According to a great article on wire wheels in the introductory (July)
issue of Classic Motorsports, Kai is absolutely right. The
manufacturers of wire wheels do not chrome the spokes, they use
stainless spokes. The rim itself is chromed. Also, as is mentioned in
another email, Dayton seals their wheels so that they can be used with
tubeless tires.
Classic Motorsports is a great new magazine by the way. Grassroots
Motorsports purchased British Car magazine, and this is the result.
Those of you who know and love Grassroots will also love Classic
Motorsports. Same great writing and content, but dedicated to classic
cars (with an emphasis on LBCs). See their website at
http://www.classicautosport.net/
Tim Holbrook
1971 TR6
--- "Kai M. Radicke" <kai@radiohead.net> wrote:
> > If the chrome is plated properly it will have better corrosion
> > resistance than the paint. The key is "if".
> >
> > Gary
> > '73
>
> I find it hard to believe that any of the major suppliers actually
> carry
> chrome wire wheels with chrome spokes. The chroming process makes
> the thin
> spokes very brittle and potentially causes them to break under load.
> Most,
> if not all, wire wheels of today have stainless steel spokes. I can
> emphatically say that all Dayton wire wheels, including the ones for
> our
> TR6s, have stainless spokes. So by going with a chrome wheel, you
> actually
> get a wheel which is 50% stainless, and the finish should last much
> longer
> than a painted wheel (just keep the spokes clean of brake dust on
> either
> finish, and the finish will last quite a long time).
>
> The actual rim itself is still a chromed piece.
>
> If I had to have wires, my preference is for chrome wires on the
> Triumphs,
> it just seems a better fit than painted wires which I associate as
> more of a
> 1950/60s era option. The TRs have a nice bold body shape and with
> the wood
> dash, it just seems to give the entire car an aura of superiority
> over more
> commonplace cars like the MGB, which typically sport painted wires.
>
> Kai
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