> I understood that these wheels were prone to cracking. Is that true?
> Was it a design problem or something to do with the age?
> (meaning any wheel is likely to incur damage with 40 years of use, or as
> the magnesium gets old it somehow becomes more brittle (or something)
I'd call it a design problem, basically shared by all early alloy wheels ...
the alloys used were rather brittle. They're plenty strong enough for the
stresses that can be applied through even racing tires, but very apt to
crack if they come in direct contact with anything solid, like a curb or
rock. Lots of times there is little or no visible damage, but even a
microscopic crack can grow with time and usage until it breaks suddenly.
There are ways of inspecting them for cracks, but they aren't cheap. You
might consider asking the seller if he will guarantee them to be crack-free
... which he probably won't.
Newer alloy wheels are made with more ductile alloys, so they tend to bend
rather than crack.
Randall
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