Painting Brake calipers

[TaLoNBLiNGBLiNG]

I know this doesn't have anything to do with tuning a suspension, but brakes are an important part


I was wondering how everyone paints their brake calipers. Do you take them off or just carefully go at it on the car? Also, what kind of spray paint and/or prepping should I do? thanks.

 

[psyjoniz]

http://seangordon1.tripod.com/caliperinstall.html

its one of the things i've been wanting to do - just no time!

 

[larryd]

when i did mine on my Celica i actually used Rustoleum with a handbrush.. had to redo them once every couple months but it worked well

 

[psyjoniz]

what color did you do? i want to do flat black - no showy colors for me - just want them to look clean.

 

[larryd]

mine was red..

 

[TaLoNBLiNGBLiNG]

Is it easy to take off the calipers? do you have to bleed the brakes or anything like that?

BTW: I'm gonna paint em Blue

 

[larryd]

it is easy to take off the calipers but bleeding the brakes is a pain in the ass

 

[psyjoniz]

hey larryd~ you got any experience w/speed bleeders? if so, are they worth it and would you mind explaining how they actually work? if not, anyone have any exp w/em?..

i'm going to attempt to do the drum => rotor swap in the rear and i might just get some while i'm workin w/the brakes.. that and i can't seem to find someone to ever give me a hand when i work on muh car

 

[larryd]

nope no experience here but ive heard good things about em. i actually had to take my car to meineke to have them bleed my brakes becuase I didnt have anyone to help me

 

[candela]

i always just left whatever line was off indulged in fluid the whole time so there was never any air going back in. It really sucks, but it is the only way I know how to bleed brakes by myself!

 

[kylemoto]

I plated mine.

I made new pistons, and had them nickel plated. I took the caliper housings and the brackets and plated them zinc chromate yellow. Looks nice, but not "lookit me" bright.

Kyle

 

[2-0turbo]

Hey Kylemoto, got any pictures? I'd like to see 'em.

Me, I powdercoated mine red. They look real nice, clean up easy and really stand out under my wheels. See my gallery for pics of them under wheels and the attached picture of them naked. Baer 13" on front, stockers on back.

 

[2-0turbo]

How do you attach more than one picture in a message?

 

[sleepinGSX]

Pep Boys sells caliper paint for like 4 bucks, its pretty good stuff too for the price. I did mine in a gloss black, all u have to do is take off your wheel, brush off all the dirt an crap, tape off anything u dont want to paint, also put a piece off paper or something between the rotor an caliper so your rotors dont get paint on them. Mine look pretty damn good i think. A nice even gloss black, they have all kind of colors.

 

[psyjoniz]

got any pics?

 

[ECLIPSE4x4]

Hey 2-0turbo, They look really good. Did you pwder coat them yourself? If not how much did it cost?

What I did was really cheap. I went to Autozone and bout some primer and some of the 1200 degree engine block paint. I am in the military so we have ahobby shope to work at. OH before I did this I bought repack kits for the pistons. Basically becuase If something happened and also it was cheap and for PREVENTIVE maintanence purposes (it's off, might as well make it new) I took it to the hobby shop. Capped off the inlet and then I sandblasted the caliper and bracket. I then drained the fluid , pulled the pistons and put them in a parts cleaned. When they were cleaned I blocked off the piston holes and primed and painted about 7-8 coates of the block paint on them and then repacked the pistons.

It looks really good, If I must say.

To bleed my brakes. I use conventional methods. But be careful if you DO paint them not to get fluid on the calipers. I went to the hardware store and bought a clear tube(like on fish tanks) and slip that over the bleed point and then open the point and run the tube into a jar or something.

Hope this helps.

 

[2-0turbo]

Originally posted by ECLIPSE4x4
Hey 2-0turbo, They look really good. Did you pwder coat them yourself? If not how much did it cost?

Thanks! I really like them. I prepared them myself, but had a local guy here in town coat/bake them for me. Since I do all the prep work and deliver them basically ready to coat, he charges me $25/each. He throws in some other small stuff without any charge. It was a lot of work though. The calipers have to be completely disassembled (down to the last seal and o'ring).

But, it is very durable. Brake fluid will dull the finish some if you leave it on there, but I try to wipe up any spills quickly.