Black specks on wheels

My wheels have accumulated these little black specks that seemingly will not come off with any kind of cleaner. I've tried a little bit of everything, one person suggested using a Brillo Pad, which helped some, but there still some on there.

I'm kinda at a loss here.. I'm not sure why its accumulating like it is (it wasn't there when i got the truck), and how the heck to get it off.. any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Brake Dust ?
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/84995-whats-best-wheel-cleaner-brake-dust.html
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/60519-hideous-looking-brake-dust.html
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/49093-excessive-front-brake-dust.html

 

Yep. Definitely brake dust. Those brake particles can come off of the brake pads/rotors at a few hundred degrees, so when they settle on the wheel surface, they can adhere/singe to the surface. Unfortunately, Nothing you can really do to stop it. It happens on every vehicle.
Some things to reduce it would be; you can research which (replacement) pads will be best for you while dusting is kept to a minimum. There are brake manufacturers out there that sell replacement pads that market towards low dust applications. Also, you can apply a wheel sealant (or heavy duty wax) to the wheel. Although it wont prevent accumulation, it will make cleaning them easier. And the most effective way to prevent accumulation, is to simply wash them more frequently.
For complete wheel maintenance, I recommend purchasing a quality wheel cleaner (p21s wheel gel is a favorite, but if you insist on otc products, mothers fx cleaner), a bike brush (aka: ezdetail brush), a wheel brush, like the swissvax, and a wheel protectant (poorboys wheel sealant, wheel wax,

$21 collinite 845 insulator wax-easy to use carnauba+polymer wax sealant-high gloss shine+durable hydrophobic beading & long lasting paint protection for cars/boats/trucks/rvs & motorcycles (16 fl oz)

collinite 845).

 

As mentioned those "specs" are brake dust that has settled on the finish of your wheels and has corroded the finish. Basically it's called pitting and it's quite common on first gen. wheels. The finish is damaged so you'll have to live with it the only thing you can do to prevent more pitting is the wash the wheels on a frequent basis to keep as much brake dust off as possible. Personally I got sick of looking at my wheels with pitting and I got sick of cleaning them so I said screw it and got some 2nd gen. 16" TRD wheels.

 

Thanks for the help guys, guess I'll just have to take better care of them.

 

you might try one of the power polishing tools like
http://www.mothers.com/02_products/05142.html
or
http://www.mothers.com/02_products/05146.html

if it's actually pitted you may need to work the pits out first
get your dremel tool, polishing wheels and several grades of polish.
start with a coarse compound, med, fine then put a protective coat on.
it's the same concept as below except on a smaller scale
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm
compounds
http://www.englishcustompolishing.com/

 

Yup, I've had the same thing happen to me too. I've found that a little bit of Comet on a wet brush and some elbow grease helps but there are still some black spots that won't come off. After you get as much off as you can, put Armor all on them or something similar to protect them from the brake dust. Good luck!

 

Fwiw, DI has wheel sealant on sale, today only:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Poorbo...ent=daily-image&utm_campaign=daily-05-18-2011