Refurbishing Mag Wheels

[coop]

Anyone can chime in but I bet Carl has the answer. The season is over, capped off with a nice but not impressive win at Infineon. So, where can I restore my "classic" American mags back to their original condition? And no, you can't have them Carl.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Coop:

Can you post a couple pictures - so I can see what shape they are in? Also tell me if they have ever been painted {if you know}...

Any WIN in a 40 year old Sports/GT is Impressive...

FWIW,

Carl

[JohnB]

Wheels America. $129/ wheel to mak like new. I have tried it yet but was referred to it by the local tire chain. They are a national chain: http://www.wheelsamerica.com/

JohnB

[Galaxybj]

I too am interested in responses to this question. I have the original set that I had installed on my '71 when I bought it. After years of neglect in a Georgia shed they are in need of real cleaning.

[coop]

Carl. I'm in Japan right now so I can't get you any pics. They have various degrees of pitting, were once painted, but are now naked after sandblasting a year ago. I know, not ideal but they still might clean up enough for vintage racing. The fact they were Frank Leary's makes me want to hold on to them, especially after meeting him at the Rose Cup at Portland quite a few years ago.

[esmit208]

COOP

Any plating shop should be able to do a serviceable job because they should all have high speed buffers. After the cleaning process is done thoroughly a good buffing should make them look nice at a reasonable cost. I have a set of turbo wheels (SWASTIKAS) that I had done years ago in Calfornia. They came home really nice looking. After a couple years the chrome began to chip caused by the brake dust. So have them buffed and clear coated is my suggestion. NO PLATING!

[ChrisZ]

The attached photo show one of my Appilance wheels in progress of restoration.

They were pitted like he.. and had a lot of curb rash, so after cleaning them with phosforic acid, i sanded them down and then went up in grith ending with grith 800 before buffing, not much to it, except of elbow grease.

Chris

[HS30-H]

The posts on this thread are scaring me half to death. If 'coop' follows their recommendations he'll have no wheels left, and - quite possibly - no skin left either.

Proper treatment of Magnesium castings is essential, and is nothing like that of Aluminium ( or 'Aluminum' / "Aloominum" ).

I've had all my old Magnesium wheels X-Rayed, and after that it's best to get them chromated. Here's some good advice from professionals:

http://www.mb-racingwheels.com/magnesium_protection.htm

[coop]

I've been aware that "real" mag wheels have a corrosion issue for a while so I've been keeping mine moist with Gibbs Brand penetrant. The wheels are bare and not nice looking plus they pick up brake dust like crazy. I just hoped there was someone in the US that could do a proper job and not just polish and paint them as might work on aluminum wheels.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Coop:

Alan's advice and that on the Web Site he listed - pretty much agrees with the advice given by the guys in our Materials Lab. {Honeywell Space Systems}.

I'll add: These old mag's usually suffer from years of accumulated oxidation damage, which in turn results in pitting. Pits in turn offer the greatest opportunity for stress cracking to begin.

X-Ray is a must if you plan to race on them or do any high performance driving. I have to say that I wouldn't use them for competition. Magnesium alloys can become unstable over time when subjected to stress. The guys in the Materials Lab said they wouldn't trust a magnesium casting produced to Manned Space Quality Requirements - for more than six years, subjected to Earths atmosphere. {keep in mind these guys are at the extreme end of risk/reliability and they never consider "cost" - you know the type ;-) }.

I resorted my LeMans wheels for the BRE Baja Z - FOR SHOW ONLY. I'll drive the Z on them at reasonable highway speeds, in light traffic. Other than that - I'd switch to a set of Libra's.

To your question. I had the wheels media blasted. Alan's site says to use only aluminum oxide - I used fine glass beads at relatively low pressures (60 psi) per the guys in the Materials Lab.

Second step was to take them to a machine shop and have the outer rims / lips turned down - a few thousands of an inch, usually cuts the pits out. All of them had fine pits in the lips. See attached pictures - first is a closeup and second is the wheel after being turned.

Past that point - I coat my wheels with Gibbs Brand Gun Oil. Ron said he uses WD-40, to shield the metal from moisture.

I did not want to paint them - rather I wanted the magnesium to age to its natural deep gray on the spokes, while keeping the rims/lips polished. I polish them with Nevr-Dull wadding, then coat them with Gibbs Oil. This is usually done at least once a month... they are a real PIA... in the last picture you can see how the centers have darkened with time.

I'm sure that if you are using them to race on - you'll want to have them treated and painted. For sure you want to have the inside of the wheels - inside the tires - painted, as well as the back side of the wheels.

BTW - Les found another set for me - so the pressure to sell them to me is off. ;-) I now have a complete set of FIVE for the BRE Z plus a couple extras as spares.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited September 30, 2009 by Carl Beck

[ChrisZ]

Coop / Alan, I do apologize for my post, I was not aware that it actually is Magnesium, I have seen so many times, that alloy's are referred to as mag wheels and just assumed.

Chris