Center wheel caps: alloy or zinc cast?

[FlashGordon]

I shipped some center wheel caps to a compnay that is specialized in chroming steel and alloy.

They just phoned me and told the center caps are probably not alloy caps but a kind of zinc cast
(and that would be the reason that they need another chroming-procedure than alloy-parts.....unfortunately it is much more difficult and more expensive to find a company in Germany that is chroming just a very few zinc cast parts for a private person)

So, not alloy but zinc cast?

[SJTD]

What alloy did you think they were? What alloy did they say they weren't?

Steel? Pewter? Inconel? Brass? Bronze? Monel? A356? 321?

Sorry but referring to ALUMINUM and its alloys as "alloy" is something that drives me nuts and has since I was a teenager reading car and gun magazines.

Rant complete.

I don't know, my center caps are long gone but I'd think they would know their business.

[joe]

Don't know what the metal is but zinc wouldn't surprise me. Aka "pot metal" = cheap. Don't know about Europe but here in the States all plating shops are expensive. The EPA has regulated them to the point only the big ones are still in business. Used to be a plate shop in near any industrial city but meeting air quality regs and electrolyte disposal fees and overhead has closed them down. For costs if you can find a trusted plater in a less regulated country like India or Mexico you're better off. Otherwise "patience" is the key word. It's cheaper if you can wait till the shop can do a large batch and include your items rather than changing electrolyte for a small batch. The big plate shops are equipped to do various metals on a more regular basis so turn around is faster. Ask your shop how long the the expected wait would be if he waited till he expects on running a larger batch...but could be weeks to months. I've spent more money at plate shops having chrome removed rather than added and had better luck with large outfits like Brown's Plating. No NOT cheap but none of them are cheap. Talk with local car clubs and see if they know of a reliable plater in a less regulated country or consider an alternative coating. Good luck.

[440sixpack]

They are pot metal, a common material in the era.

Pot metal pits badly and that's probably why you're getting your caps rechromed. I've had several sets of pot metal AMX tail light housings redone by several shops and IT DOES NOT WORK . even if you spend a fortune getting the pits filled in a few years it will bubble up again. been there done that.

I'm not saying nobody can do it right. but I haven't found anyone or heard of anyone. my advice is to run ads and watch ebay and buy the best originals you can. this pains me as well because my caps are the only thing on my golden eagle project I cannot get the quality I want at any price. it's just something that's not going to be perfect and that's the way it is.

[red mistress]

Which style do you need, I have some NOS caps for late model GW's

[440sixpack]

I need a couple NOS or like NOS early ones for steel wheels if you find any. you'd be surprised what I'd pay.

[babywag]

Which style do you need, I have some NOS caps for late model GW's

I'd be curious in seeing these. All the Jeep stuff I have seen is very poor quality chrome. Every chrome piece I've seen looks pretty crappy, and have to wonder if they began life that way, and just got worse.

[440sixpack]

Crappy was pretty much the AMC standard.

I love them but facts are facts. they didn't go broke because they spent too much for quality.

[Bearman]

Same problem

I took my original caps to the local chrome shop too. Owner said they could?nt be rechromed due to material.
Later found a nos set for the front but they even had minor pitting. I?ve been looking for 5 years on ebay for a nice set or even a nos set for the rear. Like others have said, i have a accepted the fact that they will be pitted.

[FlashGordon]

Center caps

Which style do you need, I have some NOS caps for late model GW's

I?ve got those that have a black coloured outer ring and black coloured ?Jeep? letters and golden (copper gold) coloured inlays

[deckside]

Any one powder coat their caps? I am slowly amassing 4 almost new caps and want to keep them that way...love to hear what the Prisses are doing tokeep caps pristine.

[deckside]

Any one powder coat their caps? I am slowly amassing 4 almost new caps and want to keep them that way...love to hear what the Prisses are doing tokeep caps pristine.

Bump for a Powder coat v spray clear opinion on the caps. Folks who reman the aluminum wheels use spray clear...bad choice for chrome caps?

[joe]

Folks who reman the aluminum wheels use spray clear...bad choice for chrome caps?

Clear coating bare metal be it alum/steel/brass etc is a false sense of security. It will scratch and degrade with UV and where the metal eventually gets exposed, it'll be a bear to shine and blend. Much harder than just regularly polishing the metal. No way should anyone need to clear coat chrome unless the chrome is junk.

[babywag]

Any one powder coat their caps? I am slowly amassing 4 almost new caps and want to keep them that way...love to hear what the Prisses are doing tokeep caps pristine.

If you truly want pristine, get 2 sets. A set for driving, and a set for show to install when you want pristine.
Many guys do the same for wheels.

A great deal of careless folks out there that just do not care about other people's vehicles. Then there is always the occasional oops factor.

[deckside]

If you truly want pristine, get 2 sets. A set for driving, and a set for show to install when you want pristine.
Many guys do the same for wheels.

A great deal of careless folks out there that just do not care about other people's vehicles. Then there is always the occasional oops factor.

Those guys have more ducats and storage space than I do....is there a sure fire way to keep nice caps from pitting?