Chrome Wheels - 300C

Good question to ask the droids manning the Chrysler display at the upcoming Detoit auto show.

Who's going?

I've asked several dealers and nobody seems to know. One person says the AWD is heavy and is too much weight for the wheels. I told him I have an Expedition with chrome wheels. He had no reply.

Oh, well. Another one of life's great mysteries

I bought a used 2005 300C in May '05 and the dealer replaced the original chrome plated plastic wheels with new ones because the were pitted badly. I've heard about a lot of complaints with these wheels. Mine still look like new, but I don't take the car out in the salt.

Perhaps by the time the 300C AWD cars came out, they knew there was a problem with these wheels and went to the brushed aluminum. Purely speculation on my part.

You might be right. Especially if Chrysler has a warranty on them.

Ken

There are no chrome wheels on any of the rest of the 300C's---they are merely plastic-coated fakes. (but they do shine like chrome)

The AWD 300C's DO stand out in a crowd with their dull wheels, so I understand why you would ask that question (even with their superior machined alloy wheels as opposed to pastic-coated fake alloy wheels)

MikeSp.

I guess there's always after market :-(

Ken

That is a correct answer. DC put on the plastic chrome ones to reduce weight / however they are not holding up. It was to help fuel economy. Chroming real steel wheels would add to much weight, as the engineers determined the size of the wheels needed and thickness of the wheel stock. So chrome wheels are on hold. Chromed aluminum wheels developed for the car had to go back for redesigns as they do not stand up to wheel stress tests. I forget the name of the test but basically the mount the wheel on a hub and add weight and pressure to the face of the wheel until it snaps off the hub. That is why they never had any light weight wheels on any vehicle. Same reason for the very thick ribs on the vipers wheels.