A few questions and answers about chrome peeling I pulled off the net with a google search:
We are having sporatic problems with the chrome peeling off of aluminum auto wheels. I have been told that the brake dust from the disk brake pads can cause it if the dust is allowed to stay on the wheel for an extended period of time. Does this sound correct?
It is true that the cleaner a surface is kept the less prone it is to corrosion because there are fewer differential oxidation areas. And it is possible for certain foreign agents to accelerate corrosion, maybe even cause pitting.
But no, it doesn't sound correct. It sounds like a tall tale to assuage you. Peeling occurs because of inadequate adhesion, which translates to something improperly done at the plating shop.
Intermittent problems with plating peeling on Aluminium Alloy Wheels is most commonly traced to the following factors:
1 ) Poor attention being paid to the Zincating step (s ) prior to the initial "Strike" plate
2 ) Contamination of the "Strike" bath with Zinc from the Zincating Stage
3 ) Insufficient thickness in LCD areas of the wheel .
There are of course other causes but these are the major causes found in "aftermarket" wheels.
I have read that chrome plated wheels will over time form stress cracks related to the differences in thermal coefficient of expansion between the chrome and the metal that it is plated to and this can lead to peeling of the chrome and possibly tire pressure loss due to the cracks runing up under the tire bead.
Can someone give me insight to this problem?
The conclusion is correct, but the steps leading to it are not. Chromium plating has been used to solve thousands of challenging engineering problems on piston rings, aircraft landing gear, hot molding, jet engine internals, and on and on. So the theory that its coefficient of thermal expansion causes peeling to develop is complete nonsense.
But peeling does occur and can lead to the loss of bead; so if it does, tell the plater or wheel manufacturer that you want your money back because it wasn't plated properly and you're not going to listen to any pseudo-scientific lame excuses.
