Alloy wheels vs Aluminium wheels

S

skurup

Member
Hi Guys,

I have a question:
Are Alloy and Aluminum wheels the same? Or are they different?
I did some search on the Internet and I couldn't find a good answer.
 
Alloy is usually mixed metal.. but there are many different ways of making an alloy rim, some result in stronger or lighter.. others are simply cheaper and you'll find most cheaper alloys are made that way. Whereas flow formed for e.g is the more expensive way of doing it but results in stronger construction and less weight.
 
As above pure aluminium would not be strong enough it is mixed with other elements to form alloy I have never heard the term aluminium wheels but have heard them called mag wheels years ago.
 
Back to the original question - pretty much all aluminium used for any application is actually an alloy, i.e. a mix of mainly aluminium plus additional elements in small quantities to improve the strength or process ability of the aluminium.

When talking about alloy wheels, this means aluminium alloys.

Chris
 
When wheels are cut on a CNC machine out a solid block is this aluminium or still some sort of alloy?
I have seen quite a few videos online but dont know if its solid aluminium or not.
 
It will be an alloy as previously said pure aluminium is not strong / hard enough.
There was a tv show where they would machine the wheel centres out of billet alloy then weld the centres into the rims, don't know how the rims were made
 
GAZA62 said:
As above pure aluminium would not be strong enough it is mixed with other elements to form alloy I have never heard the tern aluminium wheels but have heard them called mag wheels years ago.
Click to expand...

Mag wheels were and still are made from Magnesium Alloy. Not the same stuff. :wink:
 
Nictrix said:
When wheels are cut on a CNC machine out a solid block is this aluminium or still some sort of alloy?
I have seen quite a few videos online but dont know if its solid aluminium or not.
Click to expand...

Still an aluminium alloy, but more expensive :D

Mike
 
buzyg said:
GAZA62 said:
As above pure aluminium would not be strong enough it is mixed with other elements to form alloy I have never heard the tern aluminium wheels but have heard them called mag wheels years ago.
Click to expand...

Mag wheels were and still are made from Magnesium Alloy. Not the same stuff. :wink:
Click to expand...

That explains that one I first heard the words Mag Wheels at the Alexandra Palace Custom Car Show back in the 70s

I'm so old :cry:
 
I've always been annoyed by this linguistic oddity.

Literally all wheels in the market are 'alloy'. A steel wheel with a plastic wheel cover is still technically an alloy wheel. :headbang:

It's just one of those popularised terms i have had to come to terms with. Life is so hard.... :lol:
 
GAZA62 said:
buzyg said:
GAZA62 said:
As above pure aluminium would not be strong enough it is mixed with other elements to form alloy I have never heard the tern aluminium wheels but have heard them called mag wheels years ago.
Click to expand...

Mag wheels were and still are made from Magnesium Alloy. Not the same stuff. :wink:
Click to expand...

That explains that one I first heard the words Mag Wheels at the Alexandra Palace Custom Car Show back in the 70s

I'm so old :cry:
Click to expand...

I know that feeling.. :)
 
Darkangelv2 said:
I've always been annoyed by this linguistic oddity.

Literally all wheels in the market are 'alloy'. A steel wheel with a plastic wheel cover is still technically an alloy wheel. :headbang:

It's just one of those popularised terms i have had to come to terms with. Life is so hard.... :lol:
Click to expand...

No its not, its a steel wheel with a plastic cover :poke:
Rob
 
Smartbear said:
Darkangelv2 said:
I've always been annoyed by this linguistic oddity.

Literally all wheels in the market are 'alloy'. A steel wheel with a plastic wheel cover is still technically an alloy wheel. :headbang:

It's just one of those popularised terms i have had to come to terms with. Life is so hard.... :lol:
Click to expand...

No its not, its a steel wheel with a plastic cover :poke:
Rob
Click to expand...

Aargh!!!! :crazydude: :crazydude: :crazydude: :telloff:
 
Darkangelv2 said:
Smartbear said:
Darkangelv2 said:
I've always been annoyed by this linguistic oddity.

Literally all wheels in the market are 'alloy'. A steel wheel with a plastic wheel cover is still technically an alloy wheel. :headbang:

It's just one of those popularised terms i have had to come to terms with. Life is so hard.... :lol:
Click to expand...

No its not, its a steel wheel with a plastic cover :poke:
Rob
Click to expand...

Aargh!!!! :crazydude: :crazydude: :crazydude: :telloff:
Click to expand...

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon so technically the wheel is an 'alloy', just not an aluminium one. :D
 
Poor Darkangelv2

Doesn't it suck to be right and yet nobody understands you :-)

"alloy" is a real engineering term, but marketing types just say whatever comes into their heads and people"buy" it.
 
Darkangelv2 said:
Z4LEE said:
Poor Darkangelv2

Doesn't it suck to be right and yet nobody understands you :-)

"alloy" is a real engineering term, but marketing types just say whatever comes into their heads and people"buy" it.
Click to expand...

Sucks to be me! :voodoo:

@Smartbear - first sentence here :thumbsup:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel
Click to expand...

I stand corrected, even smartbear doesn't know everything although I did work in a foundry for a while making sandcast aluminum furniture :P
Rob
 
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