TRX wheel alloy? | FerrariChat

TRX wheel alloy?

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by It's Ross, Mar 4, 2020.

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  1. It's Ross

    It's Ross Formula 3

    Jul 30, 2007
    2,028
    Barrington, Ill. USA
    Full Name:
    Ross
    A wheel re-finisher recommended by the local F dealer has refused to do my wheels stating they are cast magnesium and will burst into flames during their process, apparently powder coating. I explained that even if they are magnesium they would need to be nigh on 900*f to ignite.
    Mine have some paint peeling, the metal beneath doesn't look like magnesium which I'd expect to be very dark if exposed. And they seem way too heavy.
    Does anyone know what the alloy really is?
    Also, still looking for correct paint color as it seems I'll be doing this myself.
     
  2. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jan 11, 2001
    25,040
    30°30'40" N 97°35'41" W (Texas)
    Full Name:
    Steve Magnusson
    Ferrari calls them "light alloy" in their documentation. Based on the weights that have been posted here, they seem to be ~30% Magnesium and ~70% Aluminum. Still a very special, and untypical, material, but, to be technically ticky-tack, not a Magnesium alloy. If you can measure a weight and a volume (easiest done by submerging it in water and measuring how much water it displaces), you can do your own calculation of overall density and then estimate the ratio of Mg content to Al content.
     
  3. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Well, they are right and wrong....they certainly wont ignite, but The Wisdom is that even the 400 degrees for powder coating is too hot, off gassing, embrittlement, or something.

    So back to painting, but there's pitfalls.
    Leave the Factory primers, repair damage with Zinc Chromate, and the modern paints are a real rabbit hole as far as color formula.

    I am just going to BEG my long time Body Shop to color match them, even though their mantra is:
    "We don't do wheels"....

    There's wheels services that offer "Refinish at $175 each", but that's on a modern alloy and I would wager they are powder coating.

    I have never found a rattle can color that came close to the OEM Ferrari, although the Mercedes silver is pretty close.
    Not a match tho…..
     
  4. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    "Paint peeling" is unfortunately a sign that someone may have already repainted them and got the primer wrong....Zinc Chromate is a pale green, it's at the bottom of the OEM layers...
     
  5. samsaprunoff

    samsaprunoff F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 8, 2004
    4,160
    Edmonton, AB Canada
    Full Name:
    Sam Saprunoff
    Tojo likes this.
  6. Tojo

    Tojo Formula Junior

    Apr 12, 2002
    481
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Tim
    Boeing uses that pale green zinc chromate on everything. If it's been mixed and prepared properly it's a real son of a bxxx to get off especially using an off the shelf paint stripper. The stuff we use at work is really nasty and very bad for the environment. I'd recommend a going to a professional bead blasting shop who uses Plastic Bead for stripping as glass bead or coarse grit will eat right into the top layer of plating

    Sent from my SM-G935F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     

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