesium due to the cost of the raw materials. In my life most of the magnesium wheels I've seen or read about are usually on exotic cars.

I think GM offered Magnesium wheels on some of their Corvettes as an option but I don't know if they were polished or clear coated.

You can take a white cloth and a metal polish like our Mag & Aluminum Polish and test in a small area by rubbing the finish and then turning the cloth over and inspecting.

If the cloth is remaining white the the wheel is likely clear coated or anodized. If the cloth turns a dark gray or blackish color then you have straight aluminum or straight magnesium and what you're seeing is oxidation coming off the wheel.

What are you working on?

[mgray]

Re: How to find out what wheels I have?? Mag's, Aluminum...etc

First off sorry for my miss posts....still learning how all the forums here work. I think I'll be in 101 for a while!

These are aftermarket wheels that came with this truck that I just bought. Probably no way to find out who makes them(unless there is a way to find a name/number stamped on a wheel?) and the previous owner doesn't know. They are on a 3/4 diesel pickup. Nothing fancy....maybe I'll try to take some pics

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How to find out what wheels I have?? Mag's, Aluminum...etc

A picture would help...

Alcoa is a popular aluminum wheel used on large pick up trucks and if they are Alcoa wheels they should be marked somehow on the wheel, maybe the back side.

You might be able to drive the truck to a wheel and tires store and ask a couple of the people at the shop what they think as these people see and work with every kind of wheel under the sun.