Chrome Plating is a hard metal coating that is electrochemically deposited on the surface of the wheel. Chromed wheels may be buffed to a mirror shine.
When appropriately maintained, chrome wheels will last many years because they have one of the strongest wheel coatings. The electroplating procedure makes chrome wheels highly resilient and tolerant to corrosion, in addition to rendering a polished finish. But this sturdiness depends on regular maintenance. If chrome wheels aren’t maintained properly they can become dirty and murky rapidly; and over an extended time period, can deteriorate and lead to flaking because of accumulated brake dust and road salts.
The majority of wheels today are cast aluminium alloy. Even high-quality aluminium is very difficult to electroplate because aluminium is an extremely active metal that instantly forms an oxide skin.
PROS OF CHROME WHEELS
- Chrome wheels have a distinctive mirror-like shine, they are robust and highly resistant to rust and the elements.
- Chrome wheels are made stronger and more hard-wearing because they are electroplated with metal.
CONS OF CHROME WHEELS
- Chroming is made up of several layers to achieve the desired finish, so the weight adds up, which can potentially negate the performance advantage that lightweight wheels can bring to a car.
- Chrome can start to flake off the wheel if it is not properly taken care of or was a poorly done chroming job (cheap wheels). If that happens the wheels have to be stripped and re-chromed.
- Nickel-chrome plating is a barrier-layer type of plating, it does nor protect the substrate if it gets scratched. Quite the opposite: if there is a scratch, the exposed aluminium and the nickel plating comprise a powerful corrosion battery that will cause the aluminium to pit and/or erupt in ugly little corrosion pimples/volcanos.
- Look at the warranty. Few manufacturers will guarantee them more than a year. But I doubt you’ll find a long-term all-inclusive guarantee on chrome plated aluminum wheels because it’s just too difficult to plate them right.
POLISHED ALUMINIUM
Polished Aluminium is the bare metal surface of the alloy wheel buffed to a high shine. Polished aluminium wheels are lighter than chrome, making acceleration slightly faster. If polished aluminium wheels lose their lustre, they can be polished again to renew and restore how they look.
