When I purhased my '08, it had Bremmer Kraft wheels which the previous owner had installed. I like them too.

When I had my new Hankooks installed, one wheel was found to be out of round.

I went to Tire Rack to purchase another and found I was in a dilemma.

There are 2 wheels listed: one is Polished aluminum ($165) and the other is chrome ($205). Both look identical.

What's the difference between the two, besides the price????

Thanks.

Don

 

Probably the wrong photo for one of them...polished aluminum will not be as bright as chrome...I would call them as they can do further research and get back to you. Good luck!

 

Well are the wheels on your car shiney crome or are they just regular wheels? It's pretty easy to figure out

 

The present wheels on the car are all shiny, as I would expect from chrome. However, both images on the Tire Rack web page were shiny too.

I called Tire Rack and the salesman indicted that the difference was in the "lip". Honestly, I couldn't see what he was talking about.

So, I decided that the original owner probably would have sprung for the chrome and ordered one. The understanding was that I could return it to Tire Rack if it wasn't what I wanted.

Well, it arrived and appears to be exactly like the one I wanted to replace.

Nevertheless, I'm still confused. That's why I asked the question.

They all appear to have the same degree of shine.

I guess I bought exactly what I needed.

Thanks for the responses.

Don

 

Do not trow the other one away---You can have it repaired---Call a used car lot or two and they can tell you the best local guy---I have had MANY done here in Nashville!!!

 

That is confusing. Mind linking the wheel so we can see?

 

Are you talking about the Bremmer Kraft BR02? One is chrome plated and one isn't. The chrome plated one will be about a pound or so more in weight due to the added plating. If you go to the bottom of the description and click on closeup/detail, then click on full screen photo, you'll see the difference between the shiny silver and the chrome plating. I don't know what a "Mach Lip" is either, maybe a slightly different sheen/paint for contrast? It looks the same to me. Same wheel, one painted bright, one chrome plated. Anyway, it seems like you made the right choice. I like those too. Nice look!

 

Go to Tire Rack's website and navigate to Crossfire wheels. I've been there many times, but I don't know how to post a link.

To me, there's no visible difference even when the images are enlarged.

In any event, I seem to have purchased the one I needed. Thanks.

Since we don't have spare tires on our cars, I elected to keep the bent wheel with an old tire on it. If I happen to have a flat close to home, I can call for my spare. If I'm not close to home..........??????

Don

 

Go to an auto parts store and buy a tire plug kit. Your car should already have an air compressor in the trunk. I was at a car show 400 miles from home this year and got a flat tire. We plugged it and I made it home with no problems. Also a AAA membership is a good idea if you are going to travel.

 

If you look at the ST3 painted and the ST3 Crome you can tell what the difference should look like.

Chrome does look good on the car, but sometimes i think it takes away from the sporty look, so i went with silver paint on my wheels. I have seen some Alabaster XFs with chrome wheels and they did look good though.

 

By the way spot on with the tirerack.com return policy. I received a wheel with a dent on the rim on the wheel (atleast that's what the installers told me). So i called up tirerack.com and they sent me out a brand new wheel no questions asked. Then 2 days after the new wheel arrived they arranged for UPS to pick up my old wheel from my house. Very statisfied with them.

 

Highly polished aluminum can look just like chrome if it does not have a clear coat on it. OEM polished aluminum wheels will always have a clear coat on them, but aftermarket wheels generally don't. One of the most common phone calls our Customer Care Center receives if from people who used our Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner on polished aluminum wheels believing they were chrome - it will stain a bare, high polished aluminum wheel white almost instantly. We must get this call at least once a week.

There is an easy and safe way to determine if your wheels are polished aluminum or chrome: clean them thoroughly first so there's no brake dust, regular dust or other dirt on the surface. Using a light metal polish and a white applicator pad (a clean terry cloth towel is fine for this) rub the polish onto the surface for several seconds with light to moderate pressure. If the wheel is chrome the applicator will still be white and clean (other than a slight discoloration due to the coloring in the polish itself) but if the wheel is bare, highly polished aluminum then the white applicator will turn black as soot very quickly.