Chrome removal from motorcycle wheel rims: Smart, safe options

Summary for chrome removal from motorcycle wheel rims Discussion

Chrome removal from motorcycle wheel rims is discussed as a potentially simple-looking job that may not be worth turning into a major project. The original question asks whether a peeling chrome ring on the outer part of a motorcycle wheel rim can be removed cleanly. Ted Mooney notes that, in general, muriatic acid can remove chrome if proper safety precautions are used, but he cautions that what people often really need to remove is the nickel underlayer, and that cannot be stripped chemically without regulated cyanide chemicals or a proprietary process the manufacturer may not ship to a home address. He suggests that a plating shop may be the best practical option. He also says sandblasting might work if the operator has a skilled, careful touch. Overall, the thread points to professional help or careful mechanical removal rather than an easy at-home fix.

Q. I have some wheel rims from a motorcycle that have a chrome ring on the outer part of the wheel. This chrome ring is peeling off and I would like to know if there is a way to remove this chrome ring from the wheel and not get into a major project.

Also if anybody cares, I have found a cheap way to make your own Dremel

⇦ on

eBay or
Amazon [affil link] attachments for cleaning metal. First you take the Dremel

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eBay or
Amazon [affil link] attachment that is used for cutting wheels. In place of a cutting wheel you take a scotchbrite pad and cut out 2 or 3, inch and a half squares. You put a center hole in the pads and screw them to your Dremel attachment. They will wear into a circle when you use them. They work better than any attachment I have bought and only cost pennies. And do not forget safety glasses.

John Cabral II

1998

Although we call them ‘chrome plated’, John, the chrome is only millionths of an inch thick; what you are probably seeing is the nickel plating peeling. If you would like to understand this better, you might enjoy our
“Chrome Plating FAQ“.

As a minimum you need to blast off the loose nickel, then MAYBE what is left can be stripped of chrome, reactivated, and plated. But frankly I doubt the results, and it will probably look quite bad. The right thing to do is completely strip the nickel, polish and buff, and start over. This probably involves using a cyanide-based nickel stripper that only industrial facilities will be able to obtain. Sorry, but there may be no easy way to fix it.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey

Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.

1998

I was wondering how to remove the chrome from a golf club I have, thank you.

Sam Steen
– Belle Fourche, South Dakota
2000

The best way to do it, Sam, may be to find a “plating shop” and bring your golf club in :-)

You can get muriatic acid

⇦ on

eBay or
Amazon [affil link] , and if you observe proper safety precautions
goggles

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eBay or
Amazon [affil link] , rubber gloves

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eBay or
Amazon [affil link] , etc.) you could remove the chrome. But as discussed above, it’s probably really the nickel that you want to remove, and there’s no chemical way you can do that without regulated cyanide chemicals or a proprietary chemical that the manufacturer may be unwilling to ship to a residential address. But sandblasting might be applicable if the blast operator has a craftsman’s touch. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey

Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.

2000