My 2012 XJL came with the 19 in Aleutian Painted Aluminum wheels and I think
I would like to add chrome wheels to this vehicle.

Are there any recommendations on where to purchase a set (not thru dealer) or has anyone had the experience in buying chrome Aleutian wheels from a company that makes chrome wheels? Thanks.

 

E bay $789 exchange

 

Thanks very much for referring me to Ebay. I have reviewed this information and am continuing to check other information available on google search. Just checking all options before I make a decision.

 

Be ready to have to fill them with air more often. I had chrome wheels and they leaked and leaked. The dealer blamed the chroming!

 

I will definitely keep your comment in mind. Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback.

 

I have used chrome wheels for 30 years. A little air every 6 weeks or so no big deal. Plus now your senors will remind you. Life is good. Floyd

 

Thank you too Floyd.

 

Check out the prices with some of the local shops in your area that do chrome. One nice thing will be that if you have any curb rash it will be gone!

 

But you won't be able to repair future curb rash cheaply, since chrome/PVD wheels can't be touched up like painted wheels. They have to be completely re-chromed. And the chrome plating process tends to weaken the strength of the wheel, making it more prone to pothole damage. How many race cars have chrome wheels?

 

Subtitle: Old-School or Rocket Science

I'm following up on my previous post, since if you are considering chrome wheels you need to be an informed consumer. Buyer Beware!

Old-school, traditional or "real" chrome plating (as on car bumpers of yore, which lasted almost forever) aka "triple chrome plating" uses an electroplating process to apply layers of copper, nickel and chromium to the base material which, in the case of Jaguar OEM wheels is aluminum alloy. This is like mixing oil and water; they resist working together.

Similarly, corrosion forces are working against you when aluminum is electroplated with nickel. If you put nickel and chrome on aluminum and then allow even the tiniest perforation or porosity in the coating, you have a powerful corrosion battery where galvanic forces will cause the aluminum to react with the nickel and corrode quickly, causing bubbles and the top chrome surface to peel off. See: Introduction to Chrome Plated Wheels: Q&A s, Problems & Solutions

So why do you see so many new cars with chrome wheels from the factory? Because they're not "real" chrome plated; they are PVD coated. PVD or Physical Vapor Deposition is technology developed by NASA (yes, Rocket Science!) that combines vacuum plating with powder coating as an alternative to traditional chrome plating. See: Physical vapor deposition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia PVD-coated wheels don't have all of the drawbacks of chrome plated wheels, but if they're curbed they can't be touched up and must be recoated.

So, if you absolutely must have really shiny wheels, consider PVD instead of real, traditional chrome. And PVD is available in colors, such as "black chrome". See: Why PVD is Better Than Chrome for Your Rims - Discover how PVD works

The above is just a summary of the differences between chrome and PVD. As I said, Buyer Beware! Not a whole lot of good, but plenty of bad and ugly.

Stuart

 

Stuart: thanks very much for the "schooling" on this chroming process. I'm beginning to reconsider this initial idea of mine. And, the more I look at the OE wheels on the XJL the more I'm feeling comfortable with what I have.

 

I'm not a big fan of chrome wheels, it depends on the style and the color of the car. I have a black XJL I went with a brushed aluminum look with chrome lip. I also went with 22" and haven't had an issue issues. I have 24" on my Audi. No problems there either. The only cars that seem to wreck every rim I put on are Mercedes. All my Mercedes killed rims because Mercedes makes their cars so damn heavy!

 

Nice looking black Jag. Also, nice looking wheels.
Thanks for providing some feedback to my question. For the moment I'm keeping what I have; not sure if/when I may give further consideration to chrome wheels.