I LIVE IN TOLEDO OH AND DRIVE A 99 BUICK PK AVE ULTRA NEED SOME ADVICE ARE THERE PLACES TO RE-DIP CHROME WHEELS OR IS IT BETTER TO GET NEW OR USED MINE ARE IN DECENT SHAPE BUT THEY NEED SOME RE-STORING
HELP!!!
I would save my money and put on full plastic hub caps…but that’s me.
Are they actual chrome or aluminum? Keystone Automotive or LKQ company can recondition the aluminum wheels. Should be a dealer in your area.
Wow, you sure take your aesthetic issues seriously (~a dozen exclamation points).
It’s quite simple to locate this service in your area.
- Log onto yellowpages.com
- Enter into the search box ‘chrome plating service’
- Enter into the location box your city,state
- Click ‘Search’
A list of local plating services will be displayed. Call them and ask about their prices and procedures for restoring chromed wheels. Once you know the prices, you can shop and compare versus the cost of new or used wheels.
Also, once you get 'em all prettied up again, you may consider getting a set of steel rims (and snow tires would make sense) to use during the winter. Chrome rims really don’t like all the stuff they put on the roads.
In most cases, it is cheaper to replace them recycle the old ones. Eventually, they should get re-chromed, but doing it on their time schedule allows them to do it cheaper.
I was considering buying an old motorcycle that had some damage to the chrome. When I looked into it, it would have been cheaper to replace the chrome valve covers than it would have been to have them re-chromed.
My guess is the rims are aluminum with a clear coat, and the clear coat is deteriorating. Not sure the cost of stripping and refinishing a rim. But my guess its probably not cost effective. However with a little research this might be a do it yourself thing.
appreciate it much doc!!!
Good point. Maybe a good wash and some chrome polish is all they really need. I have seen chrome polish do wonders on my stainless steel motorcycle rims.
Another option is to have them sand blasted down to the base metal, and then have them powder coated. They wont gleem as much, but they will have an understated dignity that chrome never can match. And the finish will take a lot of punishment winter driving and all.
Chrome shops are all but gone…Throwing chrome is nasty, dirty work and the waste produced by metal finishing shops is VERY expensive to dispose of.
You can’t just “re-dip” your wheels…They must first be stripped of ALL old plating, then polished and re-plated with copper, nickle and finally, chrome. That was once an inexpensive operation, but not today…