ACURA MDX . ORG Archive - Chrome Dipped Factory Wheels?

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Chrome Dipped Factory Wheels? - Click HERE for Original Thread

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tommyleon

[SIZE=3]Has anyone done this or bought factory wheels that have been chromed?My dealer was going to order a set of these , but claimed the supplier reneged on the warranty when the dealer placed the order.I have heard that this process does not last ,but there are plenty of aftermarket chromed aluminum wheels out there that seem to be holding up?
Any thoughts?
Tom:4:

rvehock

I purchased my wheels that were triple chrome plated and they look great. I have had them for almost a year now with no problems.

tommyleon

Revhock
Those look outstanding!Where did you get them?Thats exactly what I want.
Tom

spain

quote:
Originally posted by tommyleon
Revhock
Those look outstanding!Where did you get them?Thats exactly what I want.
Tom

Hi Tom! Nice to see another Tennessean on the board. I live in Franklin but grew up in Nashville!

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rvehock

quote:
Originally posted by tommyleon
Revhock
Those look outstanding!Where did you get them?Thats exactly what I want.
Tom

Tom, I got these wheels from a seller on ebay. The seller is ngobros2000@aol.com and he is out of Hawthorne California. I had to watch his auctions until I saw a set of MDX rims come up for sale. I paid $900 for the rims complete with the chrome center caps. I sold my original factory alloys as full size spares for $125 per wheel. My net investment ended up being $400 for the chrome rims, not bad:4:

tommyleon

Spain,where did you buy your X?Mine is coming out of Ala.The sales manager called me in December saying my X was in and I told him that we had agreed on the 15th of January!I called him on January 2nd and he said that he mis understood and had sold mine.I hope he can get another in by the 15th.He says he can so we'll see.
I'll look for you around town as I live in Brentwood so should be able to spot you sometime in your X.
Tom :4:

tommyleon

Revhock:Chrome Wheels
What a deal I will go to E-bay and see if I can do as well as you did!YOU DID GREAT! What venue did you use did you use to sell your factory wheels?
Tom

spain

quote:
Originally posted by tommyleon
Spain,where did you buy your X?Mine is coming out of Ala.The sales manager called me in December saying my X was in and I told him that we had agreed on the 15th of January!I called him on January 2nd and he said that he mis understood and had sold mine.I hope he can get another in by the 15th.He says he can so we'll see.
I'll look for you around town as I live in Brentwood so should be able to spot you sometime in your X.
Tom :4:

I bought my X from Gary Force in Brentwood/Franklin on Moores lane. They were fantastic! Did you get a better deal from the dealership in Alabama? Why didnt you buy locally? if i hadnt already put my $500 deposit down, I would have tried the group buy from Baranco in Atlanta. But I cant complain about Gary Force at all. I bought it for msrp with no forced options. Black/ebony/touring/res/no navi.

I have ordered my running boards from Tim which should be in soon. If you see a black X with black running boards, with a really handsome man driving around the franklin/brentwood area, you know it will be me!!:2:

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rvehock

quote:
Originally posted by tommyleon
Revhock:Chrome Wheels
What a deal I will go to E-bay and see if I can do as well as you did!YOU DID GREAT! What venue did you use did you use to sell your factory wheels?
Tom

I sold all of my factory wheels on this forum as full size spare replacements for the factory donut spare. At the time there was a big demand among the members of this forum for full size spares. I am sure that with all the new members you would not have much trouble selling your factory wheels on this forum?

Jon

I know a local bike chop shop who chromes things, I wonder if I can get my MDX wheels dipped in chrome? That is basically how it's done right?

paul123

How Should I Chrome Wheels?
[NM] Many of you asked me during NSXpo 98 where I had my wheels done. Jeff Bennett researched and has apparently used this place / person several times. I can definitely vouch for the quality (as can anyone who saw how fantastic my stock 91' wheels now look!). Anyway - feel free to send George the business and thank Jeff for finding this awesome resource.

"George Oliver's shop is called: Wheel Creations Plus located at: 2006 Mary St. Fresno,CA. 93721 phone: (209) 233-3654 I have done alot of business with him and he does excellent work. Be sure and tell him I sent you. By the way, I may have forgot to tell you, the center caps need to be cleaned with mild soap and water. Do not use those caustic wheel cleaner products. The center caps are plastic and thats why they require extra care. Your friend, Jeff"

[SE] I purchased stock '91-'93 factory chromes from Discount Tire about 3 months ago. They have a great program for swapping in your old cores and getting new chromes on the spot [of course you need to set it up ahead of time]. They came with a "flush" chrome cap.

Center Caps
Wheel Creations Plus (listed above) does chrome center caps.

[DrManny@aol.com] I replaced them with center caps from the Legend. They are chrome and have a raised gold A in the center. I personnely think they look great. I had to modify them to fit, however they do not need to be glued on. Purchased from Acura.

[SE] Discount Tire has chrome center caps. No lug holes and no Acura logo. But, they are "flush" with the rest of the rim. I know you can purchase just the caps for around $30-$50 ea.

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 the PO replaced all four tires. Two of the wheels subsequently but at different times developed mysterious slow leaks, which turned out to be the chrome plating peeling away *at the tire-bead to wheel-rim interface*. I believe this developed at that time because of the disturbance resulting from changing tires. In any case, I finally had to have all four tires removed *again* and a rim carefully scraped. I also am pretty sure that the problem would have recurred with each tire change, if not sooner.

My conclusion from all this is that after-market chroming of alloy wheels is not worth the risk and hassle. If I ever acquired a car that had chromed wheels again I would without further ado have the chrome stripped off and returned either to the factory appearance or have them polished, or get new wheels. I don't want to have to worry about leaks around the bead at 150 mph. IANAM (I am not a metallurgist) but I suspect there are chrome plating processes that would work and be reliable, if expensive. I just don't know how I would verify that myself.

What About Polishing Wheels?
Polished Center Caps
[MN] Here's what you do for the 7 spokers. Get somebody to punch you out some aluminum .090 by 1 13/16 circles. Take your center caps out. Taking an x-acto knife, put the cap upside down on a flat surface and lay it right up against an aluminum disk. Put the knife point up against the plastic and hold it also flush with the surface of the disk.

Rotate the plastic 360 degrees. What you are doing is making a mark around the circumference of the plastic cap, the thickness of the aluminum disk. Hold the top part (with the insignia) flat against a belt sander, and sand the surface down until the lines are gone. Epoxy the aluminum disk to that sanded surface. Polish the aluminum surface and put the caps back on. Looks totally flat and cool !!

paul123

Here's a website that has them:

http://aaarims.com/cgi-bin/Web_stor...ile=wheel.setup

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paul123

They have both $278 and $298 a Rim

xcel

Hi Paul123:

___You must be using Google as I ran across those two links this afternoon myself! There was a place in CA. that would send you 4 chromed rims and you could then send yours back for something like $500 or $600 + shipping. I lost the link and I did not find it through a few pages of a Google search but it is out there. I believe someone had a Honda and an Audi pic in the gallery (if I remember correctly???) that may have received their chromed wheels from that shop wherever it is in CA.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

paul123

http://cardealerconcepts.homestead....erconcepts.html

Yes goggle is an excellent search engine, type in chrome plated oem wheels and you find alot. Yahoo also had a couple.

tommyleon

3]RE.Franklin Member
Hi Spain!I bought mine from Damson Acura in Huntsville,because I wanted the navi and GF wouldn't't deal any.Of course I don't have my X yet but the deal is for mid January delivery so we'll see?
I am going to the Sema show held here in mid Feb.,so I'll check out the wheel offerings and get the skinny on chroming wheels.I have seen chrome aluminum wheels offered on factory cars,Cadillac,Olds etc however NOT on Corvette.The folks I've talked to at Corvette talk about the flaking problems so its pretty confusing .I think it can be done but it must be done right!!Rvehocks wheels look great,I hope they hold up,it will be interesting to see how they hold up after a tire change. :4:
Hey Wayne how good a deal did you get from the Atlanta dealer!Any deals on the touring with navi.
Tom

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xcel

Hi Tommyleon:

___I have spoken highly of Damson Acura on a few occasions here in the forum. Baranco got me another $500 under to $1500 under in total so that is where it stands � I am currently waiting like you for my own X. Thanks for the lead as it was the first real positive experience I had from an Acura dealership.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

Leader(in L.A.)

In Southern California most new car dealers (Acura included) offer chromed stock alloys for well North of $1000. Being a fan of chromes, but not thrilled about being reamed, I found a wheel and tire store (Wesco Track & Tire in North Hills) that will swap your alloys for a set of chromes: total installed price = $500.00
I've done four cars this way over the last ten years and have had zero problems. Here's an MDX Touring Alloy before-and-after shot.

xcel

Hi Leader (in LA):

___Thanks for the lead. I believe this was one of the shops spoken of in past posts. At least that pic looks familiar. Maybe you were the one posting about Wesco so many months ago? After a quick search on Wesco, I came across the following conversation in an Unofficial bmw forum with the following information which should help many here including myself when its time �

quote:
From digest.v7.n589 Fri Nov 14 09:46:32 1997
From: Louis Goldsman
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 23:59:23 -0800
Subject: Wheels (Wesco)
Ed Mellinger asked about getting BMW E34 takeoff wheels to use on his E28. He asked about a company he heard about in the L. A. area that is a big vendor of BMW wheels. The company he asked about is Wesco Track & Tire located at 8441 Sepulveda Blvd., Sepulveda, CA 91343 (a suburb of L. A.). Their phone number is 818-894-3700 (FAX 818-894-7990).
Wesco is not so much a dealer in BMW wheels as a supplier of aftermarket wheels to new car dealers. (You know, so when you buy your new BMW the dealer can charge you $2,000 extra to take those forged alloy wheels off your hands in exchange for chrome plated whatsyamacallit wheels.) This is really big business in Southern California (surprise!). New car dealers down here routinely put aftermarket wheels on the new cars in the showroom. They generally change the tires as well.
I first dealt with Wesco when I bought my M5 in 1990. I kept the factory wheels, with the bolt-on turbine blades, but Wesco chrome plated the wheels and painted the turbines and center caps black to match the car. (Without some change the car looked like it had whitewall tires!) (Phil M. - you already poked me in the ribs about my wheels!) Since then I've spoken with several new car dealers that have and do deal with Wesco, everybody had good things to say.
There is another source for factory takeoffs - Used Rim, Inc., 3545 San Gabriel River Parkway, Pico Rivera, CA 90660. Telephone 1-800-USEDRIM or 562-908-8812 (FAX- 562-908-8821). All they deal in is factory wheel takeoffs. They generally have a big selection of both new and used wheels for almost any car. (M. P. - They don't sell tires either). I bought a set of the 91 M5 factory wheels with the cooling turbine blades (no chrome, no paint) for my track tires from Used Rim. A painless exercise.
Good luck
Louis
91 M5 (J. Conforti chip)

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

tommyleon

Great info now we just need to find someone like this closer to Tennessee.The hassles +freight back and forth from Nashville would be to great I fear,but Ill give them a call to see what can be done.What I like the most about this company is that they have been doing it long enough to have gotten all the bugs out of the process.
Tom

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merrillcrosbie

I had my base wheels chromed and they have held up very well. I have had them for about a year and a half and they show no wear or tear.

The chrome lug nuts aren't as good. They are the lug nuts that came on the car, but the edges of them are rusting. Not bad enough to replace them, but they don't look as good as the wheels. The wheel locks are holding up okay though.

I posted pix of the chromed base wheels previously...but go to the end of the thread because it took a while to get the picture resized during that discussion:

http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...=merrillcrosbie

My dealer got these chromed for me...cost $700. Warranty still applies.

dbauchat

Just a couple comments on Chrome plate on aluminum.

1. Pro - The Wheels do look fantastic!

2. Quality - If your going to get Chromed Al Alloy wheels, make sure that the Chrome plating on the wheels has been applied over a "Nickel Strike" (thin nickel plate). If you buy wheels that don't have the nickel underlayer, your chrome will chip & flake. Also the nickel adds a great corrosion barrier.

3. Durability of the Plated surface. This will depend on the type of damage your wheels are subjected to. You need to remember that you have an extremely Hard,Thin Surface coating (Chrome) over a much softer Structural layer (Aluminum). The hardness difference is huge, the hardness of the Chrome layer is over "65 Rockwell "C" scale" while the aluminum is so soft that it can't even be measured on the "C" scale so it measures 75-82 Rockwell "B". In lay terms, the aluminum can be gouged with a piece of wood while the Chrome is harder than Tool Steel. So what does this all mean???

a. The Chrome surface will be superior to a normal Al Alloy when subjected to "Light" sliding wear. However, as the load goes up the Cr surface will only be as strong as the Aluminum substrate.

b. Hertzian loads (impact loads), typical of stone hits, will however, cause the Chrome to crack. What you will see is an impact point with tiny cracks radiating out from the center (kind of like an asterisk *. With time those cracks will "grow" and the chrome may start to chip off.
If you live in areas that use road salt, these cracked areas will begin to corrode, leaving little white crusty looking scabs on the wheel surface (the nickel strike really helps delay this process). After a while the wheels don't look so good...

So... if you don't have to deal with gravel roads or road salt, Chromed alloy wheels will work out fine and look really great. If you try to run them up North, they will start to look like the old Chrysler "K" car bumpers (also Cr over Aluminum) that use to litter the highways when they corroded off the cars.

Good luck

PS - Don't forget to use a good corrosion preventive oil on your lugnuts before and after installing. (wipe off excess) Either Boeshield T-9, LPS #3, or Mobil Arma 245 should help prevent dissimlar metal corrosion by keeping moisture out of the interface. Marine grease will also work. Be careful not to overtorque lubricated lugnuts.

mdxxxx

quote:
Originally posted by dbauchat
Just a couple comments on Chrome plate on aluminum.
...

Very informative. Thanks.:4:

xcel

Hi Dbauchat:

___That was excellent information � Given I live just north of Chicago, we see a lot of salt in the winter. I have read that the chrome is actually porous and when the salt and spray gets behind that plating, the wheels will go the h3!! rather quickly. Does that sound right? I have looked for simple 5 and 6 spoke chrome replacements and they are either to fancy for my tastes or outrageously expensive. Neeper Concept Haaz�s are my favorites but not at $2400 + � I saw some very nice looking 5 spoke Fondmetal 17� chromes with an attractive rolled edge on a Honda Accord while I was in HI. last week but following up with a few internet wheel and tire shops, apparently they only make the polished Aluminum finish nowadays? Does the chroming process have the same problems when done over a steel wheel as is probably the case with Chrome wheels purchased from one of the many wheel manufacturers? I just know I am going to be disappointed with the longevity if I have the OEM�s chromed in 3 + years given the climate I drive in :(

___Thanks in advance.

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

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dbauchat

Xcel... In response to your question.

The structure of chrome plate isn't really so much porous as it can contain "pores"... Depending on the deposition rate of the plating process (and a bunch of other variables) chrome plating has random pores. As the plating builds up most of the pores are covered or partial filled so that the pores typically are not linked. What results is that the layer of chrome at the substrate interface (next to the aluminum wheel) is denser than the surface layer. Please realize I am being very general here... Poor plating practice can result in porous chrome, but that is not the norm or accepted quality.

When you look at the surface of polished chrome under magnification, the surface has the appearance of "mud cracks", i.e. the way a flat muddy area looks after baking out in the sun. (This is one of the properties of Cr Plate that is so desirable for hydraulic cylinders, since these little cracks will hold oil enabling a piston rings to slide by on the micro film, but I'm digressing). Anyway, for decorative chrome, the key to a long lasting finish is a nickel understrike to prevent any corrosive media (salt water) from finding its' way thru any pores that may be interconnected thru to the substrate. This is true for both Aluminum & steel substrates.

Chrome on Steel - This is really an optimum combination since the steel substrate is much closer in hardness to the plated surface (roughly 32-35 Rc) and is able to resist impact loads that would (on an AL substrate) cause the surface to crack or chip. The penalty with steel is that they are usually about 50% heavier than the Al alloy wheel and due to structural shape factors typically not as stiff. Also steel doesn't lend itself to being cast or forged as cheaply as aluminum. So you have a series of design compromises in selecting your materials.

Finally, you're seeing more polished aluminum wheels because it's alot cheaper than chrome and it is easier to maintain & repair. However, only chrome has that drop dead mirror finish.

There are some wheel manufacturers that are working with Vapor Deposition finishes that have alot of curb appeal (colors, metallics, etc.) but I am not aware of any being commercially available.

One last thought is, if you can afford it, to get a set of "summer" wheels that meet your aesthetic needs and keep your OEM wheels for the ice & crap season...

Sorry if I got too detailed..

Dave

tommyleon

[SIZE=4]
I called Wesco this AM on the west coast and the price was right about $500.00 exchange but the saleman said 3 months for 03 tourings and I fear the freight both ways would be prohibative!Also I don't like doing business that far away.
I called on an independent Goodyear today(well respected,honest and very knowledgable, McDuffee Tire here in Nashville) Gary McDuffee told me his only problem was keeping the glue on weights on and he said they don't balance as well as the clamp on type due to placement perimeters for the glue ons.Can't get them on the front edge like you can the clamp ons!This is a concern for me due to the fact that I don't want any vibration at 70-90 MPH.Also having to rotate every 5000 might be a hassle with the glue ons.
Wayne: I called your guy today in Hotlanta and he gave me a great price ,but the damn doc fee is pretty stong and he said he couldn't budge on it!
I've cleared all the financial hurdles so am ready to rock n roll,I have a decision to make now with the deal at Damson.
Tom
Damn CBS and their SUV bashing will only insite the evil people to do bad things to SUVs when their unattended in a parking lot,I fear.

xcel

Hi Tommyleon:

___Thanks for the update on the chrome wheel purchase time frame from Wesco. You are making me consider keeping the OEM polished aluminums as is for safety and longevity. Can you speak with your GoodYear rep and ask if the weights can go on the inside of the rims possibly?

___I am sorry Baranco didn�t work out for you. I will have to edit some posts to $1105 under MSRP now given the DOC fee inclusion � :( At least you only have 2 more weeks to wait from Damson! You were working with Bill, right? I thought he was a stand up guy in my conversations with him.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

tommyleon

Mornin Wayne:
I haven't ruled Baranco out yet I hope Ted is a man of his word if I decide to go that way.The problem is getting to Atlanta.His deal is still better than Damsons especially with the cargo package thrown in.I 'm trying to get ahold of Steve now at Damson to see what he will do and to pin down when my X will arrive.Baranco has one sittin there.
Concerning the stick on weights they do stick on to the inside of the wheel,thats the only place they can go and thats the problem you can only get them on the inside.McDuffee told me that the wheel balances better if the weights can go on the edge at least I think thats what he meant.Maybe other members could comment on the glue on weight thing and how there working on their wheels.Like I said I'm real picky when it comes to vibration problems.
Tom:4:

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rvehock

quote:
Originally posted by tommyleon
Revhock
Those look outstanding!Where did you get them?Thats exactly what I want.
Tom

Tom,

Here is an ad from eBay from the seller that I purchased my wheels from.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...item=1876893965

tommyleon

Mornin Revock:
I e-mailed this guy after receiving your previous post and he wants a $1000 for them!My problem would be the freight .I hate it when people put stuff on e-bay with a high reserve like he did.Why bid when its starting at a grand and thats what he wants with a phone call!
I'm going to the Sema show in Febuary and check out what available from those suppliers.I really would like to do a swap thing if possible.
One question!Do these balance up Real well WITH THE STICK ON WEIGHTS?My tire guy claims its not as good as the clip ons?I gotta have it vibration free,I hate any vibration up to 100 mph.I probably won't be going much faster than that.I dread doing a rebalance every 5000 if its that touchy?
Should pick up my new X tomorrow,God willing!!
Thanks,
Tom

rvehock

quote:
Originally posted by tommyleon
Mornin Revock:
I e-mailed this guy after receiving your previous post and he wants a $1000 for them!My problem would be the freight .I hate it when people put stuff on e-bay with a high reserve like he did.Why bid when its starting at a grand and thats what he wants with a phone call!
I'm going to the Sema show in Febuary and check out what available from those suppliers.I really would like to do a swap thing if possible.
One question!Do these balance up Real well WITH THE STICK ON WEIGHTS?My tire guy claims its not as good as the clip ons?I gotta have it vibration free,I hate any vibration up to 100 mph.I probably won't be going much faster than that.I dread doing a rebalance every 5000 if its that touchy?
Should pick up my new X tomorrow,God willing!!
Thanks,
Tom

I have had mine now for about a year and I have them balanced on the inside of the rim (stick on weights) and I have absolutely no vibration up to about 90mph. I do not ever travel above that speed so I am not sure about 100mph? When I purchased my chrome wheels from this guy the price was $900 + 60 shipping, that from California to Florida (not to bad).

tommyleon

Hi Rvehock!
Actually the 100MPH just poped out after two glasses of red wine(thats why I don't drink and drive)I rarely go over 85 or what ever the local traffic is doing and conditions are conducive to do so.
Your comments make me feel good about the wheels which I really want to get.Like I said I'm going to check out the offerings at the Sema show.
I talked to the salesmanager today to make sure everything was ready for delivery of my X tommorrow and he tells me that while the parts guy was getting the burl wood gear shift ball to him,he dropped it and it broke all to pieces.WHat else can happen.
I wonder if I'm gettin a full tank of premium fuel?
Tom :4:

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tommyleon

Hi Wayne:
She's sittin in the garage as I write this!I've been down there about 100 times just to look at her.Damn I'm so picky and I can find no faults with this vehicle.I can't remember being this exited over anything since my daughter got married!!I can't explain it!
Anyway I hope your deal at bARANCO WORKS!I'm sure it will,let me know how you feel when you get yours.
Acura MDXs are hard to buy,but when the deal is done its worth it.I can tell you the folks at Damson were so professional.The process took almost the entire day.When was the last time that happened to you?
Keep me posted on your deal!
Tom:4: :4:

xcel

Hi Tommyleon:

___Congrats are definitely in order for you! I can only imagine what its like but from your description, it sounds like having a new born � Well maybe that much ;) but I truly can�t wait either!

___Don�t forget the pics with accessories. Especially if you go with the Chromed wheels and side steps! How do you like the contrasting Quartz/Black in your X now that you have had the chance to drive it for a few hours given mine will be the same?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

rudy331

quote:
Originally posted by paul123
http://cardealerconcepts.homestead....erconcepts.html

Yes goggle is an excellent search engine, type in chrome plated oem wheels and you find alot. Yahoo also had a couple.

FYI - I just spoke with Dave at cardealerconcepts. He has a set of brand new '02 touring wheels still in the box with no miles for $695 (all four) plus $89 shipping. Sounds like a great deal from what I can find--unfortunately I want the '03 so I am going to wait until he can get those. You can reach him at 877-833-1222 or e-mail at

CustomerService@cardealerconcepts.com

tommyleon

Evening Rudy:
Thanks for the info,hopefully a 2002 member will jump all over that deal!I like you, want the 2003 wheels.Please keep us posted when you get yours and how they balance up and feel after a few miles.
Tom

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jjtoma

Hi Rudy

I called Dave at CarDealerconcepts last week to inquire about chrome OEM exchange for 2003 MDX Touring wheels. Dave said he would get back to me.I emailed him today as a reminder, passing along there is interest on this forum for his service. I would suggest that anyone is interested that they contact him. Price was $545.00 + shipping cost.
JJTOMA

PS I have talked to other people about this exchange, but they were tried up with dealers suppling and rotating their stock

Kylieco

Leader (in LA) - Thanks for your post regarding Wesco. I have a 2003 Black MDX and wanted chrome rims. After reading your post, I called Wesco and in about 3 weeks I will have my chrome rims.

As I live in Encino, Wesco is only a few miles away.

Kylieco

xcel

Hi All:

___I had a reply from NGOBROS@aol.com about his auctioned chrome wheels � Take the reply for what its worth:

quote:
hi: those are triple chrome plated..... nickel-copper-chrome...
but let me tell you... no matter how good the chrome.... none will last in the salt that they put on your winter roads

___At least you know a bit more about the process he has them chromed with. As for winter driving in my locale, 2 sets will be mandatory as was previously deduced.

___Has anyone got a quote back on chromed 03�s without the swap yet? I am about to purchase (4) 01/02 Tourings chromed for $550 so I may as well hear everyone�s experiences with prices on the 03�s �

___Thanks and Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

tommyleon

Hi Wayne thanks for the info on the wheels.I have decided to stay away for now due to the balance problems.Every tire balancer that I have talked to says they won't balance up as well as the aluminums where you can clip the weights on to the front of the rim.
I call on tire stores and have made it apoint to get feed back from these guys.Since I will probably rotate and rebalance every 5000 miles ,I just don't want the hassle.Several members have posted replies where they feel the wheels balance up fine with the glue ons.I guess I,m not convinced.
Keep us posted as to how yours work.
Got the factory side moulding today and will apply it when it warms up.It looks pretty easy to do. I also have the 3M Paint Protection film coming for the hood,front side fender areas and mirrors.
The X is running great.
Tom:4:

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xcel

Hi Tommyleon:

___I understand your predicament.

___I was just in contact with the background E-Bay seller about the 01/02 Touring Chrome rims and Michelin X-Terrains for $550.00 shipped and it sounds a little bit better than can believed. I also have to find another X owning member from the Edison, NJ area to check them out for me which is probably impossible anyway :( I will definitely have to have a full set of rims and tires given the salt situation here just North of Chicago �

___Good Luck with whatever rims you decide on if at all.

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

tommyleon

Hey Wayne:
I got to thinkin and I don't know why the wheels would corrode if you keep them clean.I know they will flake if you let the salt stay on them for long periods however if you keep the salt off of them I would think they would be fine.Kind of like bird s--- on your hood.If you get it off within a couple days it won't eat into the paint.The only thing that would cause corrosion would be rocks/gravel being kicked into the chrome and pitting it.INHO.
Tom :4:

xcel

Hi Tommyleon:

___In this locale, sometimes you don�t have a choice of keeping them clean. Salt coats everything and keeping them clean for an hour is impossible let alone for days on end with temps below freezing for what seems like weeks in a row �

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

Happy_MDX

I've been pricing chrome wheels in the So Cal (Los Angeles area) for the last 2 weeks.

17 " Chromed OEM wheels for the 03 MDX range from $100 ea to $150 ea, with a lead time of 7 to 10 working days.

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tommyleon

I called on several tire stores today and talked to them about the balance problems .One shop tech said that he used the clip on weights on the inside lip in conjunction with glue ons.He said if the surface is cleaned properly then the weight won't move and he gets a normal good balance with this method.Makes sense.
Tom
:4:

rvehock

Here is anothe set of chromed wheels (2001 / 2002 Base wheels). They went real fast (posted for only 5 hours) for the reserve price, they will look nice on someones MDX:4:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...7&category=6782