how to safely remove surface rust

[infantry grunt]

My nephew purchased some 18in. chrome wheels with some surface rust,and i need some help as how to clean them up without damaging the chrome.I am not very educated in wheels,but they appear to be alluminum chrome plated,i believe,any advice will be appreciated
Grunt

 

[wizkid00104]

If they are "rusted", then I think the would have to be chrome plated steel. Aluminum would oxidize from a bright silver to a haze white because aluminum oxide is white.

Anyway, if there is surface rust, then that would lead me to believe that the chrome plating has pitted through the metal surface it is bonded too. In that case, there would be no way to fix them other than sand blast and have them re-plated.

Companies like Mothers make chrome polish, which may help, but won't solve the problem.

Pictures couldn't hurt for further comments.

 

[aspevacek]

try a brass wire wheel on a drill with pretty low speed. It should not be abrasive enough to hurt the rim but should be strong enough to remove surface rust. I think if the wheels are rusting they are most likely steel based as said befor most alu based alloys will not rust but rather oxodize.

 

[infantry grunt]

Thank you all for your comments,i talked him out of getting them,and in the future i will post pics.