[oracle]

So.. I'm cleaning those wheels and noticed they're plastic hub caps with spokes! Basically plain old hubcaps.. (I'm not talking about the ~6" round cap in the center for the nuts).
I feel of kind of disappointed but the nice thing is that if my wife ever curbs it I'll just buy a new hubcap and voila! (cheaper to buy a hub cap than a repair of the wheel.) Now lets see how well they take the Canadian weather....

 

[Roesterman]

The centre cap may be chromed plastic but not the rest of the wheel. And it definitely does not have "spokes" or is a hubcap. Are you saying you can remove the chrome facade and there is a steel wheel behind it? Try to put a magnet on it to see if it is metal.

 

[SuperMat64]

The entire wheel is magnesium except for the center cap that is almost always plastic. I already cleaned them and they are not plastic.

If your's are plastic, call your dealer and ask them to give you your real wheels...

 

[RIT333]

I believe they are advertised as "Chrome Clad" = Chromed-Plastic. Tap on them with your finger, and you can tell that they are plastic. At least the ones that I looked at at the dealer.

 

[oracle]

Yes, just tap them with your finger nails and you'll hear the plastic "clack". I have not removed the wheel to verify. If you run your fingers inside of the spoke by the inner edge you can feel the lip. The main is most probably Aluminum as specified in the Window Sticker spec sheet.

They're described as 19 Dual Spoke Chrome Clad Aluminum Package (now that I think about it I think is the same in the Escalades)

 

[GMCdriver]

The chrome cladding is a chromed plactic overlay attached to an aluminium wheel.
GM has been using "Chrome-tech" wheels for about 10 years now.
If it ends up dammaged you still have to replace the whole wheel, I don't know of anyone who has successfully been able to get a replacment cover piece.

 

[RIT333]

Yeah - a way to make more money for GM. When you get a curb rash, the whole wheel is trash. Seems like they could sell just the chrome cover, but that would be too cheap, and less profit. Oh well.

 

[SuperMat64]

http://www.wheelsandcaps.com/Chrome_Clad_Wheels.html

 

[Roesterman]

Glad I ordered machined aluminium and not chrome!

 

[sboden]

Looks like chrome...cleans like chrome...more durable than chrome (if you believe the link), so who cares. On my other chrome wheels, I've never had anyone come up and touch them or do anything but look at them. The extra I paid was no where near the cost of 4 19" chrome wheels, so again, what is the big deal.

 

[GARYD]

Whether you chew up the chrome plastic cladding or a chrome wheel, either way they're both shot. If it's the cladding at least the wheel itself is still structurely sound.

 

[FedorekC]

I have something to throw out there...it might be a little far-fetched, but do you think there would be a way to paint the little chevy bowtie that's in the middle of the chrome wheel? Maybe it would look silly, but when I was looking at a picture of them up-close the idea of painting it the same color as the vehicle kind of popped into my head :-\

 

[bballr4567]

I have something to throw out there...it might be a little far-fetched, but do you think there would be a way to paint the little chevy bowtie that's in the middle of the chrome wheel? Maybe it would look silly, but when I was looking at a picture of them up-close the idea of painting it the same color as the vehicle kind of popped into my head :-\

I know a member did the GMC with red touch up paint from GM. All other GMC wheels have the GMC red while the 19" are chrome. It looked pretty good IMHO.

 

[FedorekC]

Cool! I just might have to do that. I don't think I would do it myself though...Would you have to take any special precautions before painting? Such as sanding or something so that the paint would stick to the wheel and not wash off? I'm not really sure how that all works...

 

[FedorekC]

Here is the link to the member who did their wheels http://www.equinoxforum.net/index.php?topic=610.0. And that thread answered my questions about "roughing up" the area before painting it. ;D

 

[FedorekC]

I was just flipping through my Equinox brochure (probably for the millionth time haha) and I noticed that when there is a picture of the chrome wheels ON the vehicle it shows that the bowtie in the middle as being the signature Chevy color, but when they are pictured on their own it's just all chrome... :-\ what's the deal?

 

[TheCrow1994]

I was just flipping through my Equinox brochure (probably for the millionth time haha) and I noticed that when there is a picture of the chrome wheels ON the vehicle it shows that the bowtie in the middle as being the signature Chevy color, but when they are pictured on their own it's just all chrome... :-\ what's the deal?

Step away from the brochure. Back up slowly with your hands in the air. ;D I wonder if it was something they changed after they took all their promotional photos. Maybe it was a cosmetic change or a supply issue.

 

[FedorekC]

Haha! I really should eh? But it's just sitting here at my desk...taunting me! Yeah that's a good suggestion...maybe they just wanted to make the pictures look a dash more appealing, as with any other type of advertising :-\

 

[Rickbb63]

The wheels shown on the vehicle are the factory ones. The wheel shown seprately are the ones you would buy later from the dealer. The cost of those are like $2500 to $3000. They are an all metal/chrome wheel.

 

[FedorekC]

Oh! That's interesting! So, if I ordered the chrome ones to come on the vehicle from factory (at $800 extra) they will have the color on them? So you are saying that if you buy them separately, for an obviously much higher price they are a solid chrome wheel rather than just "chrome-clad"?