Stupid question but what exactly is the difference? I see rims that supposedly have a machine lip and they looks exactly like a chrome finished lip. Is a machined lip supposed to not be so glossy in a way and be more matte/dull?

 

I think you mean chrome vs polished?
You may be able. To google or wiki it but based on my assunptions I would say chrome is made of chrome. Polished is made of a different metal but has been polished to a shiny finish. machined is generally dull looking and not really reflective but has more of a flat finish almost looks brushed.

 

^^ I agree. Polished is simply a machined surface polished to high glister. A highly polished surface looks bright because its surface is very smooth after extensive polishing.

Chroming is a process of placing a reflective layer on top of the metal surface. There are reports that say, depending upon the process, chroming (especially aftermarket chroming) can weaken the wheels.

I think a polished surface is much more attractive than a chromed layer (of course, that’s a personal opinion). Polishing is also better from a maintenance standpoint since chrome can flake. If you have a polished surface; and it’s damaged, the repair is re-polishing the metal surface if it isn’t significantly gouged (i.e., “wheel -rash”).

Other methods of coating wheels are powder coating and painting. Both are easily repaired by repeating the original process, but more vulnerable to damage.

--Spike

 

So will a "Machined Lip" still have a shinny finish to it?

 

Like stated above; the polished lip will give you a chrome look if polished enough. The machine lip will have a slight gloss but not as shiny as the polished or chrome lip

 

Polished lips stain very easily.

 

I've noticed that.

Is it a clear-coating (or someting else) put on the polished rim that stains?

--Spike

 

I've had 3 types:

Machined = semi gloss
polished = high gloss. Stain very easily. To protect it, you'd have to clear coat it (that's what a lot of manufacturers are doing: Work, Volk, Maya, etc.)
Chrome = mirror reflection

IMO, I'd prefer the Chrome lips on my wheels, they just stand out A LOT more.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Re>: "IMO, I'd prefer the Chrome lips on my wheels, they just stand out A LOT more."

I'm thinking that people who prefer a polished rim like this because they do not want the "stand out" appearance you get with a chrome rim. Just a thought, and I maybe wrong.

--Spike

 

Is a machined surface (semi-gloss) more resistant to staining than a polished surface (high gloss)?

Your message says: “polished = high gloss. Stain very easily.”

I would think that it is just the opposite (semi-gloss stains more than high-gloss since smoother and more-polished surfaces are more resistent to staining).

--Spike