Painting calipers

[Huffer]

I've painted calipers, I just used paint designed for hi-temp applications, and painted them overnight, but didn't drive the car the next day to let the paint cure.... But it's not a ricey mod at all - the paint maintains a cleaner appearance for the car, prevents some exterior corrosion of the factory brakes.

[SuBart]

I'd have to agree that by doing a color like black or silver would help maintain a cleaner appearance for the car. But doing it something like red would take away from the luxury look. Just go with the Brembos :twisted:

[Drift Monkey]

[quote name='jedimaster']I used G2 to do the caliprs on my WRX. It looked very rice.[/quote] I agree. :P

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

[quote name='Drift Monkey'][quote name='jedimaster']I used G2 to do the caliprs on my WRX. It looked very rice.[/quote] I agree. :P[/quote] ??? When did you see them???

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

Oh crap- didn't notice the misquote :lol:

[Drift Monkey]

[quote name='jedimaster']Oh crap- didn't notice the misquote :lol:[/quote] pwnd. :lol:

[Deer Killer]

... so what happens when one of them breaks under warranty?

[Drift Monkey]

[quote name='Deer Killer']... so what happens when one of them breaks under warranty?[/quote] DENIED! :lol:

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

You mean when a caliper breaks? I don't know- it's just some paint, but knowing Subaru's rep, they'd probably say something about the paint seeping in and destroying the caliper or something.

[Drift Monkey]

[quote name='jedimaster']You mean when a caliper breaks? I don't know- it's just some paint, but knowing Subaru's rep, they'd probably say something about the paint seeping in and destroying the caliper or something.[/quote] I could see SoA pulling a stunt like that..,

[ppt]

I've had my 05 OB XT LTD 5MT for about a week now and simply love it. It truly is an amazing vehicle and a vast improvement over my 2000 OB. I would like to paint my calipers simply so they do not get that awful rust look, especially considering that the caliper assembly is clearly visible with the new OB wheels. I live in snowbelt I have 4 months of road salt attacking the metal surfaces. I bought a kit that comes with black paint, brake cleaner and the brush. Question 1. Can I spray the brake cleaner over the entire caliper assembly while it still mounted? Question 2. Will doing the above remove the antisqueal compound that is clearly visible on the back of the pads/guides, or damage any of the seals? If so, is there any method of cleaning/preping without removing the assembly and pads? Question 3. Can I use the same caliper paint to paint the edge of my rotors as well as the hub of my rotors (obviously not painting the surface where the pad makes contact)? I guess the question relates to whether the calipers get as hot as the rotors do. Thanks a ton for any advice.

[TLS]

I'd clean real good with a hose, then carefully apply the brake kleen. I doubt the rotor edges will hold the paint for very long. The rotor takes ALL the heat compared to the caliper. What is the stock greenish coating? Will it prevent corrosion? I've never had a car where you can clean the inside of the wheel while washing the car! These brakes are VISIBLE! More so than most any car.

[VXCL]

[quote name='KayGT']I was looking at wheelskin.com at their "G2 brake caliper paint system set" anyone have expierience with that?[/QUOTE] Its an awesome system and easy to do. Dries into a tough coating. I am definitely going to paint my calipers when i get a legacy with the g2 system. black of course. ill upload pics later.

[SWortham]

I also used the G2 kit: [img]http://www.gldomain.com/elantra/TibBrakesInstall/PaintedCalipers20004_zoom_564px.JPG[/img] The paint goes on very thick and you get a nice glossy finish. But you have to almost rush to finish before your paint dries up. The thing is, they only give you enough paint to cover 4 calipers. And as soon as you mix in their special PaintSystem Reactor, you have a limited time to make 2 coats on all 4 calipers before the paint hardens in the can. You may actually be better off using a separate mixing container and mixing 2 batches of the paint with the Reactor (one for each coat). But anyway, if you do complete 2 coats the results are nice and the finish is durable. The one thing I'd suggest over this would be powdercoating. The problem is that you'd have to disassemble the calipers and take them to a powdercoating shop, so you could be without your car for a couple days. The results are even better though and it'll be the most durable, long-lasting finish. My friend did this to his Eclipse.

[SWortham]

[quote name='ppt']Question 1. Can I spray the brake cleaner over the entire caliper assembly while it still mounted?[/QUOTE] Yes. But be careful where you spray... because the brake cleaner can damage your clearcoat. [quote name='ppt']Question 2. Will doing the above remove the antisqueal compound that is clearly visible on the back of the pads/guides, or damage any of the seals? If so, is there any method of cleaning/preping without removing the assembly and pads?[/QUOTE] I'm not sure if it will remove the anti-squeal, but I'm pretty sure it will not damage the seals. You may also need to use a wire brush to clean the calipers thoroughly. But if you really want to do a thorough job, then you might as well remove them completely so you can cover the back side of the calipers. [quote name='ppt']Question 3. Can I use the same caliper paint to paint the edge of my rotors as well as the hub of my rotors (obviously not painting the surface where the pad makes contact)? I guess the question relates to whether the calipers get as hot as the rotors do.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't do it to the outside edge of the rotors. I've seen it done before and it doesn't look too clean and my guess is that it would peel over time. You'd be fine with painting the hats of the rotors though (if you have enough paint with the kit). Here's an example: Fresh paint: [img]http://www.nitrousworld.com/pictures/showstopper.JPG[/img] After some driving: [img]http://www.nitrousworld.com/pictures/calip2.jpg[/img]