Care of chrome and other exposed metal...

I just reread the Vulcan Verse piece about care of unpainted metal...

General guidance seems to say that Blue Magic Metal Polish and Turtle Wax Chrome Polish are two good choices for protecting chrome. Someone also said that vinegar and/or Coke are good things to use to remove minor pitting on chrome and other unpainted metals. I have a touch of rust on the fork legs (the sliders) and instruments and would like to get them back to their original looks.

Question 1. Any other suggestions on good chrome protectants?

Question 2. Will vinegar or Coke damage the metal surface and actually INCREASE the need for additional maintenance in the future? The VulcanVerse mentioned that the fork legs are painted (some kind of clearcoat, I guess), which to me implies that one needs to be very careful of the metal treatments used, lest the pitting be temporarily eliminated only to return worse later on, after the treatment.

Thanks and safe riding...

Roy