Nigelw Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Have found a place not so far away that does chrome plating http://www.belcroom.be/index.html, so the question is..... What do I need to do to prepare them exactly?? Would they need spun on a lathe and the old plating stripped off? What about the rust pitting in the surface? Would it need to be welded over and turned back? Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 You'll find it is considerably cheaper just to replace them with new ones. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Can only find the Teflon coated ones and quite a few people are talking about the coating wearing thin and exposing the steel behind it, hence wanting to stay with chrome I suppose? Was wondering what else would be fun to chrome too??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spongie Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Seriously nige. Try asking the supplier, they may want a specific treatment that others do not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 I have pinged a mail and await reply, just wondering what others thought would be appropriate. Got a set of pitted balls on my bench to be done and then swapped for the ones on there now, am going to get a steering box shaft done too just to see what it comes back like, looking at a few other angles on this now I found somewhere that can do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I've had some motorcycle fork tubes rechromed before and the engineering shop did the prep as well. They checked they were straight, ground the old chrome down to remove the pits, rechromed till oversize and then ground back to size. I imagine your balls will be harder to do than the simple tube that is a motorcyle fork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I was thinking it was probably unrealistic to get them re-done - until I saw the picture of the staff on your link. I know think it's well worth a trip over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I was thinking it was probably unrealistic to get them re-done - until I saw the picture of the staff on your link. I know think it's well worth a trip over. Must resist any more comments about grinding and polishing of balls now .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Must resist any more comments about grinding and polishing of balls now .......... But it has to be said 10/10 for the thread title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Thought this place might be able to do it http://www.hardchromeplating.co.uk/services.cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 Is it me or in the top right picture in that link it looks like a steering box shaft???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Is it me or in the top right picture in that link it looks like a steering box shaft???? it does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 it does Can anyone guess what that means Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Noisy Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Well, this is a subject that interests me. I have had a few pairs of the modern Teflon coated balls, and they do this: That looks like this at Parkwood: Or like this in the desert: As such, they are confirmed at carp. I have just bought a pair of superb condition chrome balls and am actively collecting good condition ones: I will never buy a Teflon ball again, they are inferior. Rechroming original land rover balls is something that needs to happen on a large scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Hancock Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 There was somebody on a forum who had his series balls 'spray painted' with a 2 pack(IIRC) plastic stuff, it looked odd as it was brown in colour, but it was very tough and tolerant of a less than perfect start finish which was just the original grit blasted, pits and all. Pits were delt with by locally added extra 'paint' followed by flatting down. The 'paint' was used on stuff used off shore. That could well be a better bet than re-chroming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I think that was this forum Phil .... EDIT: is this the one you meant? http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=43199&p=419289 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Noisy Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Pretty certain I saw that thread of someone coating the balls, grey it was I think Also someone a friend spoke to said chemical metal rubbed down to remove pitting does the job lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Noisy Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Ah just clicked link Was someone in US or AUS I think that painted them, definitely dark grey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I think someone on here did it with por15 - pretty sure they were the grey ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertspark Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Done to death: http://forums.roversnorth.com/showthread.php?12858-Can-I-save-these-swivel-balls http://www.defendersource.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37019 no one ever seems to give long term feedback or updates though. I'm about to put a teflon set on my axle rebuild ...... interested to see if someone has found a re-chrome solution. what about spot welding the pits (if they are not too bad) profiling filing down to the ball, and then nickel plating them? http://www.frost.co.uk/brilliant-nickel-plating-modules.html (do they have to be chrome? ... is nickel not harder?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Nickel is your base coat, chrome over the top, as chrome is porous? (cheap 8 spoke rims). As I understood it? I did my chrome ball with body filler, but only because the pits were above the oil line. It does 30 mile a year. We have single pack epoxy at work and that is very hard. If you use any product on there like that, I guess there won't be much feedback, as it will outlast a chrome set? If you could nickel and chrome plate with a 'bag' to stop stone chips I imagine they would last a very long time. I wonder if the Teflon ball problem is the metal mix or the process of tefloning? They just look well too hard and brittle? Why do we have so much trouble when the Yota seal seems so much more basic and even have a cut at the top? Makes me think that what we really need is an aftermarket seal with a lot more lips and less wiper force? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 When I broke the 1998 V8 D1 it had genuine teflon coated swivels, now these swivels had done over 100,000 miles and only just starting to wear through the teflon coating, I have heard of some trucks doing less than 5,000 miles and it has worn throughon the aftermarket ones!!! Hence my reasoning to want to re-chrome an original set. I think if you have the patience required then the rubber swivel gaiters are worthwhile fitting or if you could buy aftermarket leather ones or make your own??? Then that is worth considering too. Mr. Noisy, you are not alone in your experience with self destructing swivels of aftermarket variety, but it makes me wonder about cost effectiveness of D2 front axle swaps and moving away from the old swivel balls? Especially if reasonable condition ones get hard to come by? It works on DANA axles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Hancock Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Nickel is your base coat, chrome over the top, as chrome is porous? Copper, then Nickel, then Chrome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Although a lot don't don't do the triple plate process anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill van snorkle Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 As for preparation to rechroming. Can't remember for certain, but I think strippng of chrome is just reversing the electro chemical process of applying the chrome, and is the responsibility of the plating works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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