Chrome plating is available for new wheels or refurbished wheels made of steel or aluminum. The two main types of chrome plating are "hard chrome plating" and "decorative chrome plating".

Hard chrome plating - applies a relatively heavy coating to improve wear resistance. This type of coating could be found on old bumpers (you could peel off the chrome); hence, its hardness can be measured. This is typically applied to steel, and is not particularly shiny or decorative.

Decorative chrome plating - (nickel-chrome plating) involves plating nickel before chrome. Here the chrome plating is very thin, but still offers a hard surface. The shiny, “chrome appearance" is largely due to the nickel; the chrome layer helps minimize scratches and prevents tarnish. Aluminum wheels must first be zincated (zinc plated), then nickel-plated, and then chrome-plated hence “triple dip4 chrome. Steel wheels, in contrast, skip the zincate step and so is “double dip” chrome.

Shiny Aluminum Wheels without Chrome Plating - A more affordable alternative to a chrome plated finish is vacuum chrome impregnation on aluminum wheels. Aluminum, which is shiny when polished anyway, is susceptible to oxidation that leaves a grey-black coating. To prevent that, a resin is forced into the pores of the aluminum wheel; the hardened resin seals the pores and prevents oxidation. Vacuum impregnated aluminum wheels have a very durable finish that is almost as shiny as that of chrome, require little maintenance (just wash with soap), and have a substantially lower cost.

Learn about Chrome Wheel Exchange or Repairing Old Wheels or Aluminum/Alloy/ Steel Wheels