I keep hearing horror stories about the replica wheel chrome and paint flaking off after a few months. Wondering what everyone uses to protect them. Just a new coat of clear or something else?
As far a peeling chrome, Not much you can do about that. I feel it's a flaw in the plating process. If the wheel is machined then clear coated you should treat it just like paint. Polished, just be careful what cleaners you use. Some will stain the aluminum.
yeah I can't imagine anything you could do would prevent chrome from flaking, seems like if it's gonna flake it's gonna flake. One solution would be go with another finish, or go with a quality wheel.
They aren't chrome. I was just using that as a reference to replica wheel quality. They're White Saleens. I just wanted to see what are the best ones so they won't discolor them being white or cause the clear coat to break down any faster.
A close friend does powder coating, he told me there is a clear powder that protects polished metals from dulling out. Wonder if that would work.
When I got my last set of wheels they had a care sheet with them and they said to treat your wheels like you treat your paint wash with mild soap and regularly wax them.
I know a guy who does powder coating so I'll ask him thanks! Were they the cheap replica wheels like I got? Lol. I'm supposed to get two of them today so I guess I'll find out.
Short of soap/water and a light wax I am not sure I would recommend anything else unless they are polished maybe a sealer.
Talked to him and he said the clear will discolor the white in the oven. It has to all be baked at the same time. Nothing in mine but since most of these come from Wheel Replicas anyway I'm assuming theyre all the same. I have a finishing wax that I obviously can't use on this car so I'll give them a coat once I get some tires mounted.
