Caked on Brake Dust?

[Shermanator]

I pulled my Mustang wheels off to Plastidip them in grey since they where pretty beat up looking in spots with white flecks in the machined aluminum and some other nastiness here and there. Anyways, I decide to take a shot at trying to clean the insides of the wheels off since they where off. 

 

I applied some Deep Wheel cleaner to them, and well it didn't do anything to dust....I broke out the drill with turbo stick and all I winded up doing with that is breaking part of the back off of the turbo stick (nothing too bad...still totally usable) and still didn't make a dent in it. I tried the wheel woolies and some APC and still didn't make a dent. Short of using a wire brush...any other suggestions?

 

I'm not disappointed with the products, since it was nearly 7 1/2 years of build up on them, just curious as how to tackle this in the future if I detail any other cars with the same issue.

 

I know I won't let the interior of my SHO wheels get this bad...I'll have to pull them off every year or so to give them a nice deep cleaning.

 

 

[THE Mook]

Without pics, we are all guessing.

[ECaulk]

I'm surprised the deep wheel cleaner did nothing, it removed some seriously caked on brake dust from an abused never cared for Subaru Forester (I think it was a mid 90s and I believe I was the first person to even thing about cleaning the rims ).

But I could see different pad material causing different issues for removal.

 

Without pics, we are all guessing.

 

Agreed

[matts88yj]

A larger factor is the brake pad compound.  I've seen some racing compound brake pads become concrete on wheels as soon as they get wet.  I happened to come across this after cleaning an M3 that had said brake pads on it.  He stated that short of going to a wheel refinishing shop, there isn't much that can be done.  Obviously different pads leave different results but with that amount of time and pad compound used, I'm betting it's on there for good, unless you get them refinished.

 

You're on the right track with the SHO.  Keep them clean, clayed, and sealed to help extend the life of the entire wheel.

[Shermanator]

I should have taken a photo when I had them pulled, but I just wanted to get the plasticoating done on the fronts, since I had other stuff to do that day. When I get a chance, I'll pull a wheel again.

 

The "caking" wasn't as thick on the areas where product could get onto inner part of the wheel from outside.