#BlackIsTheNewChrome

One of the most noticeable ways to customize a vehicle is the addition of custom wheels. Adding a bold color to your aftermarket wheels will turn heads and make a tremendous impact on the overall condition and longevity of your wheels. Every Job Shop has a “go-to” gloss black but why has gloss black become so popular and what happened to that classic chrome-look?

Black is a Versatile Color 

To start with, gloss black looks great! Its dark but shiny appearance compliments almost all other colors. The most popular colors for cars, trucks, SUVs and other vehicles are traditionally black, white, silver, and grey. However, it also compliments red, yellow, blue and other bright colors. Black rims are like putting dark sunglasses on your car!

The King is Dead…

Well, not “dead” but past its prime. All things being equal – chrome would probably still rule the day as it did for decades. However, chrome is an exceptionally soft metal. Wheels will not be made entirely out of chrome because of their delicate nature, so it is used as a “plating” over other metals to give it a smooth, bright finish. Alternatively, auto manufacturers now use “chrome paint” due to environmental issues, but chrome paints do not achieve the same gloss levels and tend to wear, fade or begin to flake very easily.

There are several environmental issues with traditional chrome plating. It uses toxic acid baths and may cause various health conditions. Pollution is a major concern as the byproducts of chrome plating are hazardous substances. * VOCs in liquid paints are bad enough, but the chrome plating process is even worse.

There is no better time to make the switch. The results are amazing - check out these wheel transformations from chrome to black by @lonestar_wheel_repair!​​​​​​​

Do you want this look? Discover our endless black powder coatings products below:

We have a huge selectin of black powder coatings in stock – high gloss, glossy, semi-gloss, satin, matte, flat matte, textured, metallic, 3D Metallic. Be a boss – choose your gloss!

Visit our

Color Selector

 to browse the possibilities.

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