Painting Chrome??

[jaredc]

FIRST POST!

Hey, i have some Centerline Forged Storms (17x7), that the PO of the car decided he wanted in chrome. I'm very much against chrome...way too flashy. Anyway, I wonder if i can paint them, or if anyone has had any luck painting them. I was talking to a local powdercoater and he was saying that it would be difficult to PC them because of adhesion, that the chrome would have to be stripped off of the alum. and that that runs a big risk of destroying the wheel because of his sandblasting. Ive watched a few videos, and they all entail the same process, scuff with red scotchbrite, clean, clean, clean...clean again, scuff some more, adhesion promoter or self etching primer, sand, prime, paint, clear.
The only thing locally i can get to easily is Duplicolor wheel paints, and that puts me looking at their Bronze color, which I'm A-OK with. I would love to do this as a DIY, but is it advisable to do so? I'm afraid that as soon as i hit gravels or dirt...that bronze is just gonna flake right off and ill have a scuffed up chrome wheel with bronze speckles.

So, has anyone had any luck with painting chrome...good wheel chrome?

[decke48]

chrome will need to be stripped off for the finish to last. even if you sand and scuff the chrome, the paint seems to flake off. are you sure the wheels are actually chrome plated? some wheels are just painted with a imitator look a like chrome
best place to remove chrome is a chrome replateing shop, and the should have the dunk tanks to remove chrome

to strip chrome you need
anodizing and chrome stripper
stainless cathode rod
12v battery charger w/ 2 amps
nitrate acid
water
two dunk tanks

process
Using the Caswell anodizing & chrome stripper at room temperature, connect the hot side of a battery charger to the part being stripped and the negative lead to a stainless steel cathode (?). Submerge both parts into the solution for 15-20 minutes (?). At this point the chrome should be gone (how do you tell?) leaving behind a nickle plate. To remove the nickle, use a solution of 50% water and 50% nitric acid. Hang the part in the solution at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. This should remove the nickle and copper underneath the nickle if it is present.

[jaredc]

Thats some dang good info. thanks.

how would i know that the wheels aren't just painted with a chrome look-a-like. Centerline seems to be reputable, and their website says "available in hi-polished or chrome finish"

http://centerlinewheels.com/wheel_deals ... le&data=44 (http://centerlinewheels.com/wheel_deals_detail.php?id=12437&type=vehicle&data=44)

if they are chrome, I guess ill have to spring for the plating shop's removal, seems to need too much equipment (dunk tanks) to do at the house. either that, or sell the wheels and buy what i want ( wheels came with the car ). i do have the snowflakes, so i wont be out while im waiting.

[jaredc]

on second thought, they very well may be the high polish...i cant keep them clean for nothing. i rubbed one half dollar sized spot for about 2 minutes with NEVR-Dull, and it didnt do jack crap nothing. I then brought out a bottle of metal magic, and it helped a little, still no mirror shine or anything. the wheels water spotted, in my driveway, from rain.

even when i did get the wheels polished with metal magic, it was spectacularly clean like chrome easily gets.

[decke48]

true chrome will be mirror finished. you should see a exact reflection like a mirror.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/06/chrome_wii-1.jpg if the reflection isnt clear and has a little blur there probably polished

[phi11]

that the chrome would have to be stripped off of the alum. and that that runs a big risk of destroying the wheel because of his sandblasting.

how does this destroy the wheel?
I'm blasting a set of wheels right now.
:smt072
^ lawl, blasting.

[jaredc]

He was just saying that he uses a lot of pressure, throwing a lot of media (black beauty). He said alum. Was too soft for that kind ofabuse. I don't know why they couldn't just back down on stuff...but whatever.

[decke48]

the chrome a hard finish so when sandblasting you chance making a uneven surface, you have to concentrate in very small areas. i dont think he want to chance it.
black beauty is fine to remove paint off aluminum.

[B's Legacy Wagon]

i think alot of the above information is very good and to the point. question i have for you is this going to be cost effective for you? my thought being to find a place that will remove the chrome plating and the cost associated with this procedure. Would it be any easier to re-purchase the same rims with out the chrome finish that way you can more easily just paint them.
then maybe sell the chrome rims making back your money. just a thought.

[decke48]

stripping will cost around $100 for 4 wheels. a little prep for powder coasting. and price for powder coating should be around $60-80 for stripped wheel (price is on each) so $340-420 to do. trouble selling your current wheels for used value. then buying new, or finding used ones.
unless you trade chrome for polish wheel and then powder coating. it is worth the extra $100 to strip the chrome off and use the wheels you have

[StatGSR]

everywhere i look says those wheels are polished not chrome....

[decke48]

everywhere i look says those wheels are polished not chrome....
if you look at the link. the third one down (348 7707 539) the description saids chrome forged wheel

[jaredc]

After all of this info, and comparing mine to real chrome wheels irl, I do believe they are polished. This is a good thing. The only way to know 100% however would be to dismount the tire and find the serial number on the inside of the wheel, call centerline, and get them to tell me. If I do get them coated, I'll have to do this anyway, so no problems there.