I bought a new set of Keystones (same company) a few years ago. The car sat outside in the summer for 2 months. It got rained on a few times. The wheels started to rust. No warranty for rust. I'll never buy another product from that company again.

Glad I saw this thread. What are the chrome wheels to buy then? I was going to buy a new set of cragar SS's, but after seeing this thread!!??

I really like the look of the cragar SS's. Funny as I used to hate them back in the day, but now.........

Those wheels did the same thing 45 years ago. Too bad they haven't put some effort into doing it right in all that time.

Sheldon

I like Keystones, but they have the same rust and pitting issues as the Cragar SS wheels. For the dedicated types one option would be be to buy some already rusty swap meet specials for dirt cheap and cut them apart and send the centers out to be rechromed. Then you could locate a shop that builds custom steel wheels and ship them the newly rechromed centers and have them weld them into some new hoops.

The only problem with that, is you end up with the same quality of chrome outers again, as Carlstar/Cragar supply most other places with outers.

Not all of them of course, but quite a few. Getting raw ones and then having them plated might be a better way to go, just expensive is all..


There is another supplier that I have used, but with them you have to buy (from memory) a minimum of 20 pallets at a time of any one given size. Basically an entire run of any size you need.

Oh, and... I don't really know what the idea solution would be either.

Personally, just have to go through them as best as possible and try for the best quality out of a batch as possible for our customers in turn in Oz who will end up buying them.

Yeah, if you did all that work and still ended up with their poorly chromed hoops then what would be the point? I know chrome shops won't do 2 piece wheels, but if you had money to burn you could buy a rusty set, take them apart, rechrome the centers and the hoops, and then ship them off someplace to have them jigged up and reassembled. Probably end up burning thru $1500.00 or more before you were done.

Guess it all depends on how much you like Cragars (and raw outers are pretty cheap at least.)


Personally, I don't like them and rather go with an aluminum/billet/forged wheel.

Polishing is easy after all..

Are the current wheels the same way ?

Yep..I ment the classic, in the sense of not like the 1 piece style ones someone posted a pic of.

The S/S is still like they were, chrome steel outer with a chromed aluminum center.

The 08/61 Composite has different backspacing than the 610 series solids also.

http://www.cragarwheel.com/images/medialibrary/Cragar%2008_61.pdf

http://www.cragarwheel.com/images/medialibrary/1335468555347.pdf

Are there any options regarding a chrome look powder coating? Might not be quite as shiny as real chrome but certainly easier to apply.

Unrelated question:

What exactly holds the 2 pieces together besides friction? I'm not aware of any welding rod that allows you to weld aluminum to steel.

Kevin

There are steel inserts that are molded in when they cast the center.

Mine rust when you sneeze near them.... Mine are even the older supposedly better quality chrome back then from the 80's. They have been off & on my car since around 1985.

The chrome is garbage. I have a set that are a little over a year old. Out of the box you could see the copper in some spots. I put two coats of wax on them. By the end of the season you can see rust trying to pop through in a few spots. Polished them, 2 more coats of wax, and sat all winter. Keep alot of wax on them, it will help. It shines nice when its clean, but its definitely not good quality.

I figure when it looks like crap I'll send them someplace for good chrome.

This one was about 2 days old.. right out of production to my hands nearly...