Updated Magnesium Halibrand thread

[What'saCobra?]

Everyone has their passions, but some are based on real features or attributes and some are, let's say, more ethereal.

While Hali's are a great brand, it is of course, a different company from the original, with different owners and different engineering objectives. After all, we are considering Hali's made by M & A, who are not Hali at all. Sort of like Yves St. Laurent?

i mean no disregard for M & A as i am sure they are great wheels and will buy at least a set when they become available, but not because they might say Halibrand, but because they are very very light.

From a performance point of view, when lateral adhesion is critical for lowest lap times and best control performance, it isn't possible to overstate the importance of lightest weight in the wheel, tire, drive-shaft and suspension componentry.

When the unsprung (that is, those suspension bits that are moving from contact with the road surface and not attached solely to the chassis/frame) weight is lower, the lower mass allows the bits to move up and down in response to road undulation with less delay, less tire compression (an undampened spring, after all) and less over-travel due to vertical momentum of the bit.

Most importantly, besides lowering the total stress and heat load on the shocks, the tire surface follows the road surface more closely and with less load variation, with less resistance to remaining in contact with the road surface. It is immediately obvious that more contact and more even contact with the road surface is valuable in generating both steering forces on the front end and total adhesion and grip on the rear.

So, less wheel weight provides imroved lateral grip, better turn-in on demand, less unnecessary variability in grip and better lap times as a result. Meanwhile, less overall weight is important, as has been stated, particularly if the vehicle has been already lightened within safe/rule-regulated limits.

As a byproduct of this less resistance to vertical movement, softer springs and shock settings can frequently be specified, providing both a better ride and even more adhesion, within the limits of the road surface roughness. When road surfaces are rough, like the Targa or off-road, less unsprung weight can also reduce total forces on all of the suspension attachment points, increasing thereby the likelihood of fatigue failure and other breakage.

So, real uber-lightweight mags are more than a purists dream. But, they were not always strong enough in the day and were subject to fatigue failures or cracking from striking other vehicles or road debris. Even a few spectacular accidents occurred when over-pressuring mag wheels after tire mounting, intending to "set the bead" or complete the rim seating on a wheel with insufficient soapy water on the inner wheel surface. A cracked mag rim is easily destroyed from the force of the steel-wire re-inforced tire bead striking the rim when it sets/seats. They can explode with great drama and have killed people, i have been told.

Like everything in life, proper technique can save a life, in addition to adding pleasure.