Hencho in China? Chrome should not look like it is going to rust (be discolored) out of the box...that defeats the purpose of the reason for chroming anything in the first place- (aside from looking good)...to protect the metal from rusting. Especially for what I am sure you paid for them... Personally- I'd *****. Have you called them and complained?
Sounds odd. They were a company in the back of my head that were really good but expensive. Maybe they have changed like everyone else...farm stuff out, etc. When you say $118 a wheel...is that just for the cap, or the wheel + the cap? Regardless...Almost $500 for a set of wheels alone is expensive to most folks. Especially in today's economy. I'd still call and complain. Sounds like you got crummy chrome.
I bought a set of Supremes from Moon in Ca. I have taken them off, used a power ball with polish and waxed them and they still rusted up. And they weren't cheap. I haven't bought from Moon since. I have old Keystones that have set in an old building for years and they have no rust on them. At all. The old chrome looks a lot thicker. It feels different too.
To me, the 'modern' Moon=China. El Cheapo chrome. If I am wrong, I'm always open to being corrected. There is no subs***ute for old chrome...too many variables now a days. Today's chrome just doesn't last. I think it started in the 70's.
The centers are not fully polished in the chroming process like the rest of the wheel. There are some companies who make steelies with fully polished centers. I have the same ones as you. I don't have em on the car yet. I am lucky enough to have a garage to keep it in but if they rust I will most likely have them re chromed with polished centers. Fonzi
FWIW I haven't been able to find decent chrome steel mag centers of any type for a long time. Bout 10 or so years ago they just went to total garbage that rusts up in a month. It's crazy. Moon is not the only company with that problem. I'll be watching this thread in case somebody's got a magic bullet. Til then the best advice is turtle wax chrome polish is best for removing rust
Bought a set of "American Racing Smoothies" well thats what the box said. The rims had made in USA stamped on them. Put them on my coupe for about 6 months. Then pulled the car down for a body off rebuild. Stored the rims in a dry shed with some other old chrome parts. Got the rims out 1 year later and rust was showing in various places. Treated it with chemicals and fisholine in the seams then waxed them real good .What a waste of time that was rust never sleeps. Spoke to our local American Racing distributor and he said " thats the nature of chrome" in other words not interested dont care stick them up your back p***age. I ended up dechroming them and powdercoating them and fittin some 40 ford caps.
Bought a set from Rally America (Wheel Kid). Tapered outers with fully polished Merc centers, really pretty rims for $550. Everyone whos seen them freaks out on how they look. The jury is still out on the rust issue since I haven't run them yet so we'll see what mother nature has in store. But they might be up for grabs anyway since I've had a change of heart in the rim department!
Lemon Pledge, Furniture polish, wax... Not permanent but works, can be washed off and reapplied often and as a side effect, you inadvertently polish the chrome every time you reapply. jmho
OK, what you might be seeing is Nickel. When you plate something, the chrome doees not go into all the cracks and crevices. It is an electroplating process, and electricity tends to go the the closest surfaces, and avoid the ones farther away. That's why you dont' see chrome in tight corners of parts. It DOES have the nickel, becuase it stays in the nickel tanks much longer, so there's time for the metal to plate into the farther places. But chrome is only a 0.0005 (?) thick deposit. Not enough time in the vats to pick us chrome in the corners. It 'can' be done with special electrodes that reach towards the hard to get places, but it's not coast effective. This is why chrome shops avoid doing wheels, especially! I would just wax them regularly, maybe spray in the seams with a good rust preventer (Gibbs, Kroil) or use a product like Liquid Gl*** to wax them with. Provides a bit better protection than regular wax.
I would use a high temp wheel clear coat. You can get it from most of the parts stores. now thats just my .02
wouldn´t clear cote turn yellow when exposed the sunlight? I heard from a swedisch guy(long winters there) that they used to coat all chrome of their cars with vaseline...never tried that though
Great explanation. thank you saving me a lot of typing. To add a little bit: Chrome naturally doesn't want to "throw" into recessed areas even if plated really long. Nickel plates into recessed areas better; but all electroplating plates heaviest on outside corners/ path of least resistance for electricity. FYI: I don't plate automotive wheels. They require auxiliary anodes, thus making it very expensive.
^^^^ Exactly! Let me clarify about my earlier post, I REQUESTED fully polished centers. This is an option with Rally America or probably any other wheel company. Many of these wheels are made with caps in mind, so the centers are not polished. You have to ask for them!
I'm just thinking back to So Calif around 1965, '66 when the flyer in the newspaper from Thrifty Drug Stores advertised chrome wheels (yep, the drug stores sold 'em in So Cal !) and they were $12 each on sale. And I couldn't afford to buy a set! Remember?
I don't think Wheel Vintiques offer fully polished centers. Rally America does and I think it is like an extra 25.00 a wheel or something like that.
If your'e runnig spiders anyway, I would scuff and paint them with brake caliper paint that compliments your car and call it custom.
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