I've had my OE Wheel ZR1s for about a year and a half and I've noticed they are not as shiny as they used to be. In fact, the corners of the rim where the spokes are connected seem to have some pitting or black stuff that just won't come off. Also, when you look at the chrome itself closely, it isn't mirror like, but looks like it has dust on it, even though they are clean. I only use glass cleaner on them every time I wash my car and Mothers Chrome polish hasn't helped. Any ideas?

 

Try a wheel cleaner or even Wheel Polish??? Glass Cleaner is prob not cleaning everything off....

 

I've tried mother's chrome polish along with that little power ball to really get it good but still doesn't work.

 

Anyone?

 

Maybe Wesley's Bleach White, but i'm not 100% sure that's safe for Chrome.

You may also try rubbing compound, but again maybe dangerous and do more damage

Other than that I'm out of ideas

 

Does your "glass cleaner" contain ammonia? I've read in advertisements from non-ammonia glass cleaners that ammonia can dull or corrode chrome. Example:

 

Well crap, I just read on the ingredients that it has ammonium hydroxide, which I assume is ammonia. I thought it didn't have ammonia in it...Does this mean my chrome is now crap?

It's kind of hard to capture on camera, but here is a picture of the chrome. It looks like it has dust on it, but it isn't dust. That is how the chrome looks now.

 

And from this thread, we can surmise, its not a good thing to use "glass cleaner" on chrome finish......

Good luck in trying to get them to shine......

 

This is true. I remembered reading somewhere to use glass cleaner on chrome, but apparently this was bad advice. What do you guys use then to clean your chrome wheels??

 

get a bucket of luke warm water and some car washing soap or get window cleaner made for cars and soak your wheel in either. then get some steel wool founf at any hardware store and go over your wheel for a good few minutes and that should bring the shine back. you will see a big diffrence. i use to steel wool my wheels once a week, just when i thought they could not shine any more, they did. dont worry, it wont scatch your wheels.

 

I thought about doing the 0000 steel wool but I still have my doubts on if it will scratch the chrome. I bought some chrome polish called Blue Magic and luckily I only tried it on a small section. I used a clean rag and it still produced very fine scratches. I even tried some Mother's chrome polish over that and the fine scratches are still there.

 

All I ever used was regular cheap car wax on my old truck with chrome wheels/bumpers........ Mostly turtle wax..... No probs here......

 

I'm about to pull my hair out!! I tried some 0000 steel wool and that did nothing, I tried Turtle Wax chrome polish, that did nothing, and I even tried steel wool and chrome polish, and that did nothing! I'm guessing the ONLY thing I can do if I want a flawless shine is to rechrome them? I guess they look good from a distance, but up close they are not.

 

Chances are the only person going to look that close and notice it is you.

 

Once chrome is discolored, there is nothing really nothing you can do, except re-chrome.... If its not bad, dont worry about it..... If it really bugs you, then have them redone..

Good luck in your decision...