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Tire Rack is having Wheel Clearance Event on select brands, styles, and applications. Enter the make, year, and model to see vehicle-specific offers.

  • $40 rebate w/ 4 Hankook Ventus V12 Tires [Exp 2/12]
    • 1
      WartHog - Posted 5:31 pm PST 02/12/12 (508 Posts)  Report Spam

      where's a good place to by chrome wheels these days?
      I'm old school, so want the old school look.
      Thanks in advance.
      Ben Rules !!

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    • 2
      dave_c - Posted 6:27 pm PST 02/12/12 (21156 Posts)  Report Spam

      ^ you really want chromed (steel, which could be very heavy) or just polished aluminum? Here are a few examples of polished (in their name):

      http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/ultra-wheels.jsp

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    • 3
      MaddMartigan - Posted 4:25 am PST 02/13/12 (295 Posts)  Report Spam

      Chrome plating is a process that can be used on various metals. Chrome plated steel wheels aren't necessarily heavier but do have a greater tendency to get bent and out of balance. Chrome plated aluminum wheels are relatively common and places like Tire Rack have them.

      Polished aluminum wheels are gorgeous but are very high maintenance. I don't recommend them for a daily driver. They blemish and oxidize easily and require compounds on their surface and additional maintenance that most people are never going to do.

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    • 4
      Stumpy - Posted 8:25 am PST 02/13/12 (494 Posts)  Report Spam

      Heavy big wheels = slower car, longer stopping distance, worse handling.

      All which adds up to a less safe vehicle.


      Example. My Mazdaspeed Miata came stock with 17" wheels. I quickly replaced them with lightweight 15" wheels. My car rides/handles/stops/accelerates better now because of that. (Plus they look kinda good).

      ..

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    • 5
      dave_c - Posted 10:45 am PST 02/13/12 (21156 Posts)  Report Spam

      ^^ I meant heavier for the same strength or durability... though there are some aluminum wheels heavier than they need to be to achieve a designed design but then it's typically a design that isn't done at all in steel.

      Polished aluminum can go a fair number of years looking good if they are clearcoated, providing the vehicle doesn't sit outside in the sun all day and isn't exposed to a lot of sand/dirt or salty winter road sludge. Maintenance with a clearcoat is very low, just wipe with a sponge to clean when you regularly wash the vehicle.

      Even if they did get exposed to a bit of sun or winter sludge they may still hold up for a fair amount of time in a daily driver situation before they were stripped and recoated. Chrome also rusts eventually and more noticeably when it does, I'd have to consider it more maintenance once you factor for waxing it.

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