What are these wheels made out of?

[MaximRecoil]

Your hilarious Maximrecoil... Mr. internet know it all!!

If I "knew it all", I would know what the wheels were made of, now wouldn't I? It doesn't take a "know it all" to point out that something which is easily demonstrated to be wrong, is in fact wrong. What do you call someone who irrationally goes into bluster mode when someone points out that they are wrong, you know, other than "childish"?

Your hilarious Maximrecoil... Mr. internet know it all!!

I'm surprised it took this long to derail.

You're surprised it took this long for "Indygenerallee" to derail this thread? Does he usually do it quicker?

You'd have to cut a slice of metal off your wheel and run it through a  mass spectrometer to really determine exactly what your wheel is made of.

They aren't my wheels, so I can't do any destructive tests on them, even if such tests were feasible for me to do. I don't even have any access to the wheels, not until the old lady that owns the Buick shows up at the garage again and I happen to be there, anyway.

Otherwise, your guess is as good as mine, but I doubt if it's better

I don't know. My only guess is that the aluminum was either intentionally alloyed with iron or it has iron impurities. What's your guess?

Actually, there is a different way to do this without needing an expensive mass spectometer (it is really overkill for this situation).  First off, I would run a small (less than a gram) sample of this alloy thru a Goey balance to measure the magnetic susceptibility of the material (Xg or Xmole).  Next, I would use acid analysis in combination with benchtop qualitiative analysis on the sample to determine the metals present in the alloy.  By comparing the two tests vs. a set of metal standards for the Goey balance will tell you not only what is causing the magnitization but also at what amounts....

However, I just thought about how to do find out the metals present in the alloy without disturbing the sample with chemicals.  If you use X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), it can identify specific types of atoms present in the wheel.  The problem is the cost ($50,000 for a handheld device) and the x-ray diffractions that would be coming off of the wheel would potentially hurt you over time without lots of lead shielding.  Before you think I am being weird, this is an instument that is used at large airports for bomb detection tests all the time.....

Interesting.

[John_Kunkel]

It is unplated; that's a fact. I wish you or anyone else who is skeptical of this fact lived nearby, so I could win a boatload of money by betting with you.

Tell us how you know, be precise.

For example, do you know why e.g. 440C "stainless steel" is highly rust-resistant despite the fact that it is primarily composed of iron and a magnet sticks to it strongly?

By the way, there are 3 common metals that are ferromagnetic: iron, nickel, and cobalt.

I alluded to all that when I mentioned "metals not likely to be found in a wheel".

[MaximRecoil]

It is unplated; that's a fact. I wish you or anyone else who is skeptical of this fact lived nearby, so I could win a boatload of money by betting with you.

Tell us how you know, be precise.

I already did, in various posts. In addition, I can tell the difference between chrome and aluminum simply by looking.

Also, see this "curb rash" here?



Explain how there is no peeling chrome in that area if the entire wheel is chrome plated as you believe.

For example, do you know why e.g. 440C "stainless steel" is highly rust-resistant despite the fact that it is primarily composed of iron and a magnet sticks to it strongly?

By the way, there are 3 common metals that are ferromagnetic: iron, nickel, and cobalt.

I alluded to all that when I mentioned "metals not likely to be found in a wheel".

That doesn't actually address the content of my post. You also skipped right over the part where you are supposed to admit that your following claim was wrong:

it would be rusted everywhere else since magnets only stick to ferrous metals (or metals not likely to be found in a wheel) and uncoated ferrous rusts.

[Rallyecharger]

To me if the wheel is magnetic, its 10 cents a pound, if it's aluminum it is 60 cents a pound........... all this debate really only matters and can be settled at the scrap dealer.......