i picked up a set of chrome wheels that i'd like to have refinished in something else rather than chrome. i'm working on a project of mine and chrome is not in the ingredients. can abybody help?

 

I believe so. The chrome probably has to be stripped or sanded down for the new paint to stick. Definitely get it done by someone reputable.

 

I think your stuck with the chrome, by the time you get them refinished if indeed you can you may be better off buying just what your trying to achieve.

 

The answer is yes, but they will need to be sent to a chrome plate facility to have the chrome stripped. If the wheels are multi pc you will need to send them to someone who can disassemble them to start the process.

Next thing to be aware of is changing the finish, due to the chrome process the aluminum in the wheel will now show many imperfections, if you plan to do a brush or polish finish you may be faced with the wheels showing pin holes and pockets in the aluminum, and the more you polish it out the worse they appear. If you are planning to paint or powder coat a solid color this may be the most forgiving option.

I hope this information is useful

Jim

 

paint, powedercoat, or black chrome are your options.

 

..... +1

 

OK.... Let me step up and answer these directly from the refinishing horses mount...

You can 100% refinish wheels which were previously chrome plated, they can either be 1) Prepared over chrome plate "which is the cheap way of doing things" I don't prefer but since I'm not paying for it I let the customer know "Yes" it can be done but there is no warranty on prep-over chrome.

2) You can have us strip the chrome off and start from scratch. In doing so you should understand that porosity may occur which basically is microscopic holes which form on the aluminum do to surface break-down during this chemical procedure.

We would recommend NOT choosing a polished or brushed finish since the clear coat will allow micro bubbles to show through in the finish. If you are looking to paint it any other color you'll be fine as the paint will certainly hide it in the first flat finish and any coating of clear we use after. You also have the option of having it Polished only without clear, you'll be fine.

Call us if you have any further questions or require professional assistance: www.fastforwardwheels.com (323) 262-7365

We finish a ton of Prowler chrome plated wheels and even have a page designed for this customer, you can see some process photos there: http://www.fastforwardwheels.com/prowler.html

-Eli

 

chrome wheels can be refinished after all. good stuff! thanx for the help. i called FFW and was given a quote on what i needed done.

also, i was told by a wheel refinisher local to the Memphis TN area that there was a special type of clear that can be sprayed on chrome rims for refinishing purposes. how true this is or not i dont know. can anybody elaborate on this possibly?

 

We actually use a bonding agent which comes in clear ourselves, this acts as a base-coat for chrome plated wheels, it's the best you can do, the mistake most refining companies make is they pre-prep and shoot using a method for aluminum rather than chrome plate. We have processed well over 1,000 wheels in this fashion, most of the time prep-over chrome plate is OK, but as I said before it's not the best option, it is the cheap option but not the best.

If you need to contact me directly for any questions please feel free to do so. My in-box for wheel refinishing needs: eli@fastforwardwheels.com or you can PM me here...

-Eli