I got the fronts put back together yesterday. I did heed your info and cleaned the threads and washers on the mount bolts for the brackets and calipers. I also used some blue thread lock on the bracket bolts. Working on the back ones now and will do the same. I do check the torque on my wheels at least once a month when I drive it in the summer time. Winter it sits so no worries there. If I do a thorough clean for a show, I take the wheels off and clean the barrels so they get torqued then again as well. I do have a question too. For those that run the rotor hat covers, would the same apply to those with checking the torque? Especially the powder coated ones? Would the chrome ones apply also? I'm just curious on those, I don't have any, but asking for those that do. Thanks for all your info. Very valuable.

 

Hmmmnnnn, I never considered that either. My 02 has the chrome covers. I've never had a problem with them though and I've had them at least 15 years.

 

Wheels are back in hand, picked them up this morning. Took them to the powder coating shop this evening. They actually don't look too bad in bare aluminum either. But they will have some sort of silver coating on them when I get them back. Not sure when that will be as the car won't see sunlight until spring anyway. I also had them rechrome my fluid caps and they look much better now too.

 

I apparently had not read for content. I thought you wrre getting new wheels. Re-newed I guess then!

 

I always liked the style of those wheels. Should look great when finished.

 

Renewed wheels, yes. I looked at wheel options for new ones but didn't find anything that really grabbed me and told me to get them. The ones I really liked back maybe 4-5 years ago are no longer made and finding them used is impossible. Plus with the wife getting her knees replaced starting on December 12th, the cheaper way to go is the way to go. I'm not sure going the route of nonchrome will be good. But it is the option I'm going with for now and it will be what it will be until we get her back on her feet so to speak and in good health again. That may take a while I'm sure. I really do like the wheels I have and would like to keep them as long as I can too. I did find out this evening that the "BOLTS" they put around the rim are actually not bolts at all. They look like bolt heads, but are really push in plastic bolt heads. They're just replaceable plastic imitation bolts. Who knew????? The powder coater called me and asked me about them because he was worried about them melting in the oven. So I called SR1 Performance Wheels and they did confirm they are plastic and they just pull out. They also said try to not to break any as they're most likey not made anymore. But a quick look on-line and we found some options. Gold, chrome or black. I may get the black ones and do something diffent to go with the silver color and not chrome. We shall see....but that's about it for today.

 

I don’t have experience of chrome as we rarely use this finish, nevertheless I would believe the layering thickness and the hardness does not make the chrome sensitive to settling, aka losing thickness under the joint load. This is not true for the powdercoat at high temperature, i.e. rim temperature during autocross or track days. Above 60 degrees Celsius, the powder will start to soften, eventually the thickness will reduce by compression and the tension in the joint will loosen. This become the potential starting point of loosening the nuts slowly.
TCFS

 

Thanks for the update. Good info.

 

Got a text from the powder coating shop today. He did 1 wheel and wants me to come have a look tomorrow. I will be bringing it home with me and put It on the car. If I like what we did, I'll have him do the other 3. I'm sure it will be cool, and it will surely be different. We shall see......😎👍

 

Went and got 1 wheel, it was a front one. I had to repair a snow fence I put up to try and keep drifts to a minimum this winter. After that, I went and put the wheel on the car to see how it looked. It's not chrome, but it does look decent I think. I will miss the chrome, but I will get use to this. I went with what they call Silver Ore and it has lots of flake in it. You can see it when the sun shines on it pretty good. The color is a little darker then I thought it might be, but I don't mind it at all. Time for a new look I think.

Don't mind that cord hanging on the side either I took the blue rag out from under it for the picture. The car is always protected from it.



Not sure if I should go with the chrome or black lug nuts yet, I have them both on in this picture. And I still need to put the plastic rivet heads back in too. The car will look better once the tires are on and back on the ground again.

 

I like the new look Mark. Silver Ore goes well with putple. All of those flakes should really pop in the sunlight and even at night when they pick up surrounding lights. Good luck with the predicted weather and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Thanks Mike, Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.

 

This is gunmetal grey? Or did you choose another color since the? In my head I picture a darker gray with the term gunmetal.

 

It is what they call Silver Ore. It has a lot of metal flake in it. I didn't want to go with anything that was too dark. This color is more silver then grey. When I get the tires back on them and mounted on the car, I'll be able to really see what it will be. Hoping it will be back on the ground by next week sometime. If we get the snow they say we will, I may have to just drive it up and down the driveway a couple times to get the suspension to settle so I can really see how it is. I may take some time next week to put the new DeWitts radiator in it too before I put it back on the ground..

 

I think they look great!
I'd go with the chrome nuts or maybe purple???

 

Not gonna lie, purple nuts have been discussed. 🤔 Not really my thing so most likely be black or chrome.

 

I like both chrome and black lug nuts however IMHO chrome lug nuts go with the existing rotor hats and the brake pad backings.

 

Those are gonna look killer on the car, Mark. If it were me, I'd probably go with the black lugs, for the contrast.

If you don't mind, could you post or pm the contact info on the chrome stripper? What did that process end up costing?

 

I have both and I've been debating on which ones to use. I may change them up now and then. Most people say to use the black also for the same reason you mentioned.

Not a problem at all. The only place that was fairly local to me was in Omaha. I didn't want to ship them if possible. It was an hour drive for me but worth it. The place I used for the chrome stripping was Industrial Plating. Address is 1149 Florence Blvd Omaha NE, 68102. The phone number is 40234four4684. The owner, his name is Corey, is a very cool guy and he's a 4th generation owner and has been in business since 1965. Fun talk to. He charged $125 per wheel, so $500 for them. He doesn't rechrome wheels but he does chrome other items. Smaller stuff. He did also tell me he's mostly doing industrial accounts but he also doesn't turn down car people. The car stuff he said kept him in business back in the covid times. If you don't have chrome to deal with, my powder coater told me yesterday he used the company Keystone Stripping that did a wheel for him recently. It was already powder coated and he didn't have the time to deal with the stripping part of it so he took it to them. They had it stripped within a couple hours and it was only $50. They are also in Omaha as well. I don't know anything about them though.

 

Thanks for the info, Mark. It will go in my archives, for future use.