Polished Aluminum vs. Chrome Wheels? Which rims are best?
Just looking for some advice...how close in appearance and quality is polished aluminum vs chrome? I looked into getting my old aluminum rims refinished - was told by a local rim shop that the refinishing kits are not being sold anymore to the consumer...something about the substance being toxic. Called a couple places about having them refinished for me - they wanted at least $100 bucks a rim to start - I dont care how much aluminum has gone up since I purchased the rims 15 years ago, I am not paying that much to refinish rims that only cost $25-$30 more apiece when new! haha Anyway...any thoughts on polished aluminum vs chrome? Thanks
And thanks to all those who responded to my original thread about refinishing rims!!
polished aluminum i think suck you will have to polish them every week if there not clear coated. if they are cleared the cleared likes to peal. i would go chrome if you got the funds. just my two cents
Not a pro on this topic, but your car will be slower with chrome rims due to the wieght. Have had friends switch rims out thier chrome rims on the track and improve thier times by .3 on the 1/4 just by going back to the stock alum rims. The unsprung wieght may also affect your handling...I'm sure someone out there knows more about this.
Guess it just depends if you want "show or go"
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I used some Mother's aluminum polish on my rims, and they shine just like chrome. It takes a while to do, and you need a lot of elbow grease, but is worth it in the end. Don't know how long the shine would hold up on a daily driver, but on my week-end toy it lasts all season.
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Not a pro on this topic, but your car will be slower with chrome rims due to the wieght. Have had friends switch rims out thier chrome rims on the track and improve thier times by .3 on the 1/4 just by going back to the stock alum rims. The unsprung wieght may also affect your handling...I'm sure someone out there knows more about this.
Guess it just depends if you want "show or go"
where they steal OMG . if they where alumiunum there is not that much diffrents in weight i mean inless they where like two inches thicker than stock rims that would be just comin cence on that one.....they have crome aluiunum rims that is what id run and are lighter than stock in most cases.
Is your car a daily driver, all year?
Take it from me, New Jersey road salt will murder chrome.
If your car is a nice weather / summer car only, then get what you want...then post pics here!
I am in NJ so I know all about that road salt haha Anyway, its not a daily driver anymore....only about 1000-1500 miles per year the last few years and certainly not in the winter or bad weather. The aluminum ones I have now lasted quite a long time but they are really starting to peel now, and I seem to like the look of the chrome ones better. Was just wondering if chrome is more durable and easier to keep clean. And when the new rims are added, I will post pics here!
I never had polished wheels, but I'd guess just mild soap and water while the wheel is COLD is enough, then maybe some kind of polished wheel polish from Meguiars or Mothers every few months. My chrome wheels are from AFS and I use Meguiars car wash soap and AFS recommends glass cleaner for a thorough cleaning...not a fancy chrome polish. Chrome requires plenty of attention because brake dust will cause pitting.
I never had polished wheels, but I'd guess just mild soap and water while the wheel is COLD is enough, then maybe some kind of polished wheel polish from Meguiars or Mothers every few months. My chrome wheels are from AFS and I use Meguiars car wash soap and AFS recommends glass cleaner for a thorough cleaning...not a fancy chrome polish. Chrome requires plenty of attention because brake dust will cause pitting.
I follwed this advice from Rich ages ago and my chrome rims look awesome..still!! As you can see by his pic, his car is flawless for a daily driver! Glad to see you made it over buddy!
Jules
We run the weld rodlites on our show car.Get the mothers speed ball (mini) and polish to go with it.It will take about 10 min to clean them all up.That speed ball works awesome.
When you wash your car (on the wheels) use liquid dish soap like Dawn.It dosen't contain any wax,so it won't dull the rim,and it's really good at getting the grime off.
Had my rims for 10yrs and tried everything.that speed ball is very good.
Last edited by ScottHalliday; 12-14-2007 at 11:56 AM.
Unless you have loads of time to waste and just love polishing!
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- Shaken....Not Stirred 2003 Mach I Auto Torch Red - Sold
-1988 Ford Mustang GT Convertible, 331 Trick Flow Stroker with a Tremec 3550....oh yea and a 1.6 liter V-TECH motor to work the convertible top.
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It all depends on the look you desire. Chrome is always really flashy... so if you think your mustang should look (or try to look) flashy, then chrome is the way to go.
Polished aluminum is just a hair darker (even when polished up) and has a little more reserved look. Not quite as flashy and (I think) it looks a little more classic - in a muscle car sort of way.
Both look great when they match the look of the car and the effect you want.
I run with Torq-thrust 2's with polished aluminum and I couldn't imagine a better rim for my car. Polished is always a bit cheaper than chrome too - but since when did anybody ever pick "cheaper" over "better looking?"
My two cents... find the rims you want and buy them new - forget refinishing.
Thanks for the input jt I have had aluminum for years now and they lasted pretty long (at least, I would think so) but the chrome seems to be appealing to me now and the price difference isnt some astronomical amount. And you are right...forget refinishing! The price quotes I got were almost 75% the cost of new rims and they acted like they were doing me some great favor! I am just about ready to get new rims and unless I find some crazy deal on anything else, chrome seems to be the choice!
Polished Aluminum vs. Chrome Wheels? Which rims are best? 
. if they where alumiunum there is not that much diffrents in weight i mean inless they where like two inches thicker than stock rims that would be just comin cence on that one.....they have crome aluiunum rims that is what id run and are lighter than stock in most cases.
