Best process for nasty looking chrome running boards?

[LSX Maestro]

I'll attach some photos of my GMC's running boards.  They have this odd oxidization or something at the edges as well as pock marks and swirling all over.  Scrubbing it doesn't touch it.  Any suggestions? I'm thinking a metal polish and a power tool of some kind but want to see if anyone has any suggestions before I go to town in the wrong direction. 

 

 

[IAcamoprincess01]

What I normally do is wash the vehicle, clay the surface, then dry and put a layer of Brilliant Glaze on them....it really makes them "pop".

[blcksilv08]

I'm guessing those are clear coated?

[LSX Maestro]

3 hours ago, blcksilv08 said:

I'm guessing those are clear coated?

Not sure.  They’re OEM chrome assist steps from GM. I’m assuming they’d be coated with something. 

[hemi1300]

Almost every set of running boards/nerf bars I see always rust/corrode and look like crap after just a few years. My advice, take them off and drop off at linex to be coated. Have done this twice now with my board's and the linex holds up great and no more rust or corrosion to worry about. Have aluminum boards on my 14 ram, boards are holding up great but the mounting brackets started rusting and powdercoat flaked off. Took the brackets to linex for coating, problem solved

[pirahnah3]

I have washed mine before and then just 2 stepped it with the metal polish. The ones on my F250 come out looking awesome that way, and I have always done them by hand. 

Edited March 2, 2018 by pirahnah3

[blcksilv08]

9 hours ago, LSX Maestro said:

Not sure.  They’re OEM chrome assist steps from GM. I’m assuming they’d be coated with something. 

There's a chance they are clear, to test just take a small amount of metal polish on the corner of a towel and rub the surface in a hidden area and see if it turns black. If it does they are raw metal and you could polish them out with metal polish. If they are cleared then you could treat them like paint, from the pics they appear to be pitting. In that case, polishing may make it worse. 

The suggestion of getting them coated in Line-X is not a bad idea either, I know several people that have done that.

[Rich]

Have they been exposed to road salt?

[LSX Maestro]

3 hours ago, Rich said:

Have they been exposed to road salt?

Yes. Michigan roads are salt pits in the winter. I take crazy care of this thing, it’s all coated yearly underneath, even took the bed off and had it done before. It’s not pretty what can happen to a car in a few years of MI weather. 

 

I’m on vacation but when I get back I’ll attempt a metal polish in an inconspicuous area and see. 

[Naylor649]

Metal polish will get them fixed for ya. I usually do the metal polish every other month on my chrome.