TL_Type_S

Hi,

I'm interested in chrome plating my existing maxima rims... or purchasing chrome plated replicas of the OEM rims...

those of you w/ chromies in the midwest (where "winter" is not just something you read about in Science textbooks) ... has the salt damaged your rims.. or do you diligently replaced your chromies w/ the stock rims during the winter?

Please advise.. need to purchase rims soon!

TL_Type_S

bump ..

hopefully someone for the mw will see this

bigman

just do a chrome exchange. If your maxima rims are in good condition a wheel shop will take give you chrome ones for your silvers, plus $700 or so. I have had my chrome CL-s rims on all winter with the sand and snow and they look great. Theny needed a coat of wax to bring them back to life, but there are no blemishes or anything on them.

acur8ly

iTrader: (1)

I am not from the midwest, I have polished aluminum and didn't take them off this winter. We had a preety bad winter by our standards and my rims were messed up. I took them to a place to get worked on. I tried my best to clean them up my self but failed

Shawn S

Road salt, cinders and that new liquid solution that they use to melt snow are all TERRIBLE for chrome wheels.
My wheels come off when the first snow flakes start to fall and they don’t go back on the car until spring.
I just put them back on last weekend.

I have 16” TL wheels with BLIZZAK snow tires mounted for the winter driving.

Shawn S

johntypes

i have chrome rims, exchanged put on 10/02/02 they still look like new i am out of park ridge il

TL_Type_S

Thanks for your replies guys... I'm still unsure about whether or not to keep the chrome on during the winter... some of you say the salt hasn't hurt them, some say they definitely have and/or will......

ugh

dfreder371

TL TYPE S: Two solutions here. This is from Dave the powder coating guy who works with automotive finishes every day. And I have two salt spray cabinets, and a kesternich cabinet. What the hell is that?

Salt spray cabinets expose whatever is being tested to the chlorine ion, which is very basic-pH well above 7, so it is considered caustic.

Kesternich exposes the sample to an acid rain condition. This is attack by the hydrogen ion, which is very acidic. pH well below 7.

I am constantly looking for plating, paints and pretreatments that will do well in both-you're covered! Acid rain in the north east, salty environments in Florida and the pacific coast.

Now, understand this. pH 7 is neutral-no corrosion potential. A pH of 8 is 10X more corrosive than 7, and a pH of 9 is 10X that of 8. Works the same way below 7 for acids.

Corrosion depends on two things. Time of exposure to the attacking ion, and thickness of the plating/ paint and pretreatment. So, here you go:

If chrome only, specify a plating thickness that is above the norm. Chrome plating is expensive. You do not "just" chrome plate something. It is really, copper (base plate), nickle, then chrome. Why? Copper is a "sticky" surface for other metals to adhere to. Nickle is applied because it looks like chrome, but is contiguous. Chrome is a very finicky metal, and it very soon tends to act like ice in a spring flaw-it dissacoiates from itself, leaving many little islands of chrome slightly detached from itself. That is why the nickle is there-it looks like chrome. Copper/chrome works also, but the appearance issues would be obvious.

So, just wash you wheels frequently. They will be fine. Conversely, if they start throwing salt around in October,and you don't wash your wheels until April, expect trouble. Washing your wheels is hardly hard to do.

Best solution: get them chromed, then get them clear coated with a clear, acrylic powder coating. Acrylic=Plastic, and plastic resists both basic and acidic attack. Your battery is primirally plastic, and it holds sulfuric acid. Your wheels are powder coated, and have survived the salt season just fine. Correct?

TL_Type_S

DF ...

That was a very awesome post, thank you very much for posting it. i understand now how this works -- can I email you to locate a good place in Chi-town area to chrome my rims? A friend of mine has a guy that'll do it for $600.00 for all four .. i don't think he's gunna include the clear coat thouogh...

dfreder371

TL_Type_S: Let me get back to you on this. Here is why. I am thick as theives with painting/powder coating job shops and paint manufactures as far as understanding how the paints work and I am skilled at evaluating them. With platings, I only evaluate them. However I have a metals/plating expert who can recommend a shop for me. As a start, use your browser and enter "metals finishing" (you are looking for an industrial publication I get at work called that), and you should be able to work with them either on line or by phone.

Whatever...expect to PAY THROUGH THE NOSE for chrome plating these days. Plating (in general, chrome especially) is a contracting industry because it is such a dirty practice, environmentally speaking. Thus, they are in an overcapacity situation so they set the prices. With the exception of the current "resident" of the United States, the government has been trying to get rid of plating for decades. In fact, in industry these days, plating of anything on anything is always considered a last resort.

dfreder371

Type_l_s: Please see my new postings, now on page 1, considering new chrome technology. Then, get back to me. Dave

Nicky Pass

Yeah....get them black pear chromed!!!