cleaning wheels on Rav4

[dbsoccer]

I have a '97 Rav4 whose wheels were neglected for years. I last tried Meguiar's 140 Wheel Brightener. I applied as recommended. Used a brush, etc. The 140 did better than the other things I tried previously but I still have spots. I read where the spots are burnt on brake dust, which makes sense, but because they won't completely come off I'm thinking maybe the issue is something else. I am assuming the wheels are a painted cast aluminum. They are silver.

Any suggestions of what to try next or am I faced with having someone repaint them?

Thanks in advance.

[OCDetails]

Sometimes things that are neglected long enough are simply ruined. Pictures would certainly help to know for sure. I've seen a lot of wheels I thought were too far gone to be saved come back to life, but there are others that I thought were salvageable that turned out to be toast.

You could get really aggressive and try sanding the spots off, but in the end you may have to repaint them anyway if you have to go that far to restore them. If they are factory wheels then you are probably going to find it cheaper to just head down to Discount Tire and get a new set than to try and repair factory rims.

[dbsoccer]

Thanks OCDetails.

I'll try posting some pictures when the car gets back to town.

I'd like to stay with the stock wheels. The style is fine and I have grown to like to leave things original if I can. But, as you say, this may require refinishing.

I would think wheel receive a different paint than regular body paint. Is this correct?

Is there a wheel cleaner you might suggest that may produce different results?

[captain detail]

Best stuff for wheels is wire wheel acid can't buy bulk unless your a car dealership , but u can buy 3 bottles of spray only 24 ounce contains heavy chemicals smells like tear gas

[Mantilgh]

Some good pictures would help. You could try one of the color changing wheel cleaners like Dub, or you could try claying them if you want. To me, wheels are a pain to clay. I would like to get some aggressive clay to try for this.

[ScottB]

consider using a little paint polish to see if it can loosen the caked on brake dust.