Chrome Wheels
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 392
Likes: 3
From: Palm Coast Florida
Chrome Wheels
I removed my wheels to clean and wax the painted areas. I noticed
That under the paint the wheels are Chromed. Just wondering what they would look like if the paint is removed and the whole wheel would be Chrome.
Capt Bob
That under the paint the wheels are Chromed. Just wondering what they would look like if the paint is removed and the whole wheel would be Chrome.
Capt Bob
Pro
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 697
Likes: 50
From: Up North Wisconsin
Yes, the inner barrels are chromed. Here is a thread on the subject with C6 wheels.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...me-gumbys.html
I was surprised to see that brake dust was already staining the paint on the barrels of two of my chrome wheels at 164 miles. The paint is not very good and it is not applied evenly. One wheel has chrome showing through in areas. On the bead flange you can see how the paint is simply wiped off.
So what to do? A good wax or sealant will help protect the finish. The paint can be removed very easily. Is is not a catalyzed paint and it will come off with paint remover and even lacquer thinner. The problem is you never know what the quality of the chrome will be under the paint. There can be discolored spots or other flaws that are of no concern to the plater as it is getting painted anyway.
I removed about an inch up to a groove from the inside flange on the worst wheel. I found that there is a yellowed area in one spot from an uneven layer of nickle from the dipping process. It probably would not be noticeable except to a sharp eye even though the area is 3" wide across the barrel. It's to bad the barrels are not painted with a better quality paint. I have seen some C6's with horribly black stained wheels. Slotted rotors contribute to the problem as brake dust builds up in the groves and when they get wet it drips onto the wheels. It takes some serious flushing of the rotors when washing.
So the choices are protect the surface.
Strip the paint and hope the chrome is nice.
Repaint, powder coat, or coat the barrel with Plasti dip or similar product.
Different wheels.
I may coat the barrels black, that really makes the chrome stand out. If I was ordering I would skip the chrome wheels and stay with the standard silver wheels. The $2000 option would go a long way for other options.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...me-gumbys.html
I was surprised to see that brake dust was already staining the paint on the barrels of two of my chrome wheels at 164 miles. The paint is not very good and it is not applied evenly. One wheel has chrome showing through in areas. On the bead flange you can see how the paint is simply wiped off.
So what to do? A good wax or sealant will help protect the finish. The paint can be removed very easily. Is is not a catalyzed paint and it will come off with paint remover and even lacquer thinner. The problem is you never know what the quality of the chrome will be under the paint. There can be discolored spots or other flaws that are of no concern to the plater as it is getting painted anyway.
I removed about an inch up to a groove from the inside flange on the worst wheel. I found that there is a yellowed area in one spot from an uneven layer of nickle from the dipping process. It probably would not be noticeable except to a sharp eye even though the area is 3" wide across the barrel. It's to bad the barrels are not painted with a better quality paint. I have seen some C6's with horribly black stained wheels. Slotted rotors contribute to the problem as brake dust builds up in the groves and when they get wet it drips onto the wheels. It takes some serious flushing of the rotors when washing.
So the choices are protect the surface.
Strip the paint and hope the chrome is nice.
Repaint, powder coat, or coat the barrel with Plasti dip or similar product.
Different wheels.
I may coat the barrels black, that really makes the chrome stand out. If I was ordering I would skip the chrome wheels and stay with the standard silver wheels. The $2000 option would go a long way for other options.
