3 spoke alloy wheel delamination

[DMCL2023]

Hi guys,

I have a 1997 Explorer with the stock 3 spoke alloy wheel. One of my plastic alloy dressing has started delaminating from the wheel. Do you know what can be done to fix this? Or is it a new wheel entirely?

Thanks

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I'd just get a wheel, and pay the $20ish for remounting the tire

 

[swshawaii]

I'm convinced Ford's factory wheel clear coat is mediocre, at best. Like the OP, strange thing is after 20 years you can have three good wheels and one with peeling clear coat. Issue still exists today, even with newer models. Agree with RandomNerd, the cost of quality refinishing at a local shop is usually $150 or more per wheel, and I would think the OE three spoke wheels would be somewhat common in salvage yards or eBay for a lot less.

 

[DMCL2023]

Thanks for the advise. Yea I think eBay is the way to go. I'm based in Ireland and they only sold them for a year or two back in the 1990s. No scrap yards have them.

It's annoying because it doesn't look good.

Thanks guys

 

[Mbrooks420]

It’s really not that hard to refinish a wheel. After 21 years I don’t think that wheels finish owes you anything. I’d be willing to bet that the issue started with a damage in the clear of some sort. Most aluminum wheels deteriorate because of the weights.

 

[Turdle]

I don't think he is having a "finish" issue.
I think he has one of those wheel styles with the chrome cover plate. The plate is glued to the wheel.
You can see in this picture, the chrome is an actual separate piece glued to the wheel face

 

[DMCL2023]

@Turdle, yes this is the exact issue I have. The chrome plate is coming away from the wheel. It has prevented me from also putting on the center cap. Wonder can an auto shop re-glue it on. Thanks

 

[RandomNerd2000]

If that can't be fixed, a junkyard would about give you one probably, that's just a basic steel wheel worth essentially nothing to a junkyard.

 

[koda2000]

I don't think he is having a "finish" issue.
I think he has one of those wheel styles with the chrome cover plate. The plate is glued to the wheel.
You can see in this picture, the chrome is an actual separate piece glued to the wheel face

Jon, thank you for clearing this up for me. I was thinking that there was no such thing as an 3-spoke alloy wheel and the steel wheel with a glued on chrome plate was what I was recalling. A body shop would have the adhesive to glue the plate back on if they can get it off with bending it up to clean the surfaces first.

 

[Turdle]

I am not sure about how to glue it back on, but what I do know is I ran a wheel in my burn off, 600 degrees for over an hour and the glue on my test wheel would not let go. I scrapped the set, which were this style of laminated wheel. These are also out there in all black with no chrome facing.

 

[koda2000]

I am not sure about how to glue it back on, but what I do know is I ran a wheel in my burn off, 600 degrees for over an hour and the glue on my test wheel would not let go. I scrapped the set, which were this style of laminated wheel. These are also out there in all black with no chrome facing.

Yes, I am familiar with this wheel, the 3-spoke and less common 5-spoke laminate wheels. If heat won't separate the adhesive I don't what would. Personally, I wouldn't put a lot of time and effort into trying to save any of these wheels.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I am not sure about how to glue it back on, but what I do know is I ran a wheel in my burn off, 600 degrees for over an hour and the glue on my test wheel would not let go. I scrapped the set, which were this style of laminated wheel. These are also out there in all black with no chrome facing.

Huh, I didn't know that was the style center cap these took, I had a set on a truck I sold a while ago and the extra caps for the 15" or 16" alloy wheels like I have wouldn't seat down like they're supposed to, there was a gap, doesn't matter now though, I wouldn't run these unless they were glossy black.