Note on mag wheels

[Mike Arman]

A quick aside to the lister who asked about magnesium mag wheels instead of
aluminum "mag" wheels.

Unprotected magnesium corrodes quickly and severely (road salt), and if you
manage to kerb a wheel and are very unlucky, you can actually set the wheel
on fire!

Procedure for dealing with a magnesium fire:

Grab everything and everyone important to you.

Exit vehicle.

Retire to safe distance.

Enjoy the show.


It will go out when it is all burned up. You cannot extinguish a magnesium
fire since it is both the fuel and the oxidizer, and it is a VERY hot fire,
so the damage won't be limited to the wheel, either. Think "road flare" -
they use powdered magnesium as the fuel.

Best Regards,

Mike Arman