What are the lightest 3 piece wheels on the market right now.

 

If you dont know... Im not buying any wheels from you.. lol

 

lol Larry... Wheels are most commonly made of 6061 aluminum alloy. Its rare to find a good wheel made of anything else, and its probably the strongest material used for wheels.

 

Forged wheels can be made from many alloys. 6061 has been commonly used because it is widely available and relatively inexpensive. It is also easy to work with during forging, spinning and the like.
Tougher alloys like 7075 are MUCH stronger than 6061 but are more expensive and require special tooling and exceptional expertise to use. However, one could make a 19X8.5 997 front wheel that weighs 13 lbs or less using this alloy. It would require an exceptional tooling investment to do, however. This is the main reason I oppose Carbon Fiber for wheels. Even a 100% CF wheel would have very little weight savings (if any) over a top forged alloy and is far more expensive to produce. Then there's the issue of brittleness, UV discoloration, etc. Just my opinion.
There are several wheel companies (Champion is one I am told) that do not use 6061 but a stronger 6000 series alloy. 6069, 6010 and 6152 are common alternatives to 6061 in aerospace applications because they have higher strength-to-weight ratios.
Forged aluminum is an outstanding material for wheels. It has a high strength-to-weight ratio, is ductile (not brittle), takes a lovely polish, and will accept a variety of finishes. It is, however (like most aluminum alloys), highly susceptible to corrosion.
In the end, the challenge is always good engineering, a strong testing program, and exceptional quality standards.

 

magnesium wheels...

 

Magnesium is a wonderful lightweight, strong alloy, 2/3 the density of aluminum, but has some drawbacks as a material for wheels. First, it is very expensive, compared to aluminum. It is also more brittle, depending on the specific alloy. Forging magnesium is very difficult, requiring powerful presses available only a few places in the world.
The material is also extremely flammable so care must be taken during manufacturing to avoid a VERY serious high-temperature fire. To be fair, this is not a common occurrence with solids, but magnesium powder is so flammable that it was once used as flash powder for photography.
Lastly, magnesium is highly vulnerable to corrosion and must be protected from exposure to water.
In summary, magnesium can make a very nice lightweight expensive wheel that is vulnerable to corrosion and intolerant of road hazards. Sounds like a nice race wheel, but not such a good material for street use.

 

Here is a link to crash pictures of Jo Schlesser at Rouen in 1968.
He was driving the magnesium bodied Honda.
The car superheated to 3000 degrees after the crash.
Not for the faint of heart......

http://www.forix.com/8w/rouen-68.html

 

Forgedwheeler, why did you ask if you seem to know enough about wheels?

 

Forgedwheels asked the question. Not me.

 

Much has changed since 1968

 

Including us.......right Alan ??

 

Nope, I'm still 3.

 

Of course, then there's the 2006 Jeep Wrangler with a magnesium steering column.....

http://www.midsouthrescue.org/id20.html

It seems the professional firefighter in the picture is unaware that water and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers only make the magnesium burn hotter.