Need opinions on what to do ???

[glenn14]

my 4 year old stock 2009 alloys wheels. These are 2011 Toyota Chrome Plated Alloy wheels. so paid 699 +my stock wheels.

These have a 5 year warrenty, well I already had to send 1 back due to pitting and corrosian back in August now the other 3 are doing the samething. We have had an easy winter here in Mass, not much snow and salting of the roads and I have put at leat 6 coats of mothers chrome polish and these wheels are washed with mother chrome wheel cleaner rinsed off and dried everytime I wash the car. here are the pictures.

So my question is, If I send these back again it takes about 4 weeks to rechrome or should I contact him and ask for a 1399 dollar refund and by some new wheels.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. I also use my Daytona Speed Brush when cleaning these wheels. I also do not have any other wheels or back up wheels.
Regards,
Glenn

 

[cardaddy]

Woah there dude... that ain't right! Looks like more than pitting there, that's a downright failure. FOUR WEEKS to chrome? OMG, I think I'd be asking for a refund.

Do you have to have chrome? Just wondering if perhaps a different finish could do, powdercoat perhaps. It's very durable, lots of colors, even almost chrome like. Might be worth a look.

 

[glenn14]

Woah there dude... that ain't right! Looks like more than pitting there, that's a downright failure. FOUR WEEKS to chrome? OMG, I think I'd be asking for a refund.

Do you have to have chrome? Just wondering if perhaps a different finish could do, powdercoat perhaps. It's very durable, lots of colors, even almost chrome like. Might be worth a look.

cardaddy,
I have taken great care of these wheels as I have with my car, they get washed everyweek with mothers chrome cleaner then rinsed off then I go overthem with either a clean sponge and meguires car wash then us my large Daytona Speed Brush to get to the wheel barrels then every 3 weeks I polish them with mothers chrome polish..so I don't think that this should happen in this short of time.This is how I keep my cars. Plus I have the porter cable XP7424 and all of the pads etc.

So to me this is an epic fail. And done the samething with my painted wheels in my sig
picture and never had this problen and drove these painted wheels through 4 N.E. winters.
Thank you for your response.
Regards,
Glenn
Glenn

 

[Crazy Amos]

I saw this on a Mustang Saleen that I worked on. His was a lot worse though. His had the chios in the barrel as well. I believe this is where it starts.

I inspected it and it looked a lot like yours. I think it is a combination of poor prep work, or a problem with the platinh itself, in combination with the brake dust embedding itself into the plating. Wheels get extremely hot amd everything expands openimg up amd allowimg contaminats to embed. Once this happens the plating integrity is comprimised and it starts the flake off because it is no longer "one".

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[BobbyG]

This isn't caused by weather conditions or the lack of protection, it's caused by poor quality plating and the base prep prior to the chrome layer.

I'm not sure about alloy but on steel the wheels were dipped in a caustic bath to properly clean the wheel. Once this was complete in a copper bath. Copper is a soft metal and adheres to steel very well.

Next in like was a nickel bath. Nickle is a very nice material that adheres to copper and provides a perfect hard base-coat for the chrome.

Lastly, the chrome bath where the finish layers of chrome were applied....

 

[Crazy Amos]

Nice explanation Bobby.

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[glenn14]

To Troy and Bobby,
Thank you for your responses, I have contacted with pictures the seller on EBAY, what he does is gives you 700 dollars for your stock OEM wheels and you pay 699 dollars it lke a trade in or core exchange then what he does is takes your stock wheels and goes through the method Bobby mentioned, I have already seen my old wheels chromed and up for sale. I have made up my mind to demand a full refund, I had to send one back in august that did the samething and its doing it again. And now all 4 are doing this and as Bobby know since he is from Mass. we have not had that bad of winter where we have had a lot of ice and snow and where they have had to drop sand and salt on the roads. Plus when we have had those days and I am currently laidoff from work,
I have not driven on bad days. I did not think that this should happen this quickley even if we did have a bad winter.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Glenn

 

[glenn14]

This isn't caused by weather conditions or the lack of protection, it's caused by poor quality plating and the base prep prior to the chrome layer.

I'm not sure about alloy but on steel the wheels were dipped in a caustic bath to properly clean the wheel. Once this was complete in a copper bath. Copper is a soft metal and adheres to steel very well.

Next in like was a nickel bath. Nickle is a very nice material that adheres to copper and provides a perfect hard base-coat for the chrome.

Lastly, the chrome bath where the finish layers of chrome were applied....

Just to let you guys know, I am getting a complete refund and he is gong to pay all of the shipping fees. Thank you all, for all of your imput..this did not seem right to me, these wheel were an epic fail.
Regards,
Glenn:xyxthumbs:

 

[cardaddy]

Just to let you guys know, I am getting a complete refund and he is gong to pay all of the shipping fees. Thank you all, for all of your imput..this did not seem right to me, these wheel were an epic fail.
Regards,
Glenn:xyxthumbs:

That is GREAT news Glenn!
Way to stick to your guns!

Were his prep method perhaps different, more detail, whatever.... it could have come out great. He may also be using less than optimal platings. There is a reason stuff made in China is so cheap.

 

[glenn14]

That is GREAT news Glenn!
Way to stick to your guns!

Were his prep method perhaps different, more detail, whatever.... it could have come out great. He may also be using less than optimal platings. There is a reason stuff made in China is so cheap.

Thank you cardaddy,
This guy is located in Los Angeles, what he does is takes OEM wheels in trade / core . His wheels are $1399 he gives you a $700 dollar credit when he receives your stock OEM rims then sends you the OEM wheels that he got from some one else and does all of the Chroming process in his shop in cali. I had to send 1 wheel back in August that was corroding ..during the summer months I bought these wheels the friday b4 memorial weekend and by August 24th one wheel was peeling big time. As the fall progressed not just the wheel that I had rechromed started to do this but the other 3 as well. It took him one month to rechrome 1 wheel and since I traded in my OEM painted wheels I had no back up rims, so now that all 4 are shot I told him that nothing but a refund is acceptable and that I'll go to file a complaint with paypal and the BBB if I have too. So he is going to send me back my stock OEM silver clear coated wheels plus the 699.00. then He is going to send me return shipping labels to put his chromed wheels back into the boxes and ship back to LA. I am leaning towards
some nice TSW'S and either keeping my old OEM wheels as winter wheels..I'll get snow tires or sell them on ebay. There is a townfair tire 2 miles down the street from me and I am friends with the mgr and can get me a discount. BTW the wheels in my siggy are what I am getting back.. I am thinking on the TSW Vortexes. Here is my car with the chromes

Thanks again.
Glenn:xyxthumbs:

 

[BobbyG]

Just to let you guys know, I am getting a complete refund and he is gong to pay all of the shipping fees. Thank you all, for all of your imput..this did not seem right to me, these wheel were an epic fail.
Regards,
Glenn:xyxthumbs:

Good move Glenn!! rops: rops:

 

[glenn14]

Good move Glenn!! rops: rops:

Thank you Bobby,
These wheels were definatly not prepaired correctly..IE the 3 stage process so he called me this afternoon and said I want to make this right so next week he is going to send me my OEM's and my 699. I either sell the OEM's or keep them as winter rims and get snow tires next year for them or sell them . I kept these wheels up great and polished them and kept them clean and since I got laidoff from work in DEC. I have not driven on snowy or Icy days..maybe a few but not many and as you know Bobby
we really have not had that bad of a winter to warrent theses wheels to look like this.

Thanks again for your input.
Glenn:xyxthumbs:

 

[Crazy Amos]

Good deal, im glad he standing behind his work and takimg care of you, hopefully now he will revise his process. Way to get it done.

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[glenn14]

Good deal, im glad he standing behind his work and takimg care of you, hopefully now he will revise his process. Way to get it done.

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Thank you very much Troy,
I find it always helps to get other people's opinions and it just confirmed what I thought. That these wheels were an epic fail from day one and that without hesitation he
did stand behing his work hassle free and made things right.
So thank you for your input. I am on serveral forums and everyone has been great and willing to help. That what we are all here for and this forum has all great people here.

Glenn:xyxthumbs: