Brass is softer than steel, if you can get a stainless steel wire brush it will work much better to clean the rust off the steel.

I normally use brass brushes for cleaning aluminum parts that are going to stay raw aluminum (it doesn't scratch the surface of the softer metals as bad)

For the tight areas you can get some 80 grit sandpaper, fold it up nice and try to get in the edges as good as possible. 80 grit will also work to get some of the rust off the open areas once you knock off the heavy stuff with a wire brush

Make sure you keep a spray can of the self etching primer handy to coat it once it's all cleaned up, you don't want to leave it bare steel for too long

 

I got a steel brush and seem to be making to progress at all. I just keep hitting black instead of silver, and once there the brush does nothing. The brass didn't do much either, was hoping it would be stronger than the rust, but weaker than the steal so it wouldn't scratch the steel off.

 

Any ideas? I tried finding someone with a sand blaster in my area with no luck. This black stuff seems to be magnetic, is the metal supposed to be black and not silver on this? The only spots I have been able to expose any silver metal is from under the paint, I have yet to get through to anything that looks like metal on the back side.

 

Got my hands on an electric impact wrench from harbor freight. It's not much (230 ft/lbs) but could it aid in removing this rust somehow, or is it useless in that regard?

 

Just go to Lowe’s or Home Depot, spend 30 bucks on a drill, pick up the abrasive accessories you need and have at it... you’ll use the drill again many times in the future anyway...