Letter 6945

Powdercoating peeling chrome wheels? 

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I have chrome wheels on my 1993 Volvo 960 wagon. I don't know the history of the chroming process, as I bought the vehicle used, but the chrome is beginning to peel. Might I be able to have them sandblasted to remove the chrome and then have them powdercoated? I think the center caps may be plastic - can this be done on them? I'm about to replace the tires, and have heard that unsound chrome around the rim may cause leaks, so it may be a convenient time.

What should I expect to pay if I do this?

John Kirk
- San Diego, CA, USA

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I hate to say it, but consider going to a junkyard.

It's certainly possible to strip the chrome off the wheels (chemically might be a better idea than sandblasting), and then powder coat them -- look in our Directory of Jobshops for some people who can do that for you. But it's not cheap; when you're talking just 4 wheels you are involved in set up costs and unit labor costs that are much higher than an O.E.M. who is making thousands of wheels has to contend with.

It may be impractical to strip the chrome off the plastic caps, or to get paint to stick to the chrome if it is left in place. And as for powder coating the caps, it 's probably not doable.


Ted Mooney, P.E. 
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

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