Winter time is approaching fast and although thoughts of the holiday festivities attempt to take over,  truck owners with chrome wheels need to start planning ahead for the snow and salt that will soon be covering the roads.  Because salt eats away at the chrome and causes it to rust, the best way to protect your chrome wheels is take them off and store them for the winter.  They can easily be replaced with stock wheels for the winter.  However, if that is not option, there are several things you can do to keep your chrome wheels from being ruined. Before the winter weather sets in you should wash your wheels thoroughly with hot soapy water to remove any dirt and grime. Wipe them down with a soft towel and allow them to dry completely before re-washing with high quality chrome cleaner, available at any auto parts store.  Once the wheels are clean, polish them with a heavy coat of either chrome polish or car polish.  When it dries you can buff it out and repeat it a second time for added protection, if you desire. Once the snow has arrived you will have to pay even more attention to your chrome.  After driving in salt it is important to wash your wheel s, and whole car, off as soon as possible to prevent the salt from eating away at your paint and chrome.  If possible run your car through the car wash as often as possible since car washes use hot water that is very effective at dissolving any salt that remains on your vehicle.  You should also re-apply the chrome polish several times during the winter to maintain that layer of protection. Chrome wheels require constant maintenance, not just in the winter.  If you keep them clean throughout the year, you are taking important steps that will help keep them from developing holes that could create more damage come winter.