DIY - Paint Removal From Wheel Barrels On Chrome Gumbys
#41
Race Director
Amazing! I thought the wheel companies where getting cheap and not chroming the inside of the wheels. Hard to believe they would paint over chrome. Chrome is easier to clean and maintain than paint. That's the beauty of it. Chrome can be maintained with Windex. Paint has to be cleaned, polished, and protected from oxidation.
Does this mean that my painted wheels are chromed underneath? .......
Does this mean that my painted wheels are chromed underneath? .......
#42
Melting Slicks
My car had aftermarket chrome Z06 wheels on it when I bought it last March. The previous owner said he put them on right before he traded it in, last October. Car had 6000K on it when traded. Some A-hole at the dealership drove the car through the winter / spring last year and never cleaned anything. The brand new wheels were trashed! The Chrome was pitted, flaking, and overall crap! I Painted the inside barrels and sold the tires / wheels on E bay. Bought a set of GM Acc. 7 spokes from a forum member here, that were painted! I will not take off the paint, even though I too am as **** as the rest of the folks here and it's not my daily driver. That paint is there as an added layer of protection against the corrosive brake dust, and salt etc. Chrome is porous, and the corrosive elements attack the aluminum, then the chrome starts flaking. After that it is VERY expensive to have the wheels stripped, and re chromed. It was cheaper to replace than to re chrome. The inside of the painted barrels looks fine when cleaned, I am amazed at the amount of crap that collects just driving the car. The chrome layer on the barrels is pretty thin also. If you want the chrome I would suggest having the entire wheel cleared as an added protection, but the chrome is pretty slick, and you may get flaking as you wouldn't want to scratch up the surface for adhesion. I'm going with the engineering and longevity testing that the factory did to come up with a wheel that they could warranty without replacing on hundreds of thousands of cars. To each thier own!
#43
Melting Slicks
Great Post - thanks!
This method is NOT for the daily driver, wash every month or two crowd.
This method is NOT for the daily driver, wash every month or two crowd.
Last edited by BSE1956; 09-29-2010 at 09:17 AM.
#44
Le Mans Master
I told the guy there was no way the barrels on his chrome wheels were chrome...I mean,why would they paint them grey if they were chrome?
Well,he stripped them & posted pics & sure enough they were chrome all the way through.
Like I said,this was at least two years ago,so I'd say the chances are very good the chrome wheels are your 07 have chrome barrels.
#45
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Don't hold me to this.....but there was a thread a couple years back about this very same thing.
I told the guy there was no way the barrels on his chrome wheels were chrome...I mean,why would they paint them grey if they were chrome?
Well,he stripped them & posted pics & sure enough they were chrome all the way through.
Like I said,this was at least two years ago,so I'd say the chances are very good the chrome wheels are your 07 have chrome barrels.
I told the guy there was no way the barrels on his chrome wheels were chrome...I mean,why would they paint them grey if they were chrome?
Well,he stripped them & posted pics & sure enough they were chrome all the way through.
Like I said,this was at least two years ago,so I'd say the chances are very good the chrome wheels are your 07 have chrome barrels.
The wheels are chrome all over to seal the whole wheel.
Also, it's more work to only chrome part of the rim because it would involve masking off part of it.
And, there would be a edge between where the chrome ends and in this case, the aluminum.
Contaminates then very easily get under that edge and start the chrome peeling etc.
People would be surprised how many things are chromed and then painted either partially or completely.
To add to the reason for the painted barrels, is the barrels do Not get polished like the face of the wheel before the chrome is applied.
The quality of the machined surface finish in the barrels will vary so it's painted to give a uniform look to the wheel.
So yes, even though the whole wheel is chromed, when the paint is removed from the barrel area, some wheels will look smoother and shinier than others.
Chrome is hard as a rock and pretty much the most durable finish when properly taken care of.
Biggest problem with chrome is not the chrome itself, it's the quality of how it is applied.
The good thing is, these wheels may not have show chrome top notch plating, but they're a far cry above the quality of the old Cragars of days gone by
#46
Race Director
You can use the technique nicely illustrated here to also remove the OEM clear coat from the various polished wheels Vettes have used over the years.
You will be amazed how the polished rims glow once you remove the clear coat which can go milky after a year or two.
You will be amazed how the polished rims glow once you remove the clear coat which can go milky after a year or two.
#47
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '06
The barrels of mine are not as smooth as the OP. I would describe them as a brushed finish but they still look great. So what Dif says is correct, the smoothness of the finish may vary.
#48
Drifting
Thread Starter
Don't hold me to this.....but there was a thread a couple years back about this very same thing.
I told the guy there was no way the barrels on his chrome wheels were chrome...I mean,why would they paint them grey if they were chrome?
Well,he stripped them & posted pics & sure enough they were chrome all the way through.
Like I said,this was at least two years ago,so I'd say the chances are very good the chrome wheels are your 07 have chrome barrels.
I told the guy there was no way the barrels on his chrome wheels were chrome...I mean,why would they paint them grey if they were chrome?
Well,he stripped them & posted pics & sure enough they were chrome all the way through.
Like I said,this was at least two years ago,so I'd say the chances are very good the chrome wheels are your 07 have chrome barrels.
Thanks.
and to add some info for what it's worth.
The wheels are chrome all over to seal the whole wheel.
Also, it's more work to only chrome part of the rim because it would involve masking off part of it.
And, there would be a edge between where the chrome ends and in this case, the aluminum.
Contaminates then very easily get under that edge and start the chrome peeling etc.
People would be surprised how many things are chromed and then painted either partially or completely.
To add to the reason for the painted barrels, is the barrels do Not get polished like the face of the wheel before the chrome is applied.
The quality of the machined surface finish in the barrels will vary so it's painted to give a uniform look to the wheel.
So yes, even though the whole wheel is chromed, when the paint is removed from the barrel area, some wheels will look smoother and shinier than others.
Chrome is hard as a rock and pretty much the most durable finish when properly taken care of.
Biggest problem with chrome is not the chrome itself, it's the quality of how it is applied.
The good thing is, these wheels may not have show chrome top notch plating, but they're a far cry above the quality of the old Cragars of days gone by
The wheels are chrome all over to seal the whole wheel.
Also, it's more work to only chrome part of the rim because it would involve masking off part of it.
And, there would be a edge between where the chrome ends and in this case, the aluminum.
Contaminates then very easily get under that edge and start the chrome peeling etc.
People would be surprised how many things are chromed and then painted either partially or completely.
To add to the reason for the painted barrels, is the barrels do Not get polished like the face of the wheel before the chrome is applied.
The quality of the machined surface finish in the barrels will vary so it's painted to give a uniform look to the wheel.
So yes, even though the whole wheel is chromed, when the paint is removed from the barrel area, some wheels will look smoother and shinier than others.
Chrome is hard as a rock and pretty much the most durable finish when properly taken care of.
Biggest problem with chrome is not the chrome itself, it's the quality of how it is applied.
The good thing is, these wheels may not have show chrome top notch plating, but they're a far cry above the quality of the old Cragars of days gone by
As I posted earlier, I have GM wheels that were after market chromed. I did the WCC chrome exchange shortly after buying my car.
The barrels of mine are not as smooth as the OP. I would describe them as a brushed finish but they still look great. So what Dif says is correct, the smoothness of the finish may vary.
The barrels of mine are not as smooth as the OP. I would describe them as a brushed finish but they still look great. So what Dif says is correct, the smoothness of the finish may vary.
Last edited by RAT; 09-29-2010 at 11:45 PM.
#55
Melting Slicks
GM decided a few years ago to solve the problem by painting the inner part of the wheels making the back-side "maintenance free" by sealing the chrome, which is porous.
I've seen the back side of chrome wheels where 6" chunks of chrome plating were bubbling and peeling off, leaving a nasty rough aluminum wheel exposed, also leaving a sharp, rough edge that will cut your hands in a second.
You're wheels look beautiful! I have no doubt you'll keep them looking that way for years!!!!
Last edited by Luster; 09-29-2010 at 11:11 PM.
#57
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St. Jude Donor '06
I can tell you though that even though they are not as smooth as the OP's, they look just as good IMO.
#58
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#59
Safety Car
OP, your wheels look awesome with the paint removed.
I have an 07 with polished/clear-coated wheels which I like a lot. The barrels are clear-coated as well and look great (a lot like yours) when they are clean. The problem is the barres are not smooth like yours, they are grooved like the grooves on a record and a PITA to get clean and keep clean. i have been tempted to paint mine grey just to help fill in the grooves and help with the cleaning issue.
I have an 07 with polished/clear-coated wheels which I like a lot. The barrels are clear-coated as well and look great (a lot like yours) when they are clean. The problem is the barres are not smooth like yours, they are grooved like the grooves on a record and a PITA to get clean and keep clean. i have been tempted to paint mine grey just to help fill in the grooves and help with the cleaning issue.
#60
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OP, your wheels look awesome with the paint removed.
I have an 07 with polished/clear-coated wheels which I like a lot. The barrels are clear-coated as well and look great (a lot like yours) when they are clean. The problem is the barres are not smooth like yours, they are grooved like the grooves on a record and a PITA to get clean and keep clean. i have been tempted to paint mine grey just to help fill in the grooves and help with the cleaning issue.
I have an 07 with polished/clear-coated wheels which I like a lot. The barrels are clear-coated as well and look great (a lot like yours) when they are clean. The problem is the barres are not smooth like yours, they are grooved like the grooves on a record and a PITA to get clean and keep clean. i have been tempted to paint mine grey just to help fill in the grooves and help with the cleaning issue.
As the wheels are being machined, the cutting tool is moving slightly too fast.
If the tool was moving slower it would leave a smoother finish.
But, all things considered, a smoother barrel finish serves no real purpose.
Bottom line, .. if you're a wheel manufacturer .. time is money