im new here and dont know if this is the right place, sorry if its not...
I have searched and read a million things on the process and i have tried all of them lol, the last process i did and thought the best result so far was 150 aluminum oxide sand paper dry in one direction kind of soft so i didnt gauge the wheel. next i used 400 regular black sand paper wet (tried in the same direction as the 150, then did circular then to 45deg across the last sand). then i used a brown (tripoli i think) compound with wheel to buff, washed wheel then used white compound with wheel and then polished with mothers (no difference in appearance than after the white buffing).
So my question is how come its hazy i guess is the best way to describe it? its defiantly better than before but im looking for a chrome or mirror look like the guys at truck stops do with a buffer and one compound lol... i will try to get pics up soon and i also tried going up to a 600 wet before this and still the same result. and everything i have read so far says any higher than that will create the clouding of the shine because the aluminum becomes to slick basically to get buffed properly. anyway im just doing this while i save up the money to do everything else to the car so i have plenty of time to experiment lol. thanks for any ideas or input.

 

I havent done much with my rims yet, but heres the correct forum for tires and wheels https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/wheels-tires/ I'm sure theres a bunch of info there

 

thanks, i kinda scanned the first couple pages but didnt see much. at least i have plenty of time before i get involved into much more so trial and error it is lol.

 

i used 800 and 1000 grit wet sanding paper. takes for ever but the end results are worth it.

 

did you buff with compound after? or did you just sand and then use polish?

 

I got that mirror finish you are talking about.. i started with 400, then used rubbing compound, then polished, then used 600, then used rubbing compound, then polished, then used 1000 grit (all dry) then used rubbing compound then polished then used neverdull then polished with mothers.. Came out beautiful if I must say myself. Also ended the process with a metal protectant and plan to clean my wheels every weekend.

and they look better in person. I put my finger up close and I can see the dirt under my nails! lol

Stone

 

wow, thats a lot of back and forth but i might just give it a shot lol

 

Don't switch your method, you're going about it the proper way, just need more sanding. After 150 try 180, 320, 320wet, 400, 400wet. Don't bother going any higher than that, 600 if you must. Also, try starting with emery on a stiff wheel when you go about polishing. Gets you a quicker initial reflection.

This small section on my current wheel was sanded to 400wet. Chrome or mirror like?

 

damn, thats nice. i just picked up some 320 emery from work and i was going to throw it in after the 180 i have. so you say to try it dry then go to wet? hmm... will give me something to do tomorrow while its raining i guess lol. thanks for the tip.

 

You need to go at it with some really abrasive stuff to get those machining ridges off.

I started at 150.

You just have to get a feel for how long you need to spend at each grit. The more time you spend at lower grits the better the final result will be.

I think I had 5 hours of hand sanding per wheel. And that was when I got good at it and knew what I was doing.

I went 150->220-400->600->1000->1500 grit. But I didnt spend all that much time at 1000 and 1500. Probably would have made for a better final finish but it looks good as is and I didnt want a super chrome-y look.

 

Whatever method you end up using, just remember.. Enjoy yourself and have fun doing it. It won't be such a chore and the end results will be even more awesome knowing it came from all your hard work. don't forget to at least wear a mask.. don't breathe in that crap!

Stone

 

You don't need to sand with high grits to get a mirror finish. All sanding with high grit does is smooth the surface, same as using compounds on a buffing wheel. Thats why sanding above 600 is pointless if you use compounds. If you don't sand well enough with low grit, or worse skip it all together, you won't get a mirror finish no matter how much you sand and polish. It will shine nice, but won't give you the best results. You'll likely end up with colorful shapes, instead of an actual mirror reflection.

My understanding (through trial and error and internet research) of what gives a mirror finish and what causes the haze, is as follows...

When light hits a surface, (in this case your wheel) imperfections left on the surface, deflect light in multiple/various directions. Only the light that is deflected directly back (or reflected, as opposed to deflected) offers an image/reflection. The light that gets deflected in various directions, from surface imperfections, actually interferes with the light that is reflecting off the object. The light bouncing back, offering a mirror image, gets interrupted by the light bouncing in various directions. This (deflected light) is what causes the surface to appear hazed, instead of clear. As you remove imperfections, more light gets reflected back, while at the same time, less light gets deflected. So, the more imperfections you remove, the more clear your reflection will be. This is why sanding very, very well with low grits is essential for a high quality finish. I'm not a professional so i could be wrong, but thats something I ran across online that I though made sense.