Another Wheel Question (with pics)

[muddy]

I have some "stuff" that is on my wheels that I am guessing is brake dust. It seems to only really be built up in the corner areas of where the spokes meet the outer wheel and also on the inner barrel of the wheel.
I have tried clay, AIO, F21 wheels cleaner, etc. without any luck. In the past I used Bar Keepers Friend on the inner barrel and it worked wonders on the little area I did, but I am not sure if it can be used on the coated aluminum part of the wheel.
Here is a pic of the "stuff" (the darker black stuff in the corner):
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/639/medium/X_0005.JPG

another shot:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/639/medium/X_0001.JPG

here it is on the inner barrel of the wheel:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/639/medium/X_0003.JPG

and here is what the wheel looks like so you have an idea of what you are looking at (this pic is prior to most of the buildup though):
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/639/Original_Wheel.jpg

Thanks for any help!

[ScottB]

looks like an area where brake dust etched the paint, or paint was chipped from a stone. Coloring is much darker than brake dust and appears you have tried all the normal offerings. Would a little touch up paint hide it ??

[Russecu]

That looks like the same thing I have right behind the spokes of my wheels also. I hope it is not missing paint like Killer said. To me it looks like brake dust build up. I may try some Megs. WB on it to see if it cuts it. I have to find some first. P21S wheel cleaner will not cut it. I havent tried Klasse AIO or DG 501 yet.

[TOGWT]

That looks like the same thing I have right behind the spokes of my wheels also. I hope it is not missing paint like Killer said. To me it looks like brake dust build up. I may try some Megs. WB on it to see if it cuts it. I have to find some first. P21S wheel cleaner will not cut it. I havent tried Klasse AIO or DG 501 yet.

I would try P21S gel - a chemical paint cleaner (Klasse AIO) and as a very last resort Megs Wheel Brightner (Even a pH 5.0 acid with a dilution rate of 4:1 (as recommended by Meguiar's for their Wheel Brightener (Ammonium hydrogen fluoride [NH4] [HF2]) results in a pH 4.5 solution (it not a mistake; the dilution of an acid doesn’t make it safer as the addition of a molecule of water to a chemical compound, without forming any other products is known as hydration reaction (increasing the acidity of the solution)

[muddy]

That looks like the same thing I have right behind the spokes of my wheels also. I hope it is not missing paint like Killer said. To me it looks like brake dust build up. I may try some Megs. WB on it to see if it cuts it. I have to find some first. P21S wheel cleaner will not cut it. I havent tried Klasse AIO or DG 501 yet.


I would try P21S gel - a chemical paint cleaner (Klasse AIO) and as a very last resort Megs Wheel Brightner
Even a pH 5.0 acid with a dilution rate of 4:1 (as recommended by Meguiar's for their Wheel Brightener (Ammonium hydrogen fluoride [NH4] [HF2]) results in a pH 4.5 solution


I tried Klasse AIO and tried a bit of it with some rubbing and pressure without any luck. It may have made a little difference or just be an optical illusion based on it cleaning the area right around the marks.

I don't think that it is missing paint, but it is really difficult to tell. I think I am going to give "Bar Keepers Friend" a go on that little area, since if it is missing paint, then I can't see it doing any damage (probably won't do damage even if not missing paint, but it was not designed for wheels of course).

Russecu if Megs Wheel Brightener works for you, let me know.