Originally Posted by repechage

Keep those wheels for the Summer, will you.

Chrome on Aluminum is done, polish, acid etch, then copper, nickel then chrome. hopefully with little polishing afterward, as too much heat can set up for problems of adhesion later.

By the way, Jaguar stamps a special serial number into the alloy wheels it chromes PRIOR to them being plated, to tell them apart from the dealer sublet wheels that frequently fail much faster as the process was forced and or steps skipped. I'm sorry, your wheels were aftermarket, no warranty for you, will cost you $400. per wheel to have them stripped and done right

Now, the thermal expansion of the various layers and the base can play havoc, as can microscopic voids in the plating layers. Or a 'through" scratch can really get the peeling going.

ICS did this to some Campagnolo parts years ago, seen on various show bikes too.

Pretty? not for me. Bling? perhaps. durable? Let's pretend.