Rims From Thailand

[grumpy56]

Anyone have experience with these rims? Seems a lot cheaper (less hassle) than fooling with old OEM ones and having them chrome plated. Thanks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SUZUKI-GT380-F ... 1438.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[daxman]

ON the face of it it seems like an option but you can never tell what lurks beneath.. If they are chrome direct onto steel it will flake off within a year or two chrome plate being porous and all that.
if you get originals rechromed locally you can be sure they will have the advisable copper and/or nickel 'undercoats'.

TL/DR could be false economy

[garry55]

I have a pair of chrome rims and spoke sets from Thailand for my K11P build.

They are "Union Cycle" rims, and my wheel builder here in the UK said that the quality was on a par with anything he can buy in the UK, and better than some.

They are pictured in the K11 restoration thread on this forum.

Haven't left them out in the rain yet though.

[jabcb]

Looks like you are working on a 72 GT380J…

The 72 GT380J has a front drum brake & all of the later model years have a hub + disk brake.
The eBay front rim likely has spoke angles for the hub + disk brake. Am not sure how big of an issue this is because I’ve always made sure to avoid this scenario.

The Suzuki GT380 rims are NLA. But the T500 & GT550 rims are still available. Something to think about -- wider rims are a plus.
The GT380 has WM1 (1.6”) x 19” front & WM2 (1.85”) x 18” rear rim.
The T500 & GT550 have WM2 (1.85”) x 19” front & WM3 (2.15”) x 18” rear rim.

For my 72 GT380J cafe build, I used a good clean used T500 rear wheel. Also something to think about.

New spokes are also an issue.
I use new SS spokes made by Buchanan’s — excellent & recommended but pricey.
Some forum members have had good luck with Asian spokes, but I’m not sure which vendor they used.

[grumpy56]

Do appreciate all the excellent information. Yes, am working on a 72 GT380. Never thought about the spokes being different on the disc brake models, but you are correct, the rims and spokes do have different P/Ns. I had my T350 rims re-laced by Buchanans here in So Cal, good job but really (did I say really) pricey.

Any thoughts on how to best prep an OEM rim prior to chrome plating? Most I see are pretty beat up.

Thanks.

[jabcb]

The spoke angle refers to the angle of the spoke holes in the rim. The angle for drum & disk brake rims are slightly different. So the part numbers are different because of the different spoke angles.

The slightly wider rims are a performance upgrade that lots of racers do. And the stock GT380J front brake also benefits from an upgrade. But it all depends on what your objectives are.
Are you building a sweet restoration or a nice rider?

I’ve never done any rechroming, so I don’t have any tips.

[grumpy56]

Performance not a primary consideration of mine these days as I ride so few miles a year (old age thing). Do want it to look good though as I spend most of my time in the garage and the sweeter the eye candy the better!!!! One of those Asian rims together with a set of spokes would probably not cost too much more than getting an OEM wheel and having it chrome plated. I've never laced a wheel, but this will be a first time for me.

[daxman]

Hi

The platers should be able to take take of all the prep. In fact best not touch it yourself. If I'm correctly informed I think they start by reverse electroplating to get rid of
the old chrome rather than removing abrasively (if you've ever tried this you'll know why..) then there's lots of degreasing and acid baths involved following by polishing
They have all the kit to do this quickly.

[grumpy56]

You are right about the removal of old chrome by grinding/sanding. I'm also concerned about nicks, scratches, gouges, etc. in the rim as the base material and chrome is not very thick. I've ground down and sanded nicks/gouges on a few other pieces to get them smooth before re-plating and that worked OK, but need to be careful with that angle grinder!!!! Have never done a wheel.