In the spring I will be looking at getting new wheels. On my Super Duty I currently have the 99-04 16X7 Lariet bright polished aluminum wheels. I have been running 285's on them....all is well but the 285's are not recommended for a 7" wheel. So, I am looking into new wheels. Specifically, I have been looking at American Racing. My current wheels have seen 75K miles and have held up pretty good. The clear coat only has some fine scratching on them. The only blemishes are from wheel weight removal. My question is, how does the aftermarket wheels hold up to road grime and salt from winters. I am looking for the same duribility as I got out of the OEM wheels. How do the chrome plated alloy wheels hold up?

Any Info would be great!

 

Any wheel especially aftermarket, i wash them with vinegar and spray a product called Clear-Lac. It is a clear laquer for wheels. Very goood, invisable and I have never had any peeling.. Withstands salt, etc, well.

 

I went with Modern type 150/151 claw 16x10 aluminum alloy with 315-75- size tires.
wheels look good and shiny and easy to clean and polish. i didnt go with chrome
cuz iv'e seen what an unsuspecting chip will do, after awhile it starts to rust and
peel away.

 

The wheels that I am looking at chromed alloy. Basically chrome plated aluminum. I am leaning to american racing diamonbacks. They are a 17x8 wheels and offered in chrome allow with 8x170 bolt pattern. They do have a polished aluminum in that style but not is 8x170.

I need to contact american racing to see if these wheels are cleared or not.

 

http://www.americanracing.com/Knowle...q=206&iType=27

After reading that page I would have to assume that the chrome does not have a clear coat on it. I thought I've heard you don't want to clear chrome, especially on wheels or other things that see fairly large temp. changes. Something about the chrome needing to breathe. I think even regular paint wax is too much of a sealant. You'll need to use a wheel/chrome polish and a special wheel wax.

It seems like it would be pretty difficult to get a clear coat to stick to chrome anyway. Maybe a powder coat clear would work, not sure.

 

I know this post was a while ago, but what does vinegar do? And where can I find the Clear-Lac? Is it just a laquer in a spray can.

 

There seems to be a trend today to take aluminum wheels and powdercoat them. Black seems to be the favored color around here in La La Land.

I've also seen powder coated grilles, and running boards...supposedly, this process...if done correctly, eliminates chipping.

 

The vinegar degreases and cleans the wheel surface, though many will suggest muratic acid prior to painting. Clear-Lac can be found at any "real" wheel distributor...I am referring to a large wheel wholesaler or wheel straightener.

Here's my final thoughts....starting with the best protection..

1. Powdercoating in clear- while it is does cost a few $'s, it would provided excellent protection.
2. Having the wheels sprayed with a clear urathane would work almost as well as the powder coating but would also cost a few $'s since a body shop would have to spray them
3. Clear-Lac- the cheapest method but very effective since you can easily do this yourself