SPS Chrome

The number 1 question most of my customers ask me is "How is chrome plating actually done? Do you just dip the piece in a solution; do you spray it on or brush it on?". They have no idea, because no one has ever taken the time to show them. This section will give you an idea as to what some of the steps are that a wheel goes through in order to get chrome plated.

CLEANING: The first step is too completely remove all of the grease, brake dust, chainlube or dirt that your wheel may have accumulated. We must have a completely clean wheel to start.

STRIPPING: Your wheel is now dipped in a specially developed solution that will remove all of the paint or powdercoating that it may have without harming the wheel surface at all.

POLISHING: The quality of the end result begins with this step. Your wheel starts to get hand ground with 80 grit to remove any lettering or emblems. Then we work our way from 120 to 800 grit, until the wheel is completely smooth. Your wheel is then buffed to a complete shine and checked for any imperfections before going to the plating department.

COPPER PLATING: After being thoroughly cleaned in our aluminum pretreatment system, your wheels make their way through the plating line until they reach one of our copper tanks. Here each wheel gets an initial thick coat of copper to provide an excellent deep shine and superior corrosion resistance.

COPPER BUFFING: Now that your wheel is copper plated it is checked and repaired of any imperfections that it may have. Then it is completely buffed to a brilliant shine.

NICKEL PLATING: At this point your wheel will pass inspection and move on to the nickel plating tanks. Nickel is applied to increase the surface leveling and the brightness of the wheel.

CHROME PLATING: Your wheel now enters the last stage of the plating process. The chrome solution we use gives your wheels that beautiful deep shine that we all look for.

Well, I hope you all have a little bit better understanding of what a wheel or part goes through in order to get chrome plated. If you have any questions at all about chrome plating, please do not hesitate to call me or one of our experienced staff members.

Tony Llovet
President