Any know of a good chrome polish? I have some Momo rims that were neglected for some time. Like to get them back to good. Any ideas? Thanks

 

Coated or uncoated chrome?

 

Oooh. I dont know. How could I tell?

 

RockPick,

I've never head of "coated" chrome plating. I'm assuming you're thinking of some sort of clear coating over the chrome plate to protect it. Chrome plating is very hard and relatively free of pores. This makes it extremely difficult to get anything to stick to it. That's why folks who simply paint their chrome bumpers almost always see the paint fall off.

Factory applied chrome plating is generally "triple chrome plating." This too is somewhat of a misnomer in that it's not 3 layers of chrome. It's generally a layer of Copper (think "primer") followed by a layer of Nickel (think "barrier") followed by a layer of Chrome. Since most factory applied chrome plating uses this process, there's little need for an additional protective layer - and it's difficult to get it to stick anyway.

So, in answer to your question, I think we are almost always talking "uncoated" when we're talking chrome. By the way, the rest of your advice was - as usual - spot on!

 

I was under the impression that the majority of Momo wheels were polished aluminum sprayed with a coating to protect the finish. Since you say the wheels were neglected, do they have a dull/milky looking shine after you clean them? If so, then they're probably coated. I would recommend using a plastic restorer-type polish to see if it helps. Novus Glass makes the best plastic cleaning/ polishing products I've ever used, and a little goes a long way. http://www.novusglass.com/plasticpolish.cfm
3-M also makes a good non-abrasive plastic cleaner, but it doesn't seem to last as long.

You can also have them refinished professionally, but it'll cost you. I had a set of polished aluminum wheels that I removed the coating and repolished. The effort was worth it only because those wheels were no longer made and I couldn't afford to have them redone. If you have a lot of time on your hands and you're in love with those wheels, this can be a doable option for you. Just bear in mind that you may have to polish them more often if you live in an icy/snowy area or live on the beach.

hope this helps...

 

There are a lot of excellent chrome polishes on the market. My personal favorite metal polish is here:

http://www.heavymetalpolish.com/Products/Polishes/

As RP questioned, if you have clear-coated rims of any sort, you can simply use products that you would normally use on your paint.