I was told by someone at another forum that I can simply use the following to prep & paint my chrome rims.
"I would sand them down with a 300 or so grit first, followed by a 420 grit to smooth out those sanding marks. Get a high build sandable primer. Wetsand that after it's dried with 800 grit. Then paint."

ok so I have a 320 sanding block, 400 wetsanding paper, and an 800 wet/dry sanding paper set.
For primer, I have Dupli-Color Sandable Primer. It does not mention anything about use on a certain service, so can anyone tell me if its OK to use on metal?

For paint, I have Dupli-Color Engine Enamel ceramic. It states that its ideal for engine blocks, oil pans, valve covers, waterpumps, and intake manifolds.

Keep in mind that I have planning this job on chrome finished rims. I've been told by a few [inexperienced] people that the chrome needs to be completely off. But the above suggestion stated that sanding is all thats needed for a decent job. Can anyone agree to this? I dont want to mess this job up.

As I used 80 grit paper to take a little chrome off the back side of the rim to test it, the chrome color went away and it looked as though a bronze color was underneath.
I want to make sure that this sounds correct to everybody. If so, I'll continue the process.

 

i would also recomend after you sand them to put a good coat of some adhesion promoter on them to insure the paint sticks paint a couple of wheels like this

 

The chrome is just one more coating to increase the likelihood of material coming off. Removing it all will yield an overall stronger bond but you could also skip this step. Most of the painting process is not about how good of a painter you are but how far you are willing to go on a given project. For best results, sand everything off of the aluminum. The crevices can be sanded more easily with a scotchbrite-type sanding pad. Spray with final-wipe and wipe the wet surface with a fresh shop towel. Immediately cover with a high-temp, self-etching primer. Wet sand with 400 grit, rinse and then dry with a fresh shop towel. Final wipe again as described. Wipe the surface very, very gently with a tack cloth just before painting.