Just bought a new 04 GMC 2500HD D/A EC and am looking at putting larger tires on it. I realize that this is limited on the OEM rims and have read most of the topics on the H2 takeoffs. The cost of a set of these is great on E-Bay for the standard painted alloys and the price of the chromed ones is not too far out of line but I am leery of the aftermarket chroming and how it will hold up. My question is has anyone tried stripping the clearcoat and paint from any of these and tried polishing any of these rims to get the almost chrome effect without the hassle of chrome? I did this on an old set of Corvette rims using several different grades of sandpaper and polishing cloth and paste and then clearcoated them and they looked great. Some of these new alloy's will not polish very well and I wondered if anyone has tried it before I buy a set. It is a lot of work, about a half day per wheel, but if it will work on these, it would be great. Chromelike and no rust.

If you look at Eastwood they have a metal polishing kit........


Aluminum is tough to keep up with especially if you live in a climate other than sunshine 365 days a year.


I had M&T Classics that were polished aluminum and sold them in favor of the chromed H2's.


By the time you prep and have them chromed I am sure you can buy them already done.


Thttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gifNY

yeah chrome is so much easier to take care of..........spend the little bit xtra and youll be happy!!!! And if its a reputable dealer they will warranty the plating.

My chrome H2 rims pitted so bad i left them with the truck when I traded it. Got more money selling the old PYO's than I would have gotten for the H2's. That doesn't mean all chrome jobs are as bad as mine was though.

I wasnt talking about chroming them, just polishing them and then clearcoating them to get the chrome look sorta like the OEM wheels.

If you try it, use a good strong paint remover. That should get you down to metal right quick. If they can smoothen it enough to chrome plate it and be shiny I imagine you can polish it.

oven cleaner and a heat gun will get the clear off right in a hurry! I used to polish the frames on my crotch rockets!! works like a charm. a lil sunlight soap and water with some 900 grit, then 1200 grit, then 1800! shinny http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cool.gif

Grasshopper, yeah, thats what I was thinking unless they are made of some of these new alloys that have magnesuim in them because it wont polish. If they are mostly aluminum, with the sandpaper, polishing paste, and a lot of elbow grease, a man could end up with a awesome set of wheels that his center caps would match. I was hoping to find someone who had tried it before I ended up ruining one trying.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Hug.gif

VaRedneck, I painted my H2 rims a charcoal color......didn't want silver colored wheels. I took the lazy route.....masked off the shiny machined areas, scuffed up the clear coat, and hit em with charcoal paint right from the spray can. Yeah I know, not too professional but I thought what have I got to lose. A year later they've got a few chips, but not too bad. Probably gonna end up stripping them and doing it right eventually.


Point I'd like to make is.........the painted H2 wheels are pretty damn rough from the factory. Some of the machined edges are sharp enough to cut yourself on!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Disapprove.gif I gotta believe the chromed wheels are finished much better before they're plated. I'd have a look before jumping in.......might be more work than you'd like.