Painted Calipers?

[Ed]

Has anyone painted their brake calipers?

[2ManyZs]

Not yet......

I'm planning on trying the caliper paint from Eastwoods, it's a little expensive, but, if you get what you pay for, I'd rather pay for it the first time. Not sure, but I think POR has caliper paints now, but if I remember right, they don't have as larger a selection of colors that Eastwoods offers.

[EScanlon]

I painted mine with plain old Rustoleum.

Figured:

A) It's cheap. If they flaked, or started looking bad, the repaint would only set me back a few bucks.

The color selection was more than adequate.

C) If I didn't like the way they looked afterward, or later, all it would take is a rag soaked in thinner to rectify.

D) It's CHEAP!!

E) It didn't matter if they got ugly in a few weeks, a simple wipe of a thinner soaked rag and / or a color change, and VOILA! done again.

F) IT'S CHEAP!

2¢

Enrique

[sblake01]

Same theory as EScanlon except I use NOW paint. It's made my Sherwin-Williams and sold by ACE Hardware. I've used it for years and it's always been cheaper and works just as well as Krylon or Rustoleum. Ironically, I now work for ACE so I get an employee discount on it too!

[EScanlon]

CHEATER CHEATER!!

Ok, Stephen, go put a couple bucks in the Club till for the advertisement.

Enrique

[panchovisa]

I use 1200 degree high tempeture clear coat. You have to sand/bead blast first. Helps close the texture of caliper so brake dust doesn't have much to hang onto.

[sblake01]

Originally posted by EScanlon

CHEATER CHEATER!!

Ok, Stephen, go put a couple bucks in the Club till for the advertisement.

Enrique

I guess I should have posted a disclaimer. It wasn't my intention but that sure sounds like a 'shameless plug' when I read it.:stupid:

[Ed]

I was considering using a regular type paint, Rustoleum, Krylon or something like that but, If it started to flake after a couple of weeks because of the heat I think I would be mad. I hate to do a job twice. So I'm looking into the high-temp paint that's available. So far I've only found black and silver. I wanted blue.

[2ManyZs]

That's the main reasons I was looking at the products Eastwoods has.

They have 9 colors (including blue) and the kits are 40 bucks. The kits include a degreaser, 2 component color and activator, mixing jar and brush.

The blue is part number 10272Z.

The also have a new aerosol caliper paint that's only 10 bucks a can.

Blue is part number 10482Z

[EScanlon]

Go to a larger hardware store. I've seen many colors in the high-temp paints. Additionally, don't waste money on the primer as the high temp Rust-o-leum variety (even Stephen's NOW) will adhere well enough for what you are doing.

The biggest thing you MUST do, is ensure that the caliper is degreased and free of dust / rust / fingerprints. To degrease, you can use plain old lacquer thinner, or get spendy and go for the true blue Wax and Grease Remover available at a paint shop. You could even use Mineral Spirits as long as you wipe it off completely and allow any possible residue to evaporate.

Now you are ready to paint. For most spray can paints you should have a temperature of at LEAST 65° F. Less than that and the paint will not cure properly and take forever to dry, and it won't really be dry. Note that this means the PART should be 65°F or greater, just cause the ambient air temp gets to that stage doesn't mean the part has reached that temperature. You can use a heat gun or hair dryer to raise the parts temperature, but don't overheat it as that causes other problems.

Next, apply your first coat of paint LIGHTLY. Allow to dry to "tacky" (i.e. your finger sticks slightly, but does not marr the paint) and then apply a second or additional coats as desired.

Now - WAIT! I've seen more spray can jobs ruined by too impatient handling than anything else. If you try to rush the job by using the heat gun or hair dryer be aware that it is very easy to "skin" the paint. That is where you dry the outermost layer of it, but the interior is not, just like a pudding. That's not what you want as that will trap the solvent(s) in the paint and probably mess up the paint job. (By the way, that's one cheap way of making wrinkle paint.)

If you wait 24 hours or so, and the temperature of the part has been maintained, then you will have a nice finish that should last quite a while. Mine has lasted close to two years and has even survived a couple of mechanical fixes.

Hope this helps.

Enrique

[Alfadog]

And you guys bag ricers... :cheeky:

[sblake01]

Originally posted by Alfadog

And you guys bag ricers... :cheeky:

Hey, at least they're not flourescent!