Abstract
The low cycle fatigue (LCF), high cycle fatigue (HCF), microstructure and tensile properties of a low pressure cast A356 aluminium alloy wheel were investigated with T6 heat treatment. The cast microstructure of the alloy significantly influenced the low and high cycle fatigue behaviours. The rim region of the cast aluminium alloy wheel showed higher low and high cycle fatigue strength compared with the spoke region; this difference is thought to be caused by the higher cooling rate of the rim region during casting. The microstructure of the spoke region of the alloy wheel consisted of a dendrite structure with primary α-phase and frequently dispersed large eutectic phases, which led to partial brittle fracture and lower fatigue life with less fatigue plastic strain.