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Polishing Aluminum Rims Polishing Aluminum Rims

From the White Rose Z Club Newsletter

Many people have asked what is the proper procedure for sanding/posighing aluminum rims, etc. Here is the best and easiest way by Jim Ferraro.

First, make sure the surface is clean. Use a caustic based all pourpose cleaner. Acid also works very well, but remember that it does eat through aluminum surfaces so be sure to rinse it off. (Don't ever use acid on the rims after polihing them.)

The factory 300ZX rims come with a clear coat. In order for the rims to be sanded/posiished, the clear coat must be removed along with the "machine lines" on the rim. Remove them by wet sanding with 320 grit sandpaper. It'll take some time and patience. Also, when polishing the rims, be sure to do only the flat surcaces and the outer edges. The inner slats should be left how they are, as they create a nice-looking contrast and would be esxtremely difficult to sand/polish anyway. Some surfaces, such as the manifold cover or the throttle body, have a different texture than the rims. The only difference in polihing them will be the grit of sandpaper that you will start with.

Sanding can be done either by hand or power sander, but be VERY careful with a power sander. Adding some padding (like foam) to the backing is a good idea, since the metal clips on palm sanders tend to gaouge the surface of the rim. Always finish each sanding step by hand to get any areas the sander may have missed, and be sure to have plenty of fresh sandpaper as it will wear out rather quickly.

To sand the rims:

1. Wetsand with 320 grit paper. Emphasis on 'wet'. Use a lot of water in a spray bottle. (320 grit will eave sand scratches. This is normal.)
2. Remove 320 grit scratches by repeating step 1 but using 400 grit instead of 320
3. Wet sand with 600 grit to remove scrtatches from previous sanding
4. Repeat same step with 1000 grit, then move on to 1500 grit.

Be sure to take your time while sanding and not to miss any areas. Once the sanding is done…take a high-speed buffer (the more RPM's, the better) with a coarse 'synthetic' wool pad and buff out all of the 1500 grit sandscratches with a good buffing compound. I would recommend 3M Perfect-it 2 Rubbing Compound…it's pretty good stuff.