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Attaining a durable, shiny finish on aluminum wheels

I would like to anodize or nickel plate the ALCOA aluminum rims on my truck. I'm tired of buffing them out with aluminum polish, as they only retain the shiny appearance for a short while. The vehicle is parked outside all of the time, and I'm approx. 3-4 miles from the ocean. What would be the best way to finish the wheels to attain a permanent shine, that would clean up with soap and water,ie: brake dust, road grime etc? I guess, what I'm after is low maintenance. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Tim Williams
homeowner - Palos Verdes Ests., California
2005

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Get them chrome plated, it's just what you are asking for, shiny, durable, and easy to clean.

Good luck

Marc Banks
- Elizabeth City, North Carolina
2005

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I am searching for the same thing. I have Aluminum Centerlines that were chromed...and badly at that. With these and other wheels, I have found that it is hard to get a good chrome plate job. I had a set of wheels polished and powder coated clear. That held up very well for at least 6 years. Easy wash-off of brake dust. The only down side (maybe) is that the wheels had more of a satin finish than the super-bright polished/chrome finish...but that may have been the polisher. AFTER I had those wheels polished and PC'd, I was told that you can do this same process over chrome. The guy I went to did this a lot on chromed Porsche wheels. Also helps to keep any nickel-blush from turning yellow.

I have been thinking about "triple chrome plate" as it is supposed to be more durable and thicker than standard Chrome. But, again, chrome isn't the best finish for brake dust...I still had/have to polish the wheels to get the dust off completely. Good luck, I'd be interested to know what you choose.

Don Chiapparine
- Huntington Beach, California
2005

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Hi, Don.

Good quality chrome is indeed hard to find, especially on alloy wheels. It's hard to plate aluminum in the first place, plus cast aluminum wheels are full of silicon, copper, and other trash contaminants, and the intricate shape of wheels makes uniform plating difficult. We do have an "Introduction to Chrome Plating" here which explains what "triple chrome plate" and other buzzwords mean. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 19, 2011