Are There Problems With Chromed Wheels?
[AW] Just to elaborate a little on this subject, I have yet another hard-luck 928 story that might be applicable to anyone who has or is considering chromed aluminum alloy wheels: 1. Porsche issued a service bulletin recommending against chroming their alloy wheels. I’ve never read it, but as related to me by a Porsche dealer mechanic it observed that, at least with respect to the chrome plating processes usually used after-market on automotive wheels, there are a couple chemical/physical problems: a) chrome plating is porous (to water), and b) chrome plating has a different index of thermal expansion than the underlying wheel alloy. This sets the car up for moisture penetration and corrosion beneath the chrome layer which *inevitably* causes pealing and flaking. So far we would seem to have “only” a severe cosmetic problem. But that’s not true, as I found out… 2. My particular ’86 928, like most 928s, had its wheels chromed at the time of initial delivery. Right before I bought it t
