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JOB
USA
99 Posts |
 Posted - 01/30/2010 : 06:36:51
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On my bike the Rims are a little rusty in a couple of spots. Would you guys recomend having the old rims re-chromed, or buying new rims?
I had the grab bar re-chromed and it was expensive. I think that was a lot of prep time. He did say that he does not do bike rims so I may have answered my own question.
Anyone have any thoughts or experiance on this.
Jerry
71 TR6
Minnesota |
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JubeePrince
USA
796 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2010 : 07:36:18
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Hi Jerry -
While I have not done this job myself, everyone I've talked to and everything I have read leans to replacing the rims...apparently the environmental constraints associated with chroming makes it cost IN-effective....
Unless you're looking for a concours display bike worthy of Pebble Beach (where original Dunlop rims are "de rigueur"), I'd say replacement is the way to go.
Cheers,
Steve
'77 T140J
"Vintage Bike" What's in your garage?
"The paying customer is always right." |
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don reid
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2010 : 11:18:35
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environmental regs closed down our local chrome/plate shop. ive been told to take stuff to mexico from some of the local motorcycle (read: harley) shops.
don reid | 1972 T150V trident 750
california |
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RodH45
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2010 : 13:05:52
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I had both rims on my 68 re-chromed. Expensive, yes, but cheaper than buying a new rim. A new rear rim may set you back up to $300.00 and that is just the rim. BO has some used rims but yours might be in better shape. My take is if your rims are in good shape other than the rust, have the chromed.
Jerry this is just my opinion but I prefer fixing the old parts over new. Some of what that is being sold as "new" is just not the same quality. Of course new OEM would be the best but the cost is up there.
Shop around for a good chrome shop, they are not all the same. Some shops only want to do big parts like fenders and car parts that don't take allot of prep time. Some shops won't chrome pot metal parts. The plating shop I use does chrome plate pot metal parts and any small parts I needed done. They plated the pot metal clutch and brake levers and looked great.
I spoke with some of the local bike shops and asked them who they used. Most shipped the chrome and plating parts up to shops in LA because they are cheaper.
Ah yea another lesson I learned. Don't mix the plating parts up. Send the parts to be chromed in one batch and the rest of the nuts and bolts and junk to be plated in a separate batch. Several of my engine mount bolts came back chromed in one batch. Some of these cats don't speak English so good. I guess they figure if it's big chrome it, if it's small plate it. Bag and tag everything and make them count everything going in and coming out with a list you give them.
RodH '68 TR6R |
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JOB
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2010 : 20:28:27
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Maybe I should call more chrome shops. The grab bar I had re-chromed last summer was put in a tank to remove all the old chrome. There are two kinds of solutions for that. One solution is for chrome plated brass and the other is just for steel stuff. The grab bar was put in the steel solution without knowing the Britt's brazed all the pieces together. The grab bar came out of the solution in several pieces. You guys all know how big a grab bar is. I also had two rods from a couple of hydraulic cylinders done. The rod was three Inches in diameter and six feet long. That rod cost two and a half times what the grab bar cost. The rod was $250.00. The rod was also hard chrome and the grab bar was decorative chrome, don't know if there is much price difference in the different chrome or not.
The chrome shop that did the grab bar had all Mexicans working there, it was the dirtiest business that I have ever seen. And I believe you could smell the dirt in the air. I am sure working there is not good for anyone.
We do have a couple of other shops around I might should ask them if they do bike rims. I would bet there is a good chrome job and a poor job.
Someone else mentioned that in an old rim the nipple holes could be worn. I can't see how that could be true unless the wheel was ran with loose spokes.
Thanks for your comment's, I am kind of un-decided as what to do. The rims aren't that bad, but the front one has a small ugly spot I don't like.
Thanks
Jerry
71 TR6
Minnesota |
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JubeePrince
USA
796 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2010 : 09:49:43
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Jerry -
Yes, there is a difference (processing, chemicals, etc..) between hard chroming and decorative chroming hence the price difference...AFAIK, the only pieces that need hard chroming on the OIF bikes are the stanchions....
Rod - You CAN find aftermarket rims for less than $300 apiece!!
Cheers,
Steve
'77 T140J
"Vintage Bike" What's in your garage?
"The paying customer is always right." |
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RodH45
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2010 : 11:54:02
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Sorry for the over generalization there folks.
It would have been better said that "I" have not found rims under $300
I have to admit I'm not a very good shopper and get so tired of trying to find decent parts, equipment and suppliers.
RodH '68 TR6R |
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f scott dundas
Australia
153 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2010 : 17:34:35
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I have just rechromed the front and rear rims on my 1970 TR6. I went the rechrome route as it was about the same price to buy new rims and I didnt want the old ones cluttering up the garage. While I was at it I respoked with stainless steel spokes,repainted the hubs and replaced the bearings and brake shoes. They came up a treat. Whether you buy new or rechrome you will have to respoke so you may as well do the hubs and bearings at the same time as the new chrome will highlight any other imperfections in the wheels.
The shop I used looked like something out of Dickens. It was a dirty filthy place with the air full of fumes from stuff bubbling away in concrete vats set into the floor and **** everywhere, but they did a great job. If you go the rechrome route use a shop that someone else has used and had a good job done. A bad rechrome job will just flake and lift the minute you put a spanner near it or even just polish it!
Good luck mate
Scott |
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Grumpy
New Zealand
493 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 18:56:42
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Chrome is not cheap, here in NZ around nzd$150 (us$110).
Be aware that after taking all the old chrome, paint, dirt etc of they will polish the surface which a lot of the time will remove or blur any original factory markings to the point where they disapear altogether or at best are unreadable.
If the rust is not deep try polishing it out first.
If more than polish like solvol will take out use a steel wool as your first rub.
Amazing how you can bring back a semingly dead rim back to life.
Cheers,
Trev
1938 5T.....work in progress
1966 T100 Cafe racer
1959 T20 Cub (in captivity)
Oh and one modern of another marque
My Triumphs don't bleed they are just marking their territory. |
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JOB
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2010 : 19:31:56
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Hello Trev, My front rim has a spot that looks like the chrome just came off in one spot, the rest of the rim looks good. I just don't like that one spot. That spot is the size of a US nickel or quarter. When it is ridden down the road or parked in the garage you would never see it though. Just wondering what would be the best way to get the front rim up looking good.
Jerry
71 TR6
Minnesota |
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Grumpy
New Zealand
493 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2010 : 12:59:33
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Jerry,
Personal choice mate..........
1; Leave as is.
2; Replace or re-chrome rim.
3; Spot touch up with silver paint or paint on chrome.....(yuk)
Cheers,
Trev
1938 5T.....work in progress
1966 T100 Cafe racer
1959 T20 Cub (in captivity)
Oh and one modern of another marque
My Triumphs don't bleed they are just marking their territory. |
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JOB
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2010 : 09:58:04
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Hello Trev, I will probably re-chrome or replace But for now I will wait till spring. The grass is still white and getting taller all the time. Just grew another 8 inches in the last couple of days. Not sure if all this white grass will go away by september. We usually have 9 months of winter and 3 months of poor sking. If summer falls on Saturday most folks up here will go fishing. If it falls on Sunday most will go to church. Not sure how you cope living down under.
Thanks Trev
Jerry
71 TR6
Minnesota |
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Grumpy
New Zealand
493 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2010 : 23:07:46
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Never snows here so never go to church. Nah I kid you, snows in th esouth and on the mountains which gives up here in the mid north some very nce frosts.
Average daytime temp in teh winter (May - September0 is maybe about 15c (60f) and summer 25c (80f). Get a lot of rain in the spring but what it all adds up to is 12 months of riding.
Cheers,
Trev
1938 5T.....work in progress
1966 T100 Cafe racer
1959 T20 Cub (in captivity)
Oh and one modern of another marque
My Triumphs don't bleed they are just marking their territory. |
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RodH45
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2010 : 17:55:08
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After reading Trev's post that spun my head around a tad. That would be difficult to get used to, you go south and it gets colder, north warmer and July is in the dead of winter.
Beautiful country there Trev. That highway 6 that runs along the west of NZ looks like a nice trip.
RodH '68 TR6R |
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TR6Ray
11 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2010 : 20:27:29
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More on the re-chroming of rims . . .
A couple weeks ago, I dropped off all my chrome work to be done. The man told me on the phone that he could normally do a rim for U.S. $120 to $130. Mine are so nasty rusty, that he said $180 each when he saw them.
He said he will derust and remove the existing chrome. Then it goes into a copper bath, normally for 2 hours. Mine will need to be in for up to 8 hours. The copper acts like body filler. They can build up a layer of copper and then sand/buff out any pits left from the rust. My extra cost is for the extra time in the copper bath. He also told me that he can't stand there and tell the copper to stay away from those stamped letters that say "Dunlop".
After the copper is worked, it gets nickel plated, then into the chrome bath.
I asked the man if there was a possibility of the spoke nipple holes getting too small from all the plating. He said that could happen, but if I gave him a spoke nipple to use as a gage, he would check after the copper is done and hand ream the holes to size if needed. That way the chrome doesn't have to be disturbed later.
Will post some before/after pics when I get the stuff back -- maybe by first week in May.
TR6Ray
64 TR6/R
Illinois, USA |
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TR6Ray
11 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2010 : 12:43:38
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Well, I finally got those rims, and the rest of my chrome work back yesterday. I was expecting them the first week of May, but it wound up being June 21. In general, I'm very happy with the results except that it was pricey. After inspection though, there are some pieces that I am taking back for rework. Here are some before and after pics of the rims, which were pretty nasty.
One of my wife's plastic flower pots made a good teardown stand for the wheels.
I also had my exhaust header pipes re-chromed.
Here's a closer shot of the wheel. I've got Buchanan stainless spokes to put things back together, and the hubs are powder coated.
TR6Ray
64 TR6/R
Illinois, USA |
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f scott dundas
Australia
153 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2010 : 19:51:23
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They came up very well. Sounds like the guy knew what he was doing starting with copper,nickel and chrome over. As I said before I had the rims rechromed on my 1970 TR6,the hub painted then laced them all back together with stainless steel spokes and they came up a treat.Its interesting that the finishes on these old bikes can last 40 years or more yet I have a modern Harley that is now 6.5years old and much of the chrome on it is already looking very dull or rusting! A real pain in the arse given the price of a Harley. Anyway thats a whole other story
Well done mate.
Scott |
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tangerine-jack
USA
630 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2010 : 17:12:31
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Modern Harley chrome is done in Mexico and from what I've seen it is vastly inferior to the US made parts of yester year. I've seen brand new HD rims flake within the first week, I've seen chrome so shallow the copper is showing through, and it all rusts out or dulls within a year if not meticulously kept clean and protected. Sad really because chrome is suposed to BE the protectant....
In any event, I went through the same thing with my TR6R when I restored it. My original rims were rusty and egg shapped so I figured it probably wasn't going to be worth getting them renewed. I was right, the price for rechroming was a tad bit more expensive than some decent new rims (not Triumph but English made). I am very happy I decided on new rims- they have been on the bike maybe 7 years or more now and still look as good as new (when I wipe the dirt off that is!) It is just so much easier to replace the part with a new one if available and if orginal manufacture and not the Chinese or Indian knock offs. If a replacement part is not available then you have no choice but to work with the part you already have.
Words are so unnecessary!
   
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Rims
