I've read everything on the site (and on referenced sites) concerning painting brake calipers. Most of this info concerns the kind of paint or method used to paint. Some people painted them on the car, but it would seem easier, in the long run to clean them well and paint them well if they were off. Since I'm not due for a brake job, my question is, how hard (or easy) is it to take off the tops of the calipers? I can see some screws in them. Is it as easy as removing the screws, or is there more to it than that?

 

I painted mine while they were on the car.

Used soapy water, gasoline, rags and several different stiffness's of wire brushes to clean the calipers first, then masked with tape & newspaper, shot about 6 coats of red, let them dry, then painted the words and "dots" with a little brush & silver metalic paint.

I used hi-temp (like 800 or 900 degree) paint for the red, but normal metalic spray paint for the lettering and it isn't showing any signs of "melting" off in the past few months, even with Hawk HP+ pads and a few very heavy street runs.

Here are pics of the process:
http://flathat.woodstream.net/RX7/Painted_Calipers/

BTW: COVER YOUR ENTIRE CAR & VENTILATE, hi-temp paint likes to "hang in the air" and my car was covered with a red hue the next day because I didn't. It washed off, but scared me pretty good...


Here is another pic of it 2months afterwards, still looks like I just shot them!

http://flathat.woodstream.net/RX7/SSR_Toyo/P3300083.JPG


k

 

Thanks for the advice. Yours came out great!

 

BTW: I looked at removing them and decided against it. I just used lots of tape on the detailed parts and slapped up newspapers everywhere else with bits of tape...

I don't think I had painted anything since I was younger and built model cars, planes, boats, etc...so I was very happy with how they came out!

K

 

It's best to paint the calipers when you're rebuilding them. That way you'll have it all apart, and you can do a bang up job...

I've been lucky that I've had the privelage of having my local shop's brake expert paint mine. I won't mention his name, as he says he won't paint anymore calipers (they're a PITA)