Poor Quality Chrome

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SpeedThrills

SpeedThrills

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About 3 years ago, I bought these for my 95 F150: Cragar Chrome Smoothie Wheels 1527477402B They started rusting almost immediately, even with regular waxing. To Cragar's credit, they refunded every penny. It was that, or they offered to replace them. I told the woman, thanks, but I don't want a repeat.

I had scrapped the original wheels, so I needed to buy something to get the rusty junk off of my otherwise decent shape truck. So, I bought these: U.S. Mags Indy U101 Polished Wheels U10115808540, realizing that I would have to polish them, but that's the wheel I wanted. I had to pay extra for the center caps, which were, uh oh, chrome. Guess what? They started rusting soon also.

I painted them silver, but it didn't look good. I tried chrome shrink wrap. No workie.

What do you have to do to get good chrome? I can only imagine it would cost more than the wheels if I sent them out.

Typing this got me thinking. Is there a reasonably priced powder coat option? I should PM Leanna.

I'd like it to be reflective. It makes the wheels look better. The silver paint didn't work because the wheels picked up the dull finish and made them look dull.

Oh, it's my daily. Gotta be tough.
 
What do you have to do to get good chrome?
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Pay a big lot of money.

I painted them silver, but it didn't look good.
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See here and buy it here.

Is there a reasonably priced powder coat option? I should PM Leanna
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She makes powder coat walk, talk, dance and sing, and her work is worth every penny of whatever she quotes for any given job.
 
Because of government regulations and the hazardous materials in the chroming process, chrome isn't what it used to be. It's a newer cheaper, less hazardous chrome now. Kinda like lead paint. That stuff lasted forever. Since it's discovered to be highly toxic and banned, newer house paints aren't as durable.
 
Factory chrome is usually much better than aftermarket wheel chrome [China chrome].
Good chroming is a 3 step process. And expensive. It takes a lot of electricity for the chroming process. And it is deposited in different thicknesses depending in shapes, requiring knowledge and experience.
Clear coating and chroming of aluminum rims lasts only about 5 years in salt country. About the same for powder coating, but sooner if there is a chip in the paint.
 
I agree that newer chrome is nowhere near as durable as vintage chrome.

I bought a one year old '03 motorcycle and the chrome pitted in less than 5 years while being stored in an 8x12 closed shed while not being ridden.

The OEM bumpers on my 66 Coronet that sat outside for almost 50 years are in better shape.
 
Dartvader440gt said:
Because of government regulations and the hazardous materials in the chroming process, chrome isn't what it used to be. It's a newer cheaper, less hazardous chrome now. Kinda like lead paint. That stuff lasted forever. Since it's discovered to be highly toxic and banned, newer house paints aren't as durable.
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Oh, I know it's my "heros" in government that are responsible.

Car Nut said:
Polished aluminum wheels never rust.

@CudaChick1968
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I have aluminum.
 
I have had Cragar SS wheels on mine for 2 years now. Good luck so far, no rust.
 
Chrome plating - Wikipedia
So its the steel beneath that rusts. It will appear at tiniest opening in the coating(s). There are space age polymer sealants that will protect better than old school carnauba wax. Once the moisture gets in a rust starts, it spreads like cancer. I don't think we can stop it. The quality/purity of todays steel is probably a factor also.
 
The centers started to rust on the US wheels..can you replate the centers? The US wheel is cast AL, never seen a center on a mag that was steel but the Cragar domes list them as snap on steel. Chrome is a 3 step process...acid clean steel, copper plate and polish for the reflective properties and fluid look, and then the transparent chrome for the flash and the corrosion control. the chrome is 10-20 mil only. Lots of lead is used in the process so its process is being forced offshore. Nickle would be an option on a polished AL rim as neither nickle or chrome is an exact match
 
pishta said:
The centers started to rust on the US wheels..can you replate the centers? The US wheel is cast AL, never seen a center on a mag that was steel but the Cragar domes list them as snap on steel. Chrome is a 3 step process...acid clean steel, copper plate and polish for the reflective properties and fluid look, and then the transparent chrome for the flash and the corrosion control. the chrome is 10-20 mil only. Lots of lead is used in the process so its process is being forced offshore. Nickle would be an option on a polished AL rim as neither nickle or chrome is an exact match
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Maybe there’s a little confusion here. The first wheels I listed First were all chrome and they rusted, including the hubcap. The wheels I have now are aluminum, but the caps are chromed steel. The caps are rusting.
I’m sure I could get them re-plated, but would it cost as much as the wheels did or?
 
Chrome is copper...nickle then chrome.

Yes it's the steel that rusts but only after the cheap chrome plating breaks down. Don't blame the steel...unless, maybe, if it's Chi-Com.

We use to lay on two or three coats of copper with a polish job in between coats... that's very expensive to do. Lots of man hours. You don't get that with production chrome.

We had a joint called Murray Metal Plating just a mile from my high school. If you were lucky you got a job there at 14 years old and worked every night after school. One of the benefits was you were allowed to chrome anything that came off of YOUR car... not your buddies.

My buddy had a '54 Plymouth he bought for $15.00. He had rechromed bumpers, chrome dash, inner fenders, grille, all the bolt ons, chrome hood hinges... almost the whole car was primer and chrome.
 
@SpeedThrills I'm happy to talk to you about your center caps, and have some input on a DIY method of keeping the new polished aluminum looking great for years too if you want. Give me a call any time after 10:00 a.m. Central time (731-613-9192); if Billy answers ask for me.
 
Thanks for the offer Leanna.

I've been thinking it over and I'm not going to spend anymore on them. Spray silver is good enough.

As for the DIY method for aluminum, would you care to post it on FABO so others can benefit?
 
The VHT brand chrome spray paint is supposed to be 2nd best in somewhat extensive testing.

It's also about the most readily available of the brands tested.
 
I have tried a couple different chrome Spray paints and they turn out barely better than silver Paint. It doesn’t look too bad going on, but quickly dulls. You can’t touch it without finger printing it for months. I would like to have some of what they paint the spray can caps with. That looks nice. What’s in the can is crap. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it 0.5.
 
SpeedThrills said:
Thanks for the offer Leanna.

I've been thinking it over and I'm not going to spend anymore on them. Spray silver is good enough.

As for the DIY method for aluminum, would you care to post it on FABO so others can benefit?
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Sure! Start here got new wheels..:). If I remember right @abodyjoe included a review after he was done in that same thread. It's awesome stuff!
 
Krooser said:
Chrome is copper...nickle then chrome.
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Oof, nickle! Forgot that. The stuff on the caps is not the product, its probably 'vacuum metalizing'. Plastic is painted in a primer, then put into a vacuum chamber with a little piece of pure aluminum. then the AL gets vaporized with a laser or some other high heat process and the AL vapor settles on the (turning) plastic sprue or part. Pretty easy and very uniform. Mirror backs are plated with AL like this. There arre some artist pens called Molotow that comes in "Liquid Chrome" pens and refills that can be shot with an airbrush. Scale modelers may be familiar with it for 'chroming' small parts, ie. headlight bezels and antennas.

csm_molotow_marker_artist_liquidchrome_mirror_884fd21b22.jpg
 
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I believe the Molotow product was the first place contestant in the same shoot out where the VHT product placed second.
 
You might have luck protecting the "chrome" spray paint with an acrylic (water based) clear. I find that on model cars even the old Testors silver enamel, airbrushed, and then baked to dry, and then cleared with something like a Tamiya acrylic looks pretty chrome-like and will not tarnish. How this will hold up in the real world (outdoors weather) is pretty much an unknown however.
 
Some of these US Wheels alumnum slots (like ABodyJoe's) came with chromed plastic caps that are attached with screws. Others (like mine), are chromed steel that push in from the back side.

I need a chromed plastic cap. Mine are 4.250 diameter. The wheels Joe has appear to have a smaller diameter cap. They should've made them all plastic.
 
Why not get some new chrome ones and have them powdercoated in clear? That ought to hold up to the weather pretty well. Yes, they won't be super-shiny chrome, but still better than the "chrome" paint.
 
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