I sprung for one these
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/chrpolkit.htm
A bit of overkill, but I bet it beats elbow grease.

This looked interesting too, but also a bit pricey
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/alwheel.htm
It will allow you to turn an aluminum wheel into a chrome like finish. If you call Caswell, they could put it together cheaper than the paint remover etc.,

http://www.caswellplating.com/restgal/index.html