Chrome Clad Wheels

[Babyboomer 1949]

Has anyone experience problems with chrome clad aluminum wheels? How durable is this type of wheel.

[E55 KEV]

Chrome plating althought beautiful is the most fragile finished available. Chrome wheels are not recommened in Snow areas where salt is used on the roads. The salts eats thru the plating. It pits (eats thru) the chrome. Some chrome owners swap out their chrome rims for painted or steel ones during the winter months. Chrome plating actually weakens the wheel and sometimes causes the wheel to leak air slowly becaues a true seal is not obtained.

The 300C going to Europe will not have chrome rims and will use the polished rim FROM the Magnum RT. Germany's DOT equivalent agency called TUV will not give approval to chrome wheels as standard equipment.

I believe many of the chrome wheels will be coming back to the dealer under warranty when they start to pit and peel in the snow belt states.

Yes, I have had problems with chrome wheels.

This is the wheel for the Euro 300C:

http://wwwsg.daimlerchrysler.com/GMS/CONTENT/IMAGES/700742c2005_117__mid.jpg

[Babyboomer 1949]

Thanks for the helpful information. I'll start looking for replacement aluminum wheels prior too the delivery of my car.

[E55 KEV]

Chroming also can make an aluminum wheel brittle and porous.

That Magnum RT wheels is in the 300 Accessory catalog. I would make an attempt to have the dealer swap them out. They should give you a credit, maybe not full value, but some credit toward the other rims.

[DMAG]

I had two sets of Prowler wheels that I received for that very reason. The owners complained the they were pitting (very slightly on the inside of the rim).

I ended up selling them on Ebay to a few Prowler owners who wanted them as extras. Honestly, you couldn't even tell they were pitted unless you took the wheel off. How well, they would hold up after that...who knows?

[BrilliantBlackHemi]

Ok, you guys mentioned the pitting and issues with chrome wheels, but what about Chrome CLAD wheels? Isn't this a PLASTI-CHROME glued on plastic cover over aluminum wheels? Will that pit the same? Or just flake off? I'm still expecting the plasti-chrome door handles in my 300M to crack and flake apart. So far so good, but experience is plasti-chrome flakes off eventually and shows a crappy bland composite, undyed plastic, or pot metal surface underneith.

[TurboDodgeSRT]

That's actually one of the benefits of Chrome Clad wheels - they will not rust or pit like chrome plated wheels. Salt, dirt and brake dust for the most part just wash right off.

[go6car]

The material seems really 'light', though. I was knocking (like on a door) on the rims of the 300C and they seemed almost plastic. I asked the dealership about it and they said it was a lot stronger than it looked. I hope so!

go6car

[E55 KEV]

So, Chrome Clad is not the same as Chrome Plating? How is "Chrome Clad" applied to aluminum wheels?

[Hersbird]

Chrome clad wheels use a plastic INSERT shaped exactly like the wheel which they chrome plate and then glue to the wheel. I figured it was some kind of cheep chrome wheel cost saving thing DC went to, I guess it might have to do with what everybody is talking about above. That glued on plastic hubcap is pretty prone to getting beat up on curbs and pitting FROM the elements though. I prefer the polished wheels, although they occasionaly take a little more work to shine up to a mirror finish. They still look good slightly dulled too.

[Babyboomer 1949]

Thanks everyone for the information on chrome clad wheels.

[E8502]

I find "Chrome clad" weird...The 2002-2004 Concorde LTD and 300M had this type of wheel, always seemed like they were plastic (come to find out, they are!!).

[adaptabl]

So, Chrome Clad is not the same as Chrome Plating? How is "Chrome Clad" applied to aluminum wheels?


Chome plating is a much better process and holds up better. Chrome clad wheels are the cheap version that need to be taken off for winter weather. Stay away FROM Chrome clad wheels.

[Superbird]

Why can't they just make one car for all markets. We do'nt get DRLs or fender lane change signal lights. I have already sent my email to DC and my letter to the outside suggestions dept. As others have stated, we have plastic wheel covers and I hate to burst bubbles but the Hemi is in name only, it does not have a true hemispherical combustion chamber. Who cares, neither doeds the M5 or GTO.

[BlackMagnum]

You should have no problem acquiring a set of Magnum RT take-offs.... as soon as us RT guys can figure out what to REPLACE them with.

Chroming also can make an aluminum wheel brittle and porous.

That Magnum RT wheels is in the 300 Accessory catalog. I would make an attempt to have the dealer swap them out. They should give you a credit, maybe not full value, but some credit toward the other rims.

[E55 KEV]

The 18" Magnum RT wheel list for only $224 and the 18" 300C chrome clad wheels are a measly $124. Not bad prices.

http://www.leeauto.com/parts/graphics/300cwheel.gif

http://www.leeauto.com/parts/graphics/300cwheel2.gif

[PR300C]

Well somebody is selling a set of four of the 18" Chrome-Clad wheels with tires on Ebay Motors starting at $1,299.00. Talk about being optimistic ...!!!

[BrilliantBlackHemi]

They are looking for a sucker that thinks these are real chrome 18" wheels, which that price could be realistic. Now when they get Chrome Clad they will be in for a rude awakening IMHO.

A Clad Wheel may holdup better and not pitt, but to me it smacks of "we made these to save on cost of wheels" and plasti-chrome to me is horribly cheap and will eventually fade away. The nice plasti-chrome grille on my 1994 Dodge Ram Truck is showing the ugly yellow plastic substrate through the "chrome" in many places, especially on the edges. The "chrome" mirrors are doing the same. I would expect the mirrors and door handles and such on the 300C to weather the same after 10 years. Therefore I would prefer painted to match surfaces.

Anyone know of a protectant to put on these "chrome" surfaces to ensure longterm durability and prevent what's happening on my truck?

[E55 KEV]

Well somebody is selling a set of four of the 18" Chrome-Clad wheels with tires on Ebay Motors starting at $1,299.00. Talk about being optimistic ...!!!

Yeah, and the Continental non self seal tire is only $113 at tirerack.com.

[BrilliantBlackHemi]

Contrast the $124 wheel with the $700 wheels that they wanted for the 300M (17" chrome razorstars) and tell me clad is not a way they saved money. :roll: