Chrome wheels are the most popular wheels available today. Chrome wheels add a touch of class and provide the ultimate upgrade to any car/truck, new or used. Many auto enthusiasts choose chrome wheels over conventional painted wheels and just one look around at an auto show will prove that point! Oh and we must not forget the motorcycle crowd who also tend to go the chrome wheel route.

The real question here today is how are chrome wheels... well, chromed! The theory of wheel chroming is rather simplistic, but I must mention that the process is not necessarily- "SNAP!"... and you are finished. See, unlike conventional alloy wheels that are spray painted to a silver finish (as well as other various colors), a chrome finish is a very involved multi-step procedure. This is the reason why chrome wheels are more expensive than conventional wheel finishes. I have researched these steps and have summarized the basic procedure here along with a few snap shots of the process (see below).

The first step is to take a set of wheels, usually CNC machined to their shape in alloy and prep them for the chroming process. This requires getting the surface as clean as possible, so the surface will not contaminate the plating. After that has been accomplished the wheels are buffed to a high luster and rinsed. Once the wheel has been dried, the wheels are copper-plated and polished to ensure a smooth surface. Next, the wheels are nickel plated then followed by a layer of chromium, which creates the wheel's overall shiny appearance. Finally, the wheels are cleaned, finished, and ready for shipment to wheel wholesalers/retailers.