Wheel Rechroming

Funny thing is, that's the only (and I mean ONLY) rust on the car. The bottom of the car looks great. It's just that one axle shaft.
 
I understand how things rust from road salt, but I've never seen the end of the axle rust like that. I've seen undercarraiges rust out, gas tanks, exhaust, brake lines, etc, but I've never seen anything like that. As for what you said about being able to drive the car with that nut off, that isn't exactly correct. The axle wouldn't come out, however that nut holds the wheel bearing together, and if it were off, the bearing would separate and the wheel would come off the car very quickly. If the threads under the nut are OK, then it isn't going to go anywhere, but if those threads are damaged, or rusted to the point of not being strong enough anymore, then during a hard corner, they could in theory strip out, and cause the bearing to fall apart and the wheel to come off the car. I agree that its highly unlikely, but without looking at the threads underneath that nut, there's really no way to know for sure, and that's what would worry me.
 
If you looked in the 10 spokes where that axle stub was living you would know why it looked like that....

My CE has no rust on it other than the bottom of the doors... the undercarriage is absolutely rust free...
 
It looks like my wheel issue is resolved... in the form of 4 NIB OEM Ford 10 spoke wheels... never mounted on a car.
 
Yeah... if you leave that nut loose, or off those bearings can make it about 2 tenths of a mile.... I know from experience lol.....
 
About $800 shipped... sent payment out today, I'll get some pics up when I get them... they are brand new :)
 
Wow, that Alsa corp. is a pretty cool company. There's a lot of awesome stuff on there website.

Brandon, you should get some of that Clear 4 Chrome stuff for the wheels and some of the 'True Gold' candy concentrate from them so you can redo your emblems and badges. Actually, thinking about it, you would probably have to find some good chrome ones first, cuz it needs a good chrome base--or you could also get their 'Killer Chrome' in a can to use as your base.
 
Thanks for that link Mafioso... that's a sweet site!

Thanks for getting the line on that deal 98.... I appreciate it.
 
Alsa Corp has some sick products, I've used alot of thier products and I keep going back.

Im going to mix a GM metallic black with the clear for Chrome, for the black Mark.
 
jamie97lsc said:
i'm gonna voice my opinion here and say if you want it to last, its better and cheaper but go with nickle instead of chrome. there is a slight difference in appearence, chrome is chrome, nickle is chrome looking with a slight slight hint of a bronze to it, side by side you could tell which is which, but once plated and on the car you'll never know chrome from nickle. i like nickle better but thats my opinion.

this is chrome plate:
chrome_og_wheel2.jpg


and this is nickle plate:
EldoFWDRM4.jpg
Click to expand...

First of all, it will probably cost you more to have chrome stripped, and re applied than a used set of wheels in excellent shape.

Second, Jamie, All wheels are chromed with use of nickel. If not, it wouldn't look like either picture above. Neither has a durability issue if taken care of. Otherwise both can have durability issue just about the same. "Chroming" is electroplating. The shiny is always nickel. Double chromed is usually one layer of electroplated copper, 2 coats nickel, one coat chrome.

The only chrome that will last through neglect is hard chroming, which generally only comes on things such as hydraulic cylinders, to withstand wear. Wheels are 'decorative' chrome, which comes in much thinner increments than 'hard' chroming, decorative chrome is measured in millionths of an inch. It's very thin. Appearance usually depends on thickness and how much nickel is underneath. Without nickel you wouldn't see chrome as being near as shiny.

Point being, nickel is not chrome, but what people know as chrome, is plating with nickel, then covering by plating with chrome.
 
So thats what the hole for the centercap is supposed to look like. I thought my wheels were in good shape til I got new tires. When the tire shop removed the center caps for balancing, the chrome lifted. I do believe that water gets under the chrome right where it stops in the centercap hole. The fatal flaw for the chrome ten spoke.
 
KK.. you really should ship them wheels to me.

you can have mine.
 
kustomizingkid said:
I thought you wanted painted ten spokes?
Click to expand...

I do want painted 10 spokes..

there's actually 4 on ebay right now for 200
but I couldn't/wouldn't commit to the without being able to take a very close look at them

like I said before..
I'd trade my chrome 10 spokes for a set of painted ones.

i'm not a big chrome fan, specially on an lsc
 
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