Letter 8881

Chrome removal from Aluminum Wheels 

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I have four Aluminum wheels that have been "acid chromed" I would like to remove the chrome. The wheels are peeling and blistering. So removing the chrome is a must and I'd like to polish these wheels or paint/powdercoat.

I was told that a chemical removal will leave the Aluminum very rough and it may require a lot of work to polish. I was also told to sand/media blast the wheels and just paint them.

Can anyone comment on my situation and suggest the most economical route and a shop that can help me in the ny/nj metro area... Thanks

Peter S
- Westbury, NY

Your problem wouldn't be chrome plated aluminum wheels from a Ford Probe GT, would it?.... I just put $800 into tires, only to be told the rims of this 4 year old car were scrap and the tire beads would no longer seal, requiring new rims due to the severe blistering of the chrome!

Mike W
- Pittsburgh, PA

Doing a good job of chrome plating alloy wheels is a technically challenging problem, and apparently it is fairly common to buy rims from which the chrome peels. That being said, if the supplier feels that it is too difficult to plate wheel rims reliably he should get out of that business.

As a plating professional I'm tired of consumers encountering this problem. The chrome is not supposed to peel. Period! Demand your money back! Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

I bought some used alloy wheels and the chrome is peeling. What would be the best way to remove the chrome. After the chrome is removed what would be the best way to refinish the wheels.

Mark H
- Elkton, VA

How can I remove the chrome off my 20" Colorado Custom rims cheaply? They are peeling like crazy.

Gary b
- Los Angeles,CA. USA

The chrome is removable relatively quickly (but not without hazard) with Muriatic Acid [link is to product info at Amazon]. But, such wheels are actually nickel plated and then chrome plated, and most of what you are looking at is actually nickel.

It may be possible to sandblast them, but sandblasting is not good for aluminum and you'll never get it smooth again. Chemically stripping the nickel requires special chemicals that aren't easily available to or usable by consumers.

I think your best bet is to take the wheels to a plating shop or powder coating shop for stripping the nickel and applying a chromate conversion coating before painting or powder coating.

Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Ted,

That's an interesting answer, you obviously know what you're doing. It's a pity Harley-Davidson doesn't use your company. I have a set of H-D chrome slotted wheels ($800 each approx) with the same problem. They're only about two years old and the chrome is flaking all over the place. I know it's a major problem because I've seen lots of them on Ebay with the same symptoms. They're obviously out of warranty now but, as you said, this should not happen. I can't believe they are still selling these wheels.
Looks like I'll have to scrap them as there does not seem to be an easy solution.

Peter Hargreaves
- Lytham, Lancashire, England

Can anyone give a solid answer on how to remove the Chrome? I have some 20 inch rims also that seem to be cast alluminum and the rims look terrible. They are peeling really bad and I would like to have the chrome removed. I would like to do this personally but don't have to. Someone help me please.

Corey Hatcher
Auto Body & Repair - Albany, Georgia

^-- I want to contact this person and my company is a supporting advertiser of finishing.com

I don't know why you think my answer was not solid (...sniff...sniff...), but anyone is welcome to respond.

Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Hi I have a set of aluminum rims that are covered with chrome, the chrome is peeling and oxidizing also.
I want to know whats the best solution to remove the chrome so I cam polish the rims to a great look.
all comments are welcome.
thanks Edwin

Edwin James
hobbist - Brooklyn, New York

I have read several post's on how to remove Chrome from mag/alum rims? I would like to get a good solid response on how to do it the right way. I have seen everything from oven cleaner to sand plasting. I am trying to get this done on a budget. Can someone please help me with this. Thank you

Steven Humphrey
Just starting out in this - Fulton, Illinois

Hi, Steven. The question has been asked and answered dozens of times on this site, and even on this thread. It is usually the questions rather than the answers that lack solidity.

Mag wheels and aluminum alloy wheels are different things. Pressure cast aluminum alloy wheels are very different things than rims cut from billet aluminum. The answer also depends on what you expect to do with the wheels after removing the chrome. Are you preparing them for replating with nickel-chrome? Are you trying to leave the nickel plating on them? Are you trying to prepare them for powder coating? Are you trying to mirror polish the billet wheels and leave them as polished aluminum? Are you removing the chrome only because you don't like it, although it's adhering fine, or is the chrome a peeling flaky mess that must be completely removed, not built upon? Not offering that kind of info, but asking for "the right way" is like asking whether a Porsche is better than Kenworth.

And even if you do answer those questions, it's still like asking whether a Ford Truck or a Chevy Truck is better because people have different ideas; some think that sandblasting is best, some think that chemical stripping is best. There may not be a right answer and it may depend on how much training you've had with toxic chemicals, what kind of personal protective equipment you have, whether you already have a sandblast cabinet, etc.

Powder coaters have told me of their success with a light sandblast that removes the chrome and etches the nickel. It's a fine answer, but not if heavy layers of nickel are peeling. In that case you must chemically remove the nickel and you can't do that yourself, you have to take them to a plating shop because you cannot dissolve nickel into any chemical comonly available to consumers. Oven cleaner may be useful for removing anodizing but not nickel plating. Sorry.

Regards,

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

Perhaps you can help...and I hope I am clear in my question unlike so many others I have just read about in this thread.

I recently purchased 20" Chrome Forged wheels. They are brand new, perfect condition. There are 12 spokes in alternating widths as part of the design characteristic. I was considering how the wheel would look if each smaller spoke were painted to match my vehicle color. Based on the previous responses, would this intended result require a full removal of both the nickel and Chrome using the chemical process mentioned, or could the sand-blasting and etching of the nickel be the only required steps to ensure a long lasting finish?

Thanks!

Jason Sieben
- LaGrange Park, Illinois

September 11, 2008 Hi, Jason. Although I don't claim artistic taste, that does sound like an interesting look. Too bad the manufacturer doesn't offer the wheels with the smaller spokes primed to facilitate what you want to do. Make the suggestion and maybe they'll do it for you as a test market :-) The ideal prep is to get the aluminum alloy all the way down to base metal, then chromate conversion coat it and paint it -- but that may be difficult even for a metal finishing shop. So I'd say the practical approach is to lightly blast to remove the chrome and etch the nickel; I can't guarantee the level of adhesion, I can only repeat that some powder coating shops claim good success. Regards, Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey September 16, 2008 Thanks for the quick response Ted. I appreciate the help! Jason Sieben - LaGrange Park, Illinois August 1, 2009 My wheel lips are chromed or enox, I was wondering how to get that dull brushed aluminum look without spending alot. ed a - los angeles , California