I thought that X150 Forum members would find the post I just made on the XJ Forum to be of interest, so I decided to re-post it here. It was in response to an XJ member's inquiry about buying chrome wheels. Here's the link: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...12-xjl-132326/

My post #9
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?

My post #10
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

 

I have aluminum polished Vulcan wheels on my XKR. They are the same as the Vulcan wheels on the XKR-S with the bright option. IMO they look better than chrome and it is easy to polish out curb marks.

 

One of the guys at work had a RX8 with massive chrome wheels. It was getting flat tyre at the rate of about 4 a year, apparently because the corrosion abrades the tyre and wrecks it. He'd never have chrome again.

 

DGL,

OEM Vulcan (and Vortex) - forged and polished - strong, lightweight, and curb rash can be buffed out and re-polished. It doesn't get any better.

Stuart

 

PVD coating is what's done on black watches.

 

An alternative to chrome plating and PVD coating is hydrographic film transfer. The shop that did my carbon fiber-look Engine Appearance Cover had several wheels they coated on display including wood-grain, American flag, metallics, carbon fiber and colors. Wild to mild! After it is applied, the vinyl sheet is spray painted with a final coat of automotive clear coat, so it should be as durable as any other clear-coated wheel. Cost depends on wheel size, condition, and design.

Just food for thought.

Stuart