Painting Calipers

[///BHRpowered]

I'v been using some red caliper paint I got at a performance store, it works pretty well but about every 7 months or so it fades and I have to re-paint them. Any ideas on a better brand and perhaps a diffrent way to phyical paint them??

[shragon]

i'm thinking of doing mine black and giving this stuff a try: http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/g2/caliper_paint.jsp

[dan330]

Man that is expensive stuff for just paint.

How do you clean calipers before painting?

[shragon]

one of my friends masked off everything and used hi-temp engine spray paint (under $10). turned out decent too, but looks like a lot would need to be masked off. i guess i'll have to have a closer look.

[v.b.]

Originally posted by shragon
one of my friends masked off everything and used hi-temp engine spray paint (under $10). turned out decent too, but looks like a lot would need to be masked off. i guess i'll have to have a closer look.

I did that once before, it was messy and my discs are bloody...
I used heavy duty kitchen cleaner to clean the calipers, looks
okay, but take quite a bit of time.

[1995red318i]

get folia tech caliper paint or G2.
thick and glossy and comes with application kit. one of the best out there.

you may say its a little expensive, but consider this: people that have use the above, paint once and it will always remain glossy and thick under all conditions.
you spend a little less, but your doesn't look as glossy or full, plus you have to continually keep repainting.

do it right the first time and you won't regret it.

[shragon]

i did some reading through the achieves. i'm gonna go the hi-temp spray paint and brake cleaner route, and mask off things with plastic bags and newspaper. i'll be doing black.

[dan330]

Did you find a DIY? Where?

:)

[v.b.]

Originally posted by shragon
i did some reading through the achieves. i'm gonna go the hi-temp spray paint and brake cleaner route, and mask off things with plastic bags and newspaper. i'll be doing black.

rob, don't do this, ....the newspaper and shit will take 2x time
I did the same thing, ended up the next morning I only had one
side done...:laugh

also, paint drips everywhere....best if spray it on a metal piece
and use a brush to paint the calipers....JMO...

[outkastaliens]

powercoat them is the other option

[shragon]

Originally posted by dan330
Did you find a DIY? Where?

:)

this was listed on a few theads:

http://www.twinturbo.net/ttnettech/caliperpainting/caliperpainting.html

i'm gonna try to get vht brand paint instead. also to clean, use brake cleaner and a wire brush.

[jblack]

How clean do the calipers need to be.....I know they are silver from the factory - you can get there, but you need scrub the crap out of them, and then it's not perfect. If you just spray them down with brake cleaner, they will be a "sorta" clean black. Is that good enough?

[dan330]

Shragon,

Thanks buddy.

[vapor]

You need to get all of the oil and gunk off the calipers before you paint.

A wire brush on the end of a power drill will do wonders to prep the parts.

vapor

[G. P. Burdell]

Originally posted by outkastaliens
powercoat them is the other option

Ron Stygar likes this powdercoating shop:

http://www.airborncoatings.com

[SoonerE39]

Red looks better but it will show your brake dust really easy so you better have good access to clean them through your wheels. Otherwise, stick with black.

[specialk]

i painted mines with 1500 degree paint and it started fading and chiping after 5/6 months. i used primer, 3 coats of paint and then clear coat and it still faded. if i had to do it again, i would leave it alone or use the more expensive stuff that the other members are talking about. cause right nows, it looks like crap and i dont really have the time to repaint it every 5/6 months.

kal

[Kyle K.]

I figured I'd bring this one back. How much does powdercoating 4 calipers cost? Is the powdercoating glossy? You've got to take the calipers to the powdercoating shop to have it done right?

I'll probably go for the G2 from tirerack, but having somebody else powdercoat it would be a lot easier :dunno

And why are people on ebay selling the G2 paint for MORE than you can buy it on tirerack? Maybe a better question, why are people buying it? :confused:

[G. P. Burdell]

Originally posted by Kyle K.
I figured I'd bring this one back. How much does powdercoating 4 calipers cost? Is the powdercoating glossy? You've got to take the calipers to the powdercoating shop to have it done right?

Yes, you have to have the calipers powdercoated at a shop. In my research I've found that the typical rate for four calipers is about $225-ish. You have to disassemble the calipers to have them powdercoated, which means you have to add the cost of parts and labor to rebuild them when you get them back.

You have to make sure the calipers are completely clean. Some powdercoating shops will degrease and media blast them for you to get all the crud off - it varies by shop. Also, be sure the shop knows to mask off the caliper bore, brake hose threads, bleeder valve, etc., before powdercoating.

I'm planning to have my new calipers powdercoated black sometime soon.

[v.b.]

I found out in some local auto part shop, they carry some caliper
paints. It came out pretty good, it's glossy and thick, but you
have to paint two layers. You will realize the paint fades after
1/2 year, becoz the brake dust cover hell of it, but if you brush it,
the paint chip.

The other way you can do is remove the caliper and take them
to powder coat to red. It costs around $40-60...and take them
around 2-3 days to finish. This way you will not have to worry
about paint chip or fading.

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=786787

[m_specs]

i was thinkin of doin the high temp engine paint as well... i dont understand how it'll fade though.. and chipping as well.. considering nothing's gonna touch it.. im still gonna go ahead with it and lay on 2-3 coats..

for the cleaning: would soaking and scrubbing w/ dish washer soap clear the grease? this sounds like a bitch of a job.. damnit.

[v.b.]

those caliper cleaners are useless, I spend like $10 to buy one
can of cleaner, it doesn't do jack to clean.

what you can do is to take your mom's heavy duty stainless steel
cleaner spray, those can remove BBQ grill grease etc. It works
after 3 spray

[///BHRpowered]

I have pretty open rims (18" 5 spoke) so I usually just spray some paint into like alittle vial and then phyical take a brush and paint it. for cleaning I'll hose off hard, then scurb, then take some brake dust/gunk remover, heavily spray the calipers then scurb some more, dry then paint. I don't know the brand cause its not in english, but it was like 20 dollars. fresh after painting it looks glossy and bright though.