Baked-on brake dust removal

DD#1 is probably selling her bugeye Impreza in the near future.

It had a sticky LF caliper for a long time (I didn't really see the car for a while, so I didn't know).  One wheel spent a fair amount of time hotter than the others, and she's not big on washing her car anyway.  The brake dust on that one wheel is pretty severe, and pretty stuck.

What's the best product / method for getting it off?  I don't want to destroy the finish on contact, and I'd rather not have to refinish them... but I'm also not exceptionally worried about the long-term effects.  My goal is to get them cleaned up and looking decent enough to not attract undue attention.

Thanks!

Best? Not sure, but Super Clean will melt it off nicely. Maybe test a patch on the inside of a wheel?

De-Solv-It works well for removing thin layers of baked-on brake dust from wheels, although it might be too gentle for this application.

clay bar and elbow grease.  

craigslist replacement.

plasti-dip.

Sonax

I had a similar issue on the V and used a pretty nasty automotive tar remover and dishwasher soap.  Worked ok but did fight with it a while.

02Pilot said:

Sonax

 

+1 for Sonax, plus elbow grease.

Simple Green straight up.

The Cherokee wheels were so nasty when I bough it, I wound up using brake cleaner on them. Surprisingly enough, it didn't damage the finish at all. I'd test that first. 

You are looking for a product called Iron X.  Careful about Simple Green, def do a spot test first. It is hell on aluminum. 

Alternatively, get a gallon of Superclean and dilute it 5:1.  Spray on and agitate with a soft brush, a microfiber cloth you’re willing to throw away or (gently) with a Magic Eraser. Use the rest of the gallon to clean literally everything else on the car. It’s great for engine bays, door jambs, carpet and upholstery. 

Chrome wheel cleaner is pretty mean. I think the trick is not to leave it on too long if it's an aluminum wheel. Soak a minute and rinse thoroughly, repeat as necessary.

Watching this because I had a dragging caliper last year & whatever came off is quite embedded in the wheel (it's painted white).  It almost seems like ground metal vs normal dust buildup.

All right, thanks for the suggestions!