[greggblue]

I recently bought an 08 GC Overland, a 43k car, and it came with plastic hub caps??? My 06 Commander (and my 02 GC Overland) had regular chrome wheels, and I had no reason to think the new 08 Jeep would have anything different. The problem is that I didn't understand the concept of "chrome clad"... What that apparently means is a plastic hubcap over an aluminum wheel... When I bought the car, I thought the wheels looked "sweet", until I started reading these forums, and found out they're plastic covers! I actually went out and "tapped" them to see if it was really true.

So, the question is: Do I live with it? I like the way they look, but every time I see them, I shake my head at my naivety... If I don't want them, what are my options? Can I go to the dealer and complain? What are the "benefits" of these wheels? I also noticed through my research (after the fact of course) that Fords and GMs also use "chrome cladding", and others are just as upset as I am. It appears to be unique to American car manufacturers.

I feel like I was taken advantage of.

For those that don't know, here is what a "chrome clad" wheel looks like:



Gregg

[WKTrailRunner]

Look at it as an opportunity to LET THE MODS BEGIN.....

[Crookster777]

Switch them for 18 inch Wrangler wheels. Compuauto has them.

[rgdawson]

gregblue, I bought the same model. BTW, you paid alot less than 43K, right? Those wheels look great. The car looks great. It is the best looking vehicle Jeep has ever made (IMHO). In fact it is the best vehicle Jeep has ever produced. There is nothing out there even close to this vehicle for the price you paid. You are not stupid. You are smart. Form, function, economical. That's what you want right? These wheels have them all. Enjoy your vehicle.

[----]

Greg, Jeep has been manufacturing the rims this way since the WJ era... This has been an ongoing disappointment for many Jeep owners. The plus-side is that when well cared for, these rims actually do well to resist the elements. Good luck with this...

[greggblue]

Originally Posted by rgdawson

gregblue, I bought the same model. BTW, you paid alot less than 43K, right? Those wheels look great. The car looks great. It is the best looking vehicle Jeep has ever made (IMHO). In fact it is the best vehicle Jeep has ever produced. There is nothing out there even close to this vehicle for the price you paid. You are not stupid. You are smart. Form, function, economical. That's what you want right? These wheels have them all. Enjoy your vehicle.

Yeah, paid about 38k, plus another 4500 off of that... When my lease was up on my 06 Commander, I looked at a lot of cars, and came back to the Jeep. I do love the car.... I guess the good (or bad) part is that I can walk away from it after 3 years and get into another one.

Gregg

[Marcus86GLHS]

i agree with above, the 2008 GC's are the best GC's ever and the manufacturing process of bonding a durable plastic chrome cover over an aluminum wheel is not new and has shown to have advantages over chromed aluminum.

For one, chromed aluminum is not as durable as chromed steel. But, a true chromed steel wheel is 3 times as heavy, lowering your effective HP and fuel economy and increases your unsprung weight, none of those things are good. And brushed or polished aluminum wheels are not as reflective as the chrome finish and also suffer from corrosion issues.

So an aluminum wheel, with a high quality chromed plastic cover is actually a great idea.

I would recommend you wash and maintain these wheel covers the same as you do for the paint: use only mild auto wash solution, use only soft cotton-based sponges and drying towels, this way you wont ever put a scratch on the covers.

BTW i learned the covers are bonded to the aluminum wheel using some type of super-strength glue, you will never get the covers off in one piece.

[NewhampshireYJ]

Should of got a wrangler.

[dloreski]

I was wondering about this too.
I think my sticker said that this was an almost $1,000 option?
I think they do look nice, however, I'm seeing some type of pitting or other marks in the corners that aren't washing off.
Does anyone else have these marks?

[Marcus86GLHS]

Originally Posted by NewhampshireYJ

Should of got a wrangler.

sure if you got zero things to carry...or if you want to tilt and bob at every corner of the road.

i my opinion there's no more versatile vehicle than the Jeep GC.

[greggblue]

Originally Posted by Marcus86GLHS

i agree with above, the 2008 GC's are the best GC's ever and the manufacturing process of bonding a durable plastic chrome cover over an aluminum wheel is not new and has shown to have advantages over chromed aluminum.

For one, chromed aluminum is not as durable as chromed steel. But, a true chromed steel wheel is 3 times as heavy, lowering your effective HP and fuel economy and increases your unsprung weight, none of those things are good. And brushed or polished aluminum wheels are not as reflective as the chrome finish and also suffer from corrosion issues.

So an aluminum wheel, with a high quality chromed plastic cover is actually a great idea.

I would recommend you wash and maintain these wheel covers the same as you do for the paint: use only mild auto wash solution, use only soft cotton-based sponges and drying towels, this way you wont ever put a scratch on the covers.

BTW i learned the covers are bonded to the aluminum wheel using some type of super-strength glue, you will never get the covers off in one piece.

OK, I feel a little better about it. I'll hang with it and see... It wasn't an "extra" option, it came with the Overland price, but if I paid extra $ for it, I may have been even more pissed.

Gregg

[greggblue]

Originally Posted by NewhampshireYJ

Should of got a wrangler.

I actually was going to get a 4-door Wrangler, but when I drove it, it was noisy and bounced all over the road... Plus I was like right on top of the dashboard when I was driving. I like the GC Overland a lot, and am glad overall that I have it. It's very quiet inside, and rides like a dream.

Gregg

[garsarno]

Had a 1999 Town Car with plastic chrome clad wheels. They held up very well, probably better than the real thing for eight years.

[JFiorentino]

The only plus is that if you scrub them on a curb, it would be a lot cheaper to replace the plastic covers ;-) Still, it seems a little cheesey for a high-end vehicle not to have regular rims. I doubt the dealer will do anything for you. I'd sell them and upgrade to custom rims and better tires.

Personally, I think rims and tires should be optional on new vehicles ;-) Seems like I've replaced the rims / tires on every new vehicle I have ever bought and you get squat for the factory tires. Take $1400 off the bottom line price, let me apply it to a set of custom wheels, and I'll carry them to the dealer to be installed when I pick-up my new vehicle. Factory rims are way overpriced...

[nierace]

If they look good and you like them whats the problem?

You didn't even know they were plastic until you read up on them, so why do you care? I think they look great and would just leave them as is.