18" Work Equip 5x120.65 Restoration Progress *With Pics* HELP!

[Bullydawg]

Yeah, I just send all my 3 piece wheels off to England. They should arrive there around May or June, and I will get to them around then. I'll toss some 10 spoke SS wheels on my Ty until I can finish these...

Plan is to run the rear barrel on the front to make them 18x9.5, then run a wider lip on the rear with the front barrels. Although, I am not too sure since I would end up with 1" lips on the front with like 4-5" lips on the rear... I'll toss them on the Ty before I start having them stripped and figure out how I want them to fit.

Plan for the faces is to have them dechromed, and do a brushed/cleared look.

[Bullydawg]

Okay update time. Since I am not liking the thought of having the chrome stripped and pitting the aluminum underneath, which I would have to sand out... not liking the sand blasting idea, which I would also have to sand out... I decided to just get an orbital palm sander and get to work with 4 grit. I feel this is my best option and I can keep an eye on it as I go. It might take longer to get through the Chrome/Nickel, but I feel this is the best bet regardless, and cost wise.

At least now if I mess it up, it is on me, and I won't get mad at someone else for messing them up.
Here is a progess shot of the beginning. And yes, I will be pulling them apart, I just wanted to see how it would go real quick.

[Tuck&Poke]

The aluminum is already pitted, its part of the chrome process. So when you eventually sand through all the layers and get to the aluminum, its going to be pitted anyway. You are making yourself work for no good reason. This will probably cost you more in supplies at the end than the cost of chemical stripping. You will mess them up. I forsee flat spots in your faces. But hey, you've had quite a few people warn you already, one of whom is much more of an expert on wheels than I am. Hard-headed people just have to learn the hard way I guess.

[Bullydawg]

I've called over 10 places in England, and they claim chemical stripping, but none of them will strip chrome. I have emailed 6 places in the states trying to get them stripped with none of the places responding. If you have a better suggestion on who does good work and won't blow me off, feel free to post! I would much rather have these done professionally since they are damn near impossible to find in 5x120.65...

[pattrick02]

Chemical stripping is one thing. Stripping chrome is completely different. It's a whole reverse chroming process that they do to get it out. Blasting definitely won't work. And sanding it down will take you ages, and you're for sure going to end up spending more in material, and it's not going to be a perfect job. Not to mention it might risk damaging the surface of the wheels even more. You're best bet is to send the centers to a chrome shop, and have them properly strip it.

[513mugsy]

Yup, just like Pattrick02 just stated...to remove chrome from the surface of anything is an involved process that only a chrome plater can do. Basically they hang the wheel or face or lip back into the solution and hang a copper block next to it. Next thing that they do is put a neg charge to the block and pos charge to the object with the chrome. Then over the next few hours/days the chrome builds back up on the copper block and is removed completely from the object in question. It is called electrolysis. I work at a large gearing machine shop and we chrome parts all the time...and chrome is so hard that we can only grind it on a vertical grinder...you can't even turn it off with carbide inserts. So now you need a good chrome shop to help you out. One that can fix the face you have been working on if there is low spots after all the chrome is removed. To do this correctly they will coat the face with copper and file, sand, and buff to a mirror finish and then they will chrome and polish to finish. Hope this helps out.

[513mugsy]

Just saw your other thread looking for a shop to do this work. Friends of mine have used Advanced Plating in Nashville, TN, USA, with good results. Link: http://www.advancedplating.com/site/

[gambit4000s]

+1 on Advanced Plating, Awesome work,

[Bullydawg]

Called around places in the states, and was quoted over 1k to just strip the chrome off and clean them up a bit. Toss in shipping, the lips needs to be restored and you end up with a set of wheels that isn't worth it. I am going to continue to do it myself and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, I can always sell the tires, lips, and barrels and recoup my money. I am going to finish one of the faces myself, and seek out a local place to strip the other 3 faces, or give it a go myself. I have a buddy who said he thinks he can help me chemically strip them. If I can get the chrome off, the Nickel is much easier to sand off. So that would save HOURS of time.

I should re title this thread project no hope! This is the LAST time I ever buy chrome wheels. I'm pretty sure I could easily recoup my money... I could sell the center caps, Work bolts, Lips, and barrels for my money back most likely. I only paid around $525 for all the wheels with tires and shipping.

[Bullydawg]

To be honest, I have made a bit of progress on the face I have been working on with a palm sander with 40 grit, a dremel with flapper wheels, and a wet sanding block at 240 grit. The face doesn't look to bad at all, and the inserts I am hitting with the flapper wheels are looking pretty good at all. I can't see it looking bad at all when I do a brushed look.

[Bullydawg]

For an FYI for those unfortunate people stripping these wheels, a 3/4" flapper wheel with 120 grit takes care of stripping the lug nut holes perfectly!

[jamesbond]

sorry for bringing this thread back, but do you remember the torque specs? have the same wheels that Im rebuilding. thanks

[Bullydawg]

I have no clue. I'm currently deployed. I would just look up the bolt size and torque specs. I'm still no where near finished.