Cleaning up rusty brake calipers?

[dcgt05]

I'm sure this is an easy thing, I've just never done it. The brake calipers on my 05 Legacy are a bit crudded up and I'd like to give 'em a shine. What's the best way to do this assuming I can do it myself without any special tools - or how much can I do by myself without any special tools?

 

Am I limited to just jacking up each end, pulling the wheels, and cleaning them still attached or does it make sense to, and can I, actually pull the calipers to do a better job on them and get all the crud cleaned? Not trying to put together a show car, just want it clean and looking nice.

 

Best way to clean them and hopefully treat so they don't go right back to getting rusty in a month?

[JermTheElf]

Brake cleaner

[BarManBean]

wire brush, sand paper, brake cleaner, and a coat of caliper paint.

[Max Capacity]

Do you want to learn how to do maintenance on your car ? we can help with that.

 

I tend to plan a saturday, break torque on the lug nuts, jack the car on four jackstands, pull the wheels and use a good wheel cleaner on them. Wash the back side too.

 

Well spray the caliper bolts with PB Blaster first, then wash the wheels while the PB does its job.

 

Remove the 14mm bolts that hold the calipers together and remove them. I take the pads out and remove the brackets, take the spring clips out.

 

Wire brush the calipers and brackets then paint them.

 

I get some green caliper grease and put some on the slider pins and a small dabe on the pads where they slide on the spring clips.

 

Apply anti-seize compound on all the threads and the lug studs.

When the paint dry's, reassemble.

 

Yea, its just that easy.

 

What do you have for tools ?

[FknBoss]

Wire brush. I prefer to try brass bristle first if that's too soft try stainless bristle usually brash works good

[Max Capacity]

Or a wire brush attachment in a drill.

[dcgt05]

Thanks for all the replies! As far as tools are concerned, I have a collection of what I'd guess are standard tools: wrenches, ratchet and sockets, screwdrivers, etc. Not much in the way of specialty tools - do I need any?

 

As far as removing the calipers are concerned is it pretty easy to disassemble and reassemble or am I going to have a fight getting them back on or need any special tools for that process?

 

Roughly how much time should I set aside for doing this?

[Max Capacity]

Sunday a spent 4.5 hours repainting all four.

 

The front caliper mount bolts are 17mm.

 

The slider pin bolts are 14mm. I replaced both lower front slider pins because the old one were crappy and rusty. I have been planning to do that for a long time, never got around to it.

 

After I removed the two 14mm slider pin bolts, you may need a 17mm open end to hold the pin, I set the caliper up on top of the rotor and lower part of the shock. I then uesd a 17mm short socket and 3" extension to break the two bracket mount bolts from the spindle. Hint, the top bolt can't come all the way out with the socket on it.

 

Then worked on getting the lower pin out. After driving it out, I cleaned up the bore with a little PB Blaster and small wire bore brush, dried it with a rag and used a small screwdriver to push the rag in the bore, twist the rag and pull it out. Grease upthe new pin and put some grease in the hole pushed the new pin a few times then put the new boot on the pin and put it together and made sure the rubber sealed at both ends.

 

The dealer has new pins.

 

Then pulled the top slide pin, greased it and put it back in.

 

I used a wire bursh wheel on my right angle air tool to get all the old paint off, this in far fromt he first time I've painted these. They needed a good cleaning off of the old paint. Hint wear safety glasses.

 

The rears, you need a 6" extension to get the 14mm socket on the bracket mount bolts throught the LCA.

 

I masked off the rotors after wire burshing them before using 900F black paint.

 

Oh, to remove the rotors you need two 8mmX1.25 boltsm PB Blaster and anti-sieze compound, spray the two threaded holes in the center of the rotor, aply anti-seize to the 8mm bolts, work the bolts in the threads in/out a few times, then screw the bolts in and the rotor should back off the hub. Hint, spray the rotor/hub joint with PB Blaster.

 

 

All bolts and lug nuts get anti-seize compound before going back together.

 

Oh, hint, to work on the left front brakes, turn the steering wheel to the right all the way.

 

I was looking for this thread after I finished but couldn't find it. I posted after pictures in the what did you do to your 4th gen forum yesterday.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x40/92Si/DSCN6446_zps9c5d6af9.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x40/92Si/DSCN6447_zps33751d30.jpg

 

The auto parts store has a nice size bottle of green grease in a white plastic bottle, and gray anti-sieze in a gray bottle. They should last you a life time, well the grease anyways. I'm on my 3rd bottle of anti-sieze in about 14 years.

 

Now I need to find time to do this to my Spec B. Just have to many other projects going on right now, hint Generac standby generator.

[Max Capacity]

I see your from CA. Notice how nice the center of your wheels are around the center cap. Now look at mine. That's the corrosion from the crap they put on the roads in winter. DO you know what that is ? Winter, I mean.

[Mike07LGT]

And then after all that work you have dust from the pads all over your wheels after a week of driving... that is if you drive the car daily... have fun with all that lol

[Max Capacity]

I did, thanks.

 

I also know that my brakes are in great working order and get the enjoyment of seeing how nice a clean they look when walking up to the car in a parking lot or looking at it in the driveway.

 

 

Remember everyone is different. I happen to enjoy doing somethings on the car.

[PearlBlueGT]

Caliper paint and then clear coat.

[dcgt05]

Do I have to worry about squeezing off the brake lines to remove the calipers and then bleeding the system or can a full cleaning and painting be done without hassling with that part?