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I bought this complete set of N.O.S. 4” and 5” GoPower wheels back in 2002. How do I determine if they are magnesium or aluminum?

Rich/Rick
Northern, NJ

If the unpainted surface is green its a good chance its mag. The corrosion where the wheel halves bolt together looks like what you will find on a 'mag' wheel. Not sure if a actual 'weight' number was ever given for mag vs. aluminum wheels.

R.E.A.R.

Clean off a spot on the inside of the wheel and put a few drops of vinegar on it, and if it starts to foam or bubble, then it is magnesium. If they are aluminum, then there will be no reaction to the vinegar.
Low tech but it works, it is the way I have always done it. The early design is what you have and they were all magnesium.

Larry Brown

Good tip Larry, Thanks for sharing it.

R.E.A.R.

REAR (Bob) the unpainted surface is greenish. Good tip.

And, Larry, that’s a great vinegar trick. After cleaning off a spot on the inside of the wheel and put a few drops of vinegar on it, it did foam a wee bit, but not much. So, I’m calling this set magnesium.

I don’t think I have a use for this set, so a will probably list the set for sale.

Hi Larry, FYI, there were aluminum type 1 GoPower's. I've had two sets. Very few of them out there. Nowadays that we don't care about weight, I like them more than the mag version as they're a lot stronger and don't oxidize as much.

Bill

Those wheels are very magnesium. Just from how thin the casting is. They turn black and get chalky when in humid climate. Hartman used them well into the early seventies on the enduro karts because they were so light weight.