# What are chrome reverse wheels **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chrome-reverse-wheels/812248 "2018-04-11T22:10:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chrome-reverse-wheels/812248/1 "2018-04-11T22:10:51Z")
I’ve been listening to some old surf/hot rod music lately and I’ve heard them mention chrome reverse wheels. I googled it but there seems to be some confusion or disagreement on the online sources. Anyone got the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chrome-reverse-wheels/812248/2 "2018-04-11T22:20:42Z")
They are wheels that have the hub attachment surface recessed into the structure of the wheel. Chrome is just the plating to make a mirror finish on the surface. Used to be a thing for hot rodders to do but has largely died out, you occasionally see some older summer driver vehicles with them on still. A lot of the time fitting them requires a drum brake setup rather than the rotor and caliper setup we are accustomed to these days. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chrome-reverse-wheels/812248/3 "2018-04-11T22:52:01Z")
So, the “reverse” means that where a normal wheel has a raised area in the middle, the reverse wheel has a depressed area in the middle? Like the outside of a bowl vs the inside of a bowl? ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chrome-reverse-wheels/812248/4 "2018-04-11T23:29:43Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > So, the “reverse” means that where a normal wheel has a raised area in the middle, the reverse wheel has a depressed area in the middle? Like the outside of a bowl vs the inside of a bowl? Essentially yes. There are people who claim handling benefits by using them, personally I believe them to be just a matter of preference and appeal ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chrome-reverse-wheels/812248/5 "2018-04-12T04:05:04Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > So, the “reverse” means that where a normal wheel has a raised area in the middle, the reverse wheel has a depressed area in the middle? Like the outside of a bowl vs the inside of a bowl? No. The way they are made is the rim is cut loose from the center section, flipped around and re-welded. Since the offset of the wheel is different on each side (the center part is not centered in the rim), this provided a cool wide wheel look without actually having a wider wheel. This can actually be done on the car. Just leave the center bolted on, flip the rim, tap it around until it it true and re-weld. That’s the way the early hot rodders did it, because no one had a lathe big enough to hold a wheel. However it shifts the center of the tire contact patch with the road outward and can load the wheel bearings unfavorably. A true wide wheel would keep the contact point about the same. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-chrome-reverse-wheels/812248/6 "2018-04-13T01:36:29Z")
Door handles are off, but you know I’ll never miss 'em, They open when I want with a “sellyanoid” system.