Dangers of chrome plating aluminum rims

[Andy-Montreal]

There has been more and more talk lately of chromium plating of aluminum wheel rims. There are numerous companies that offer an exchange service in which your stock painted wheel set is exchanged for a set of chrome-plated units. Honda also sells a "chrome-like" accessory wheel for the Ridgeline although the material is not an actual chromium plating but rather a similar but safer material.

In 1987, Porsche AG of Germany (A world leader in sports car manufacture as well as owners and operators of several other divisions such as Porsche Engineering Services & Porsche Design) issued technical bulletin no.8705 regarding the chrome-plating of aluminum wheels.

"Porsche does not approve of chrome plating Porsche aluminum wheel rims. Corrosion tests in Germany on chrome plated aluminum wheel rims have shown heavy pitting compared to original aluminum wheel rims, especially with winter use. The high difference potential between the base metal of the wheel rim and the plating material (chrome, nickel) may cause pitting and could reduce wheel rim strength even without winter usage"

An alternative to having your wheel rims chrome-plated is polishing. The associated costs in having your wheels polished may be higher than plating but much safer.

[sky-chicken]

chrome plate aluminum rims are not legal in Germany at all. Every car has to do a "check up" every 2 years with the German TUV (new ones after the 3 year) and if you have chrome wheels they don't let you drive of again. Also the police is going to stop you because it is common knowledge that this is not legal. I was very surprised when I moved to the states 9 years ago that chrome wheels are not a problem at all here in the US. In Germany they say that the process will alter the wheel strength and the way it performs under heavy load.

[fredridge]

Do the Germans even know how to make cars??

I mean Porsche, come one. Their top end car has the engine hanging way out the back, balance is totally way off and I mean that look, same basic style over 40 years. It's like a helicopter, shouldn't work but it does. Defies the laws of physics. I think they just got lucky.

Now if they made an SUV that would be different.

[djeaux]

Originally Posted by fredridge

Now if they made an SUV that would be different.

Well, BMW & Mercedes make SUVs. Wait... They both make their SUVs stateside...

[Lingered_I]

I'm no expert but this seems to be more of a problem with quality and technique rather than a chronic problem with the concept of chrome plating aluminum (or steel).

Some reading....

http://www.finishing.com/faqs/chrome.html

The most important issue for quality chrome plating (for outdoor exposure such as on a vehicle) is that it MUST have at least two layers of nickel plating before the chrome: namely semi-bright nickel followed by bright nickel. The reason for this involves galvanic corrosion issues. The bright nickel is anodic to the semi-bright nickel, sacrificially protecting it, spreading corrosion forces laterally instead of allowing them to penetrate to the steel. OEMs require very close control of this factor, and there is a test (the Chrysler developed STEP test) which large shops run daily to insure the right potentials. Control of this issue is probably the principal reason that today's chromium plating greatly outlasts the chrome plating of earlier times.

Experts argue whether copper plating provides additional corrosion resistance, but with or without copper plating underlying the nickel, chrome on top of a single layer of nickel will not hold up to severe exposure! Industry professionals call the two layers of nickel "duplex nickel plating", and that would be a much better term to use than "triple chrome" and such.

Chrome plating is hardly a matter of dipping an article into a tank, it is a long involved process that often starts with tedious polishing and buffing, then cleaning and acid dipping, zincating (if the part is aluminum), and copper plating. This may be followed by buffing of the copper for top reflectivity, cleaning and acid dipping again, and plating more copper, then two or three different types of nickel plating, all before the chrome plating is done. Rinsing is required between every step.

[sky-chicken]

Originally Posted by fredridge

Do the Germans even know how to make cars??

I mean Porsche, come one. Their top end car has the engine hanging way out the back, balance is totally way off and I mean that look, same basic style over 40 years. It's like a helicopter, shouldn't work but it does. Defies the laws of physics. I think they just got lucky.

Now if they made an SUV that would be different.

hmm ... Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, Volkswagen (VW), Opel (German GM) Ford (German), AMG, RUF and so on ..

The reason Porsche is doing the same basic style (developed for Volkswagen by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche) is that people still buying this style and believe it or not most 911 $ 930 are exported to the USA because 99.99 % German don't have the money to buy this car. (YOU CAN BUY A HOUSE FOR THE SAME MONEY)

[sky-chicken]

Originally Posted by djeaux

Well, BMW & Mercedes make SUVs. Wait... They both make their SUVs stateside...

The reason for that is that you dont find any car this size in Germany because the gallon fuel is $6.80 for a gallon regular fuel and the tax is on the size of the engine 1000 cc = $200/year 5.0 $1800/ year ... not even go to the insurance price .. you have to love the USA

Sorry for getting of the topic .. will stop right here.

[fredridge]

hmm ... Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, Volkswagen (VW), Opel (German GM) Ford (German), AMG, RUF and so on .

What does that come to three VW's, a Chrysler co and Ford??? Oh, almost forgot GM

Another thing, what's with the small tires they put on their semi's??? I think my RL has bigger tires..

Sky-Chicken- I am just messing around. There was a ton of sarcasm in my last post. However, apparently Porsche finally figured out where to mount an engine (Cayman) now if they would just let it whoop their favorite child and become the new king of the hill that would be something to see.

Also somewhat sorry for the hi-jack, but I have trouble having my own thoughts

[kameleon]

never had any problems with the conventional electro plating, nor with my new system.
and i plated thousands of parts and hundreds of rims.
most of them in the great Canadian weather

[Andy-Montreal]

Originally Posted by fredridge

Do the Germans even know how to make cars??

I mean Porsche, come one. Their top end car has the engine hanging way out the back, balance is totally way off and I mean that look, same basic style over 40 years. It's like a helicopter, shouldn't work but it does. Defies the laws of physics. I think they just got lucky.

Now if they made an SUV that would be different.

Fredridge, now I AM convinced that you're a spy for Honda...you dog!!