Clean the loads of crap on calipers

[Sap Z]

So i'm going to paint my calipers this weekend.

But i was just wondering if someone could tell me what i need to do to take the loads of crsp off the calipers to paint them. I'm search and previeous posts said spray with water, sand them, use a brush etc.

Also when do I know the the caliper is now claen enough to paint? should it totally be free of any residue and the metal all shiney?

[cklinh]

I used a spray-on brake cleaner (Brakleen)... I doubt you'll get it to be shiny, but do as much and as thoroughly as you can... I missed a few spots, and the paint didn't adhere to it.

[SleeperSolara]

Yeah the only way to clean brake dust and the gunk, is the brake cleaner, and a use a brush and scrub away at it.
If you don't clean it well then the pain won't stick to the caliper well.
And be sure to put on 2-4 coats, cause i only put on about 3 coats and some places are faded or chipped off.
Good luck man.

[xavier]

You can also use oven cleaner. That works wonders on everything although dont get it on the rubber line or the piston seal..

[Solorange]

I bought a brake caliper painting kit made my duplicolor and it came with a caliper cleaner. It only costs like $17 bucks and it came with everything you need. And you paint it on with a brush so you dont have to worry about overspray from spray paint and you dont have to remove the calipers and worry about bleeding the brakes later on. http://www.duplicolor.com/products/caliper.html

[krook]

I bought a brake caliper painting kit made my duplicolor and it came with a caliper cleaner. It only costs like $17 bucks and it came with everything you need. And you paint it on with a brush so you dont have to worry about overspray from spray paint and you dont have to remove the calipers and worry about bleeding the brakes later on. http://www.duplicolor.com/products/caliper.html

you can buy this product at Walmart, and it usually only comes in a Red Paint Caliper kit.

for other colors, check the web. i found some kits on various automotive sites with different colors. Most of the kits were made by Duplicolor as well.

[Solorange]

I got mine at Meijer which had every color. I used black. But Meijer I think is located in the ohio michigan indania area. But any of those superstores should have them.

[Sap Z]

hey solorange u got pics? i wanna c how neat it came out. cuz i saw the kit at pepboys for 15-$5 rebate = $10

does the paint have a shiney finish?

[Solorange]

If these are too small to see pm your email and I will send you bigger versions so you can see them better. I dont have a host site that will allow bigger pictures.

[hskrsolara]

i painted mine black last summer, but it is too bland for me so I'm repainting them silver. The black is nice though cause it really hides the brake dust.

[gnaw_divad]

Hi, thought i'd toss in my 2 cents.

Painting the calipers wasnt so bad but cleaning them.... was a royal pain. After cans and cans of break cleaner and dozens of rubber gloves i thought the breaks were as clean as can be.

Of course when you paint them, the littlest bit of grease will make the paint not stick. (seems like a few other members had this problem as well)

If you have the oppertunity i would recommend powdercoating them. I had the centers of my rotors powdercoated, cause they kept getting rusty for less than like 80 dollars. And i do believe they will sandblast, etc etc.. so you dont have to do so much work cleaning them.. I could be wrong about this but if i had the choice again, i would have rather powdercoat them instead of painting them.

[Sap Z]

^^^ hskrsolara - y not red?!?!