Dechroming a 1998 XLT wheel?

[AHamilton]

My 1998 XLT 15" steel wheels have the chrome cladding on the face. How easy is it to remove these faux faces? I don't see how they are attached so what's the method? It occurred to me that painted black with a red bead stripe and the stock bolt cap would be about as cool a stock wheel as I could get without spending any money.

 

[adsm08]

Well if they are the same as the set I have out back they can just be pried off. You may have some clean up to do after, but they just pop off.

 

[55trucker]

hmmm....

mine are the XLT clad wheels, they are a pinwheel style, that cladding is on there 'till the end of time. I wanted to get the clad off one wheel without distorting the cladding at all to clean off the rust that had developed behind the clad & started to lift the clad off the wheel surface so I could then reapply the clad, I tried heating the wheel in the oven (450 degrees), freezing the wheel (in the freezer), but the adhesive used would not let go. In the end I found a replacement wheel in better shape than mine. The only way I could see to get the clad off is to pry it off which of course ruins it.

 

[AHamilton]

I was already resigned to destroying the cladding to get it off. And, once removed, there's no use for them anyway. I've got 5 of these so I might try it on the spare. I'll know soon enough how much grunt I'm willing to expend to get one off. Thanx!

 

[55trucker]

Even after 20 years the clad is still in pristine condition but the corrosion that got in between the clad & the wheel started to lift it off. I have no idea what Ford's manufacturer of the wheels used to glue them on but it sure has staying power.