I would remove the tires,and sandblast he INSIDE of the rims as well. Most old rims will accrue more rust on the inside,as they do on the outside. With the rust removed from the entire rim,it's much easier to find stress-cracks and flaws that you may over-look if you just use a wire-brush/solvent. Also,I've found it much easier to change a tire with a painted inner-surface,as opposed to one with 55,(or more) years of rust "Welding" the surfaces together. Hope this helps.
