New chrome coating process from Rally America

This is one of the first examples of the new chrome coating we are offering on our wheels. This process allows the wheel to be chromed after ***embly, which offers some advantages. With this wheel it's actually the only way it could be chromed, because of its design some welds would burn through if you plated the pieces separately and traditional electroplated chrome would not be able to plate this wheel ***embled.


Close up


How do you think it looks?

 

That is cool.

 

X 2

 

Very nice............any idea how much per wheel to do this?

Frank

 

It's going to depend and the size and shape of the wheel, but custom jobs or restorations will probably be between $175 and $250 per wheel and it is going to be between $100 to $120 over the price of bare steel for our new wheels.

 

This process is especially good for our wire wheels, I've got them doing one as a sample right now and will post pictures ASAP. With a wire wheel there has always been problems with chrome due to all the pieces needing to be plated separately and then ***embled. Mainly, the ****** rubbing on the inside of the dimple on the rim while tightening all the spokes causes a small amount of the chrome to crack or rub off and expose raw steel. Eventually, it will rust and work its way up and through the hole where the spoke goes through the rim. Because we are now able to plate a wheel already ***embled with the new process it solves that problem. In addition, this coating is about 3 times more resistant to corrosion than the highest quality electroplated chrome. It comes with a 5 year warranty, that's right, chrome with a 5 year warranty.

 

Do you think you could do a deuce grill and make it look decent? I have one that was painted and I've had it media blasted and it looks dull. What do you think?

 

Wizardry and mad science abound at Rallyamerica.

Very nice!

 

is this a spray finish as paint is? or is it plating? if you dropped a slot head screwdriver from 4'' or 5'' away tip down, what would happen? if you did coat a spoke whell, and it needed to come apart, would the ******s be stuck to the hoop? or would they be free? will it yellow with age? four(4) questions from rosemead ca.

 

It's sort of a cross between paint and plating. Here's a quick overview of how the process works, taken from the website of the people doing the work

Base coats
First an Organic Epoxy base coat mixed with nickel and ***anium in flake form is applied using an automated line with a sputtering gun. The wheel is then baked in preparation for the second primer coat which is Laser Etched on using a per priority product. Then each wheel is baked again, detailed, and sanded to remove any inclusions to ensure proper adhesion of the Pure Chrome finish.

Chrome application
Pure Chrome is applied to the ENTIRE surface of the wheel (face, backside, and drop center) in a computer controlled PVD Chamber. Thus ensuring complete coverage of the far corners and recesses of the spoke area not just the face with special attention given to the tire bead seat area.

Clear Coat
A special clear cost developed by DuPont for our specific use is applied to the ENTIRE wheel and baked on to give a complete layer of unequaled protection.

The coating behaves pretty much like a paint against impact, so if you dropped a screwdriver on it, i would expect it to chip which is what i would except from electroplated chrome as well, but unlike traditional chrome, it will not peel and run under the rest of the coating. If we had to take a wire wheel apart I would expect the spokes wouldn't just fall out but I don't think they would be permanently stuck either. I'd probably have to use about the same amount of force as powdercoating. And It will not yellow.

 

This stuff was specifically designed to be used with wheels and I'm only going to be offering it only on wheels, but it maybe it could be used on other things. Here's the number to the people doing it: 1-800-394-7008, give them a call and ask. Ask for Scott, he's a hot rodder too and will know what you're talking about.

 

"Pure Chrome is applied to the ENTIRE surface of the wheel (face, backside, and drop center) in a computer controlled PVD Chamber."

So these are vacuum plated, like plastic parts correct? Seems like the application may be new but the process is old. Very cool.

 

Very nice!

 

Yes, that is true some of the "chromed plastic" is done this way. Here is the wikipedia for Physical Vapor deposition. It says it was used as far back as 1838!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_vapor_deposition

 

Awesome, one question! Why does it have to be clear coat it? at the end its like the Spray On chrome Process, which requires a final protective clear coat, so the durability of the chrome is as good as the coating applied to it..

 

it looks awesome

 

I'd like to see a set of '35 Ford wires done...

 

Me too, wanna borrow a set

 

That is correct, the clear coat is mostly for durability, and has been specifically formulated for wheels.

 

There has been some of those done already, I don't have any pictures but it looks great. You could send me yours to have done or you could buy them outright.

 

so if left uncoat like the Spray On Chrome process it will scratch easiliy right?

 

Due to the intrinsic nature of electroplating, this is a much needed process for wheels. I hope it works out for you. Electroplating wheels properly is very difficult to do and there needs to be a better way.

I do have some questions:

When you say "per priority" what does that mean? Is it supposed to be "proprietary?"

Chromium is an astronomical 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale; only 1.5 under diamond itself. This begs the question of why the pure chrome isn't left alone. There is no arguing that chromium is a proven topcoat since the late 1920's. Since this is pure chrome, why does it need a clearcoat that is softer than the chromium itself? It's also ***umed that there is going to be some reflectivity lost in the overall luster after being clear-coated.

Correction:
A halfway decent chrome plated surface will not chip from a a screwdriver dropping on it unless it is much more than gravity powering its decent. Anyone can test this claim. Your process may be a great thing, but let's keep it honest. A polymer clearcoat is not as hard as chromium over nickel. A well done clearcoat paint job will chip or flake up with a knife blade drawn against it. A well done plating job will only scratch with the same ***ault. My point being there will be some compromise; I'm not saying it isn't worth it overall.

 

I think you're right in thinking thats a typo.
Now, I'm not the expert on this stuff yet but my guess is that it needs to be clearcoated because the layer of chrome is very thin, much thinner than in electroplating. Also, no luster is lost. I think it looks better actually. With normal chrome you can see all the polishing that was done under the chrome.

I don't really understand why the screwdriver thing is relevant, last time I checked most people are out driving their cars, not throwing screwdrivers at them. So corrosion resistance is the main concern, not impact resistance. But just for fun, I just did the test. Did it about 10 times. No chips, just small scratches. This isn't just a normal clearcoat.

Thanks
Jimmy

 

I've been driving my cars for lots of years...and with painted rims, rock chips are a problem, even to powdercoating. They get chipped, regardless...the relevance here is how long it takes to chip a "painted" or "clearcoated" surface...

R-

 

This is an intensely interesting thread for me and thanks for posting Jimmy. I am taking note very specifically first because I have some Buick Skylark wires that need restoration and the area around the ******s on the wire wheel rims is always rust prone - even in a dry climate. Second I am wondering it the clear coating process can be applied to painted wheels? I am painting some steel wheels in a custom color and need to protect them as much as possible from road rash and chips. I have been looking into low cure powder clears and conventional acrylic clears but I am really looking for something super resistant. Any idea if this final clear coat can be applied over paint? I am thinking that this may be a ceramic clear from Techline Coatings in Temecula CA which I have used for several years to clear coat aluminum so that it never needs to be polished and does not lose it's luster. The process sounds similar to the finishes on Real Rodders Wheels - some of which are tinted to look like polished magnesium....

 

I will look into this. I know this stuff is also about to be tinted. The people doing the work say that the clear was made specifically for this process so maybe it wouldn't work on normal paint, but maybe it will! I'll ask.
Jimmy

 

I think it could be as thin as spray on chrome, silver layer

 

Cool! This answers my question that I emailed you a few months ago for which was how much to chrome a set of '40 Ford wheels for my brother's coupe.

 

Jimmy

The link to Techline coatings:

www.techlinecoatings.com

All aluminum parts and the stainless valley cover on this engine have been coated with Techline's ceramic clear and look as good today as when they were coated a few years ago. The luster of the freshly polished sand cast aluminum and polished stainless is reduced by about 5% when you coat it, polished die cast aluminum and polished spun aluminum - such as velocity stacks - show zero reduction in luster and the coating is invisible....

 

nice