Alright, I got some questions on wheels. My wheels are now two years old, and see the most use in spring, summer and early fall. I rarely have the truck out in rain, and it's only been out in snow/salt weather once or twice. The only serious time out in the snow was last year when they got really dirty with salt and winter grime....it took several days before I got the chance to clean them and they suffered some minor pitting.

Well it's been a year and the pitting has gotten alittle worse, but nothing major. Technically I have never polished the wheels or worked them over with a mothers powerball or nothing. Usually I clean them really well, and then go over them with a soft brush and some meguirs hot wheels chrome wheel cleaner.

So my question....what kind of wheels are on the market that don't bit when exposed to my WV type weather. Right now the truck basically stays in the attached carport out of the weather but in the cold. Is there a chrome wheel that doesn't pit or lose its luster? I am not really looking for one that can stand salt all the time, but one that will not pit or look like crap after a couple trips out in bad weather.

Or am I going to have to go to a black wheel, and which type of black wheel seems to be the most durable?

Basically....whats the most durable chrome or black wheels? Something that can be routinely cleaned and stay looking great without having to work my fingers to the bone.

 

Although some will disagree with me, I'm going to be completely honest with you. I'm going to base that on many years of working on vehicles, doing detailing work on the side, and once having supervised a plating & painting business for a large corporation.

Here's the honest truth: Virtually no aftermarket wheel will match the corrosion resistance of a factory wheel - no matter what finish they claim to have applied to it. This includes chrome plating, clear coating, polishing, painting, etc. As you've seen, it doesn't take much to start attacking the finish on a wheel - because it lives in a pretty lousy place. There's heat from braking, stone chips, people prying center caps off, lug nuts (and lug wrenches) getting dropped and the ever present road grime. It's a tough life!

Why don't aftermarket wheels hold up as well as factory ones. Try pricing a factory wheel against just about anything on the aftermarket. Notice the factory wheels are abuot twice as expensive? There's a reason for that - and it comes down to the finish and its durability.

OK, now I'll stand back and get flamed.

 

Any pics and what brand are they?

 

i assume he means the ones of his truck

i used to always run polished and then in the summer, re polish them. i agree with 2stroked, no rim is gonna hold up in the winter. buy another set of wheels and use them in the winter or just buy new rims every year. i was my wheels every week and take them off and clean them monthly, they are holding up fine. but 1 of the center caps are destroyed.

 

i personally would stay away from the meguirs hot wheels chrome wheel cleaner it's some pretty potent stuff to be using on chrome wheels.(although it says will not harm any wheel surface) from what i've found for chrome to keep it nice even with ****ty winters is some good scrubbing and a decent polish like mothers or blue magic. a non abrasive SOS pad works great on chrome to clean. don't dare use one on aluminum it will scratch it badly.

if you go here: chromed GMC you can see a picture of my old man's old sh*ty cheby this was on it's third northern Ontario winter with all the chrome, with no pitting. i got the pleasure of cleaning/polishing it once a month... but he usually gave me a 100 bucks to do it.

 

Yeah, that would be the wheels. Liquid Metal Turbine is the brand, chrome obviously. The pitting isn't what I would call major, but it is a pain in the ***, and noticable if you get down and look closely. It hasn't really flaked or rusted or nothing like that, but if you run your hand across it you can feel the texture of the pits.

I haven't had the chrome cleaner do anything so far...I just use it at the house when the wheels are cool and never in sunlight. You also have to rinse really well to or it will leave a white residue.

I guess I could take the wheels off this spring and do a good clean/polish and see what I think about doing. Maybe a set of black 18's with 35's or something for winter. Do the black wheels resist pitting or are they just as bad as chrome?

I do notice how well factory wheels do with winter and everything, but they just don't complete a look like aftermarket. LOL.

 

i hear ya there. i'm not trying to be an ***, but those were things i considered when lifting my truck. and in the winter who cares what tires your running, next winter ill be rocking 35's on the gay chrome clad wheels

 

ditto, thats why I am worried about going to a 6'', most of them cant use stockers

 

Has anyone tried to clear coat an aftermarket chrome wheel? Factory wheels painted or chrome have clear coating on them. I have taken wheel weights off the outside lip and watch the weight scrape the coating and event the paint off.

At a former car dealership I worked for I did business with a guy who repaired factory wheels. He fixed bent lips and cracked rims then repainted and recoated the rims. If the rim was chrome it was sent out to be rechromed. He talked about a new clear coat he got for aftermarket wheels but hadnt tried it yet at that time.

As the winters have been very harsh on my wheels, when I am able to get new chrome rims I am going to look into if they can be coated.

 

It's a truck.... it's meant to be used in all kinds of weather and primarily for work. That being said, get yourself a set of factory take offs on the cheap from someone who needs to have big shiny wheels and run those in the winter to take the beating. Common thing for some up here in MN

I myself will never get fancy wheels b/c I use my truck to much as a truck and those wheels wouldn't last....

 

[QUOTE=zx12-iowa;3575146] get yourself a set of factory take offs on the cheap from someone who needs to have big shiny wheels and run those in the winter to take the beating. Common thing for some up here in MNQUOTE]

this is what I do stockers for the winter and the chrome for the summer my wheels still look new