Cleaning/Restoring Stock Wheels

I've had my 98 for about a year now, and I'm starting to get sick of the crappy-looking wheels.
The guy I bought it from (original owner) hadn't bothered to clean the truck in years, so there's at least 10 years-worth of brake dust/ road grime/ mud/ etc. stained on the stock wheels. I use wheel cleaner every couple of weeks, but the dark stains and chips are still there
I'm wondering what I should use to get the stains off, does anyone know of any heavy-duty cleaners, chemicals, etc?

 

Are they painted or polished? You could use some compound followed by polish to see if you can get down to the stains. There are some primers that have filling properties to help with the chips if you plan on painting them. Just a thought, I'm no professional. A cheap sandblaster would be nice too!

 

the best wheel cleaner on the market
http://www.detailedimage.com/P21S-M14/Gel-Wheel-Cleaner-P86/500-ml-Kit-S1/
This is the only cleaner I use.

If that doesn't work you might need a professional to refinish the wheels

 

Yeah, your best bet is probably a professional refinish. Powder coat would make em pretty again. Being neglected that long, there maybe no coming back from that. Keep us posted on what route you go. Oh and maybe post some pics if them as they are, maybe someone has a better solution.

 

I'll try to get some pics up today. A friend of mine said that oven cleaner might help, so I may try that. Thanks guys

 

mine were the same, super dirty, hadn't been cleaned in years. I wanted to clean them real well before i painted them, I tried wheel cleaner and sandpaper, didn't do anything. Ended up just using wire wheels on a drill, which worked but took the stock finish off. All said and done, 4 wheels was a 2 day project

 

yeah I'd recommend a complete refinish, perhaps a color change ? Get metal sandpaper from O'reilly's (or wherever I guess) it's got grit like a cheese grader and will tear thru all that caked on shit as well as the clear coat so you can get some good fresh coats in