Chrome Wheel Refurbishment

[JMZ]

Is this acually possible? Short of embarrassing myself by ringing the local powder-coating shop, I'd like to get people's thoughts on how I should refurb my wheels. I know that I can't re-chrome them and I'm ok with that, I'd just like to extend their life a bit or even take it one step further and get them sand blasted and powder-coated a different colour.

They're getting on to 6 yrs old now and they're not looking so great with many rust spots becoming visible. Most likely related to living near the coast.

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab288/jimbow86/IMAG0003.jpg

Ideas? Opinions? Anyone?

[sooty]

Exactly as you said mate, sandblasted and painted/powder later through a wheel shop, I reckon a bronze/gun metal colour would look good on your car!

[guy 27]

try some megs metal polish on it. should come up pretty good. only thing is though that chrome tends to pit over time and there isn't much you can do about that.

[dutchy]

cheapest you can try first is some aluminium foil paper, make that into a ball and dip in boiling water. Rub the rusted parts only. It should get a lot of this off but will not completely get it out. Only rusted parts need to be done.

[sooty]

Once there is regions of pitting where the rust has occurred then they're doomed, no matter how much you patch the chrome the small anode to cathode ratio means pit acceleration. You'll always have internal galvanic corrosion once the initial damage is done (this is coming from a materials engineer just so you know I'm not talking out of my ass) lol
Only solution is to completely strip and coat again in your desired coating

[JMZ]

pitting meaning hollows where the rust has eaten away at the metal?

i might stop by the powder coating place tomorrow for a quote.

[sooty]

pitting meaning hollows where the rust has eaten away at the metal?

i might stop by the powder coating place tomorrow for a quote.
Correct, anywhere there is a rust spot the chromate has ionised and released an electron to the cathode. The smaller the anode (pitting region) and larger the cathode (the rest of the wheel) the worse the effect. Even if you sand the rust off the begin with the chromate layer will be thinner in the formerly pitting region and it will reoccur again soon. Having said that, it's more than likely that the corrosion is purely superficial.

[dutchy]

So Sooty, what are bubbles/blisters under chrome ?

[sooty]

So Sooty, what are bubbles/blisters under chrome ?

Production of oxygen and other gases from the ionisation of chromate molecules in combination with the anodic dissolution of the chromate layer leaving a vacancy between the outer chromate layer and the covered parent alloy.
You might find something about it if you search for 'pitting corrosion stainless steel' or 'micro galvanic corrosion' :)

[dutchy]

Production of oxygen and other gases from the ionisation of chromate molecules in combination with the anodic dissolution of the chromate layer leaving a vacancy between the outer chromate layer and the covered parent alloy.
You might find something about it if you search for 'pitting corrosion stainless steel' or 'micro galvanic corrosion' :)

Cheers

[PaulyJ]

Thanks for the lesson Professor Ain!
IMHO powder coating would probably be the best option.
You can try cleaning them up but for the effort they will never look near as good as they used to.
With a powder coat they'll look new again and give you a few more years of happy driving

[chrissn89]

May work out similar dollars to just buy new wheels in the same size and re use the tyres