Crome Alloy Question

pj1960, Jul 28, 8:10pm
Thinking about buying some crome alloys my concern is does the crome fall off in a year or two.Your thoughts please.

gunhand, Jul 28, 8:39pm
If its a high quaility product it should last many many years. Chrome like anything, does dull off and start to pit but that should be a long way off. However if you by el cheapo crap it may well start to deteriate sooner.

e.g.cat, Jul 28, 8:59pm
Buy a reputable brand and you're fine.
Be prepared to "love" them with regular washing and a good chrome polish like Mothers. NEVER wash them when they are hot to the touch as this will cause cracking due to the contraction caused by the cold water cooling the chrome faster than the alloy underneath. Don't forget the back side of the spokes and inside the back of the wheel as a lot of modern compound brake pads will cause them to deteriorate quite quickly if left too long.
If this all sounds too hard, go and buy some machined and polished wheels that have a good clear coat on them ex factory. They are easier to maintain and if you have a wee "park by Braille" incident, generally they can be refinished and won't need to be replaced.
Now go shopping!

fordmfp, Jul 29, 6:21am
I purchased Boyd Coddington chrome alloys and they have started to pit after 1 year and they have been extremely well cared for, I wouldnt reccomend them to anyone!

grangies, Jul 29, 6:37am
It all comes down to the $$$ figure of the wheels.

If they are super cheap when new, they will not last.

Check the price of the same styled wheels that are just plain silver painted compared to chromed. If the chrome is just a little bit more, then it will be not too good.

A lot of the chrome work coming off the factory floor these days is disgusting. Take a good look and you can see the preparation is rubbish. Grinding and sanding marks that have been thinly chromed over. Dull looking crap.

gman35, Jul 29, 8:18am
Don't chromed wheels (wire spoked on old english cars excepted) just look a bit cheap anyway ! Polished alloy only is surely the go !

jason18, Jul 29, 8:22am
Go alloy. I have chrome wheels on my BA due to getting them cheap of my bro. They are flaking all over the show

usdefault, Jul 29, 8:34am
Chrome alloys on a BA Falcon!

Have you no style at all!

neville48, Jul 29, 8:37am
yep I had the same with Cragars chromies and have seen many others with the same so I guess a big name doesn't matter too much.

jason18, Jul 29, 8:39am
Hhaha It actually suits it . Just.

pj1960, Jul 29, 9:10am
Thanks for your comments guys,Ill keep looking for polished ones.

fordmfp, Jul 29, 8:19pm
You got that right! So i guess i need to strip them and polish them if they get too bad,Does anyone know would soda blasting be the best way of stripping the chrome without damaging the alloy!

elect70, Jul 30, 2:18am
Get chromer to put them in his tankreverse the polarity &come outcleanminus all chrome & copperI had minedechromed$100 & powder coatedgunmetal grey$150 .

fordmfp, Jul 30, 9:24am
Awesome cheers, Will that damage the alloy if i wanted to polish them!

elect70, Jul 31, 5:02am
Take them to chromerhe will put them in the tank &reverse thepolarity &it will take all the chrome & copper off .Get them powdercoatedonly costsaround $25wheel .