Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

[Josh9131]

I bought these new about a year and a half ago. They have never seen winter weather, and I try to clean them once a week. Until the middle of this past summer, I only used Gold Class car wash and a lambswool mitt to clean them. Then I started using Megs Chrome Wheel Cleaner also on occasion. I just noticed these spots yesterday when the sun hit them just right. I have tried Mothers Chrome polish and a Powerball Mini and clay that did little to improve this. I do not know if this is pitting or something else.

Thanks in advance for any input.

[Poki]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Where do you live Josh? Looks like the typical sand blasting cars that are in the desert....Palm Springs,CA. etc. get.

[Josh9131]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Where do you live Josh? Looks like the typical sand blasting cars that are in the desert....Palm Springs,CA. etc. get.

I live in Ohio, but these never see winter weather. I have winter wheels/tires.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Can you feel it with your fingers? It might be the chrome plating wearing thin and you are seeing the nickel (I believe?) plating underneath.

[Josh9131]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Can you feel it with your fingers? It might be the chrome plating wearing thin and you are seeing the nickel (I believe?) plating underneath.

You can not feel it with your fingers.

[cnfowler]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Looks like pitting to me.

Colin

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Were the wheels fairly cheap? A lot of the wheels on the market today under $200 a piece will only last a couple to a few years before the chrome starts to wear off. I've seen this on a lot of mainstream aftermarket wheels.

That's my guess.

[Josh9131]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Were the wheels fairly cheap? A lot of the wheels on the market today under $200 a piece will only last a couple to a few years before the chrome starts to wear off. I've seen this on a lot of mainstream aftermarket wheels.

That's my guess.

Depends on how you define cheap. They were 200 each. 199 to be exact. That may be cheap in the wheel industry, but I thought they were expensive. I know there are more expensive wheels out there, they were expensive to me. They are made by American Racing which always seemed to have a good name.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

The pitting seems to be in very defined areas, unless that's just the way the images show - but it sure looks like some very isolated defects.

You might want to try Hot Rims Chrome Polish to buff those back up. Since the defect is so fine that you can't feel it you should have good success with this product.

While American Racing may be a well known and respected brand, nobody is 100% perfect all the time. If these wheels are quite new and still under warranty you might want to talk to the dealer you purchased them from.

[Josh9131]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

The pitting seems to be in very defined areas, unless that's just the way the images show - but it sure looks like some very isolated defects.

You might want to try Hot Rims Chrome Polish to buff those back up. Since the defect is so fine that you can't feel it you should have good success with this product.

While American Racing may be a well known and respected brand, nobody is 100% perfect all the time. If these wheels are quite new and still under warranty you might want to talk to the dealer you purchased them from.

The whole wheels look like that, I just took those photos like that to show the defects as best I could. I would like to try Hot Rims but I have not seen it anywhere locally.

Also, someone on another forum suggested 0000 steel wool. I am hesitant to try that. Anyone use that on chrome with success?

[Hemin8r]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Just curious, when was the last time you polished your wheels?

[Josh9131]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Just curious, when was the last time you polished your wheels?

Spring time, before they went on the truck. I wash them regularly and waxed them once since then.

[Hemin8r]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Hmmm, I've seen similair defects like this on chrome wheels that I was able to remove using chrome polish and a microfiber towel working small sections at a time (4"x 2.5" sections estimated) and that seemed to do the trick. Since you've tried claying, powerball and chrome polish it must be worse than what I have experienced. Try some 105 on a small incospicuous spot to see how it reacts to that.

[RGP]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

My neighbor's Corvette has something nearly identical to this on his high polish chrome factory wheels. If anything, this will most likely take it off. It did on his. It's brutally hard to do. Just wrap a smooth cloth around your index finger with the tiniest bit of a smudge of Flitz on the rag. If you can see the blue product on the wheel, you're applying it waaay to heavily. I did a few two inch squares, and if your index finger holds up, it should do the trick. If not, it's always great to have a tube around the house anyway.

Most marine supply dealers such as Boater's World will handle it...

http://www.flitz.com/p-16-flitz-polish-paste.aspx

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Ever seen spots like these on chrome wheels?

Do the spots have a color somewhat like a shiny penny to them?