can someone please explain to me the differences between chrome, polished, and super finish aluminum wheels and how you maintain all of them. which is more durable? which is easier to keep looking great? i need to know before i buy some new ones. thanks

 

Chrome is just that, chrome plating on the wheel. Polished is just bare aluminum that is polished. Super finish is basically a term that most wheel manufacturers use for a very highly polished bare aluminum wheel. The purpose of polished aluminum wheels is to make them look like chromed wheels without the higher cost. Polished wheels require that you polish them every couple of months to maintain the shine. They are also very easy to stain by road salt, brake dust or the wrong cleaners. But, they are less expensive than chrome plated aluminum wheels.

 

thanks a lot wandell. that clears it up for me. i think i'll save up for chrome.

 

I would definitely recommend the chrome over the polished aluminum. I had some polished aluminum rims on a car before and they were a serious PITA to keep shined (if you want the shiny chrome look, if not the the PA wheels are worth the cost savings)

 

Nice post Wandell!