How and how to paint the caliper

Many cars with alloy wheels have painted calipers - devices for smooth braking during the movement of the car. Bright shades can be given to them with the help of special paints and varnishes, and the latter will fulfill not only a decorative, but also a protective role.

Content:

• The need for painting parts
• Materials and Tools
• Color selection
• What paint to use
• Do parts need to be removed before painting
• Preparation for painting
• Painting process

The paint for the calipers should be selected with special care, otherwise it will not last long, and the work will have to be redone.

The need for painting parts

Brake caliper painting is especially popular among sports car owners. Such vehicles have alloy wheels through which all parts of the brake system are clearly visible. If you paint them in the tone of the body or in another bright color, this will give the car additional style, enhance the impression of luxury and bring closer to the appearance of racing cars.

There is a functional purpose for painting calipers. These parts have a porous structure, in addition, they are not covered by shells and are in contact with the external environment. As a result, dirt constantly accumulates on the calipers, dust is mixed up, mixed with technical fluids and paving reagents.

Due to the difficulties of cleaning and washing due to inconvenient access, the following consequences arise:

• the cooling time of the parts increases;
• heat transfer in the brake system is deteriorating;
• the metal surface suffers from corrosion.

Painting brake discs and calipers leads to the creation of a durable film on their surface that literally repels dirt and prevents it from penetrating into the pores. In this case, it is not difficult to maintain the cleanliness of the calipers; moreover, the heat transfer in the system is optimized. The coating protects the product from rust, mechanical damage from small stones. Only a special heat-resistant paint is suitable for work, because the usual one will crack and peel off when the calipers are heated in a couple of months.

Materials and Tools

To disassemble the unit and remove the parts, you will need a jack, a screwdriver, a wheel wrench. Also for work you need to prepare:

• paint in sufficient quantities;
• masking tape;
• film, newspapers;
• white spirit or other degreaser;
• fine grain sandpaper;
• a metal brush;
• rags;
• brush or spray;
• gloves
• respirator;
• rust converter.

Color selection

Painting brake drums and calipers can be done in absolutely any tone - the decision is made only by the owner of the machine. The choice of shades of paints and varnishes is huge, there are both classic and the most non-standard paint colors on sale. Some motorists prefer to paint products in inconspicuous, practical colors - black, gray, brown, dark blue. Others choose bright colors - red, green, lime, yellow, orange.

When choosing paint for calipers, it is worth considering the main color of the car, canopies, wheels. If you make the details green with a red body, it will look ugly, pretentious. It is better to consider a monochrome gamut or find a successful contrast combination:

• black body - white or red calipers;
• dark blue body - terracotta, light blue;
• green body - yellow, etc.

Juicy, acidic shades with the addition of fluorescent pigments - fuchsia, lime, ultramarine and others are now in fashion. You need to apply them carefully and only taking into account the general concept of the car.

What paint to use

The choice of means by composition and type also needs to be done carefully, taking into account the particulars of operation of the calipers. Ordinary paint is not suitable for them, because it is not able to withstand temperature extremes and the aggressive influence of external factors. Using powder will also be a mistake: this material does not tolerate high-temperature effects and exhibits strength only under standard operating conditions. Only applying 3-4 layers of such paint will allow you to create a more durable coating on the calipers, which is quite expensive and impractical.

To give the parts an attractive appearance and protect them from the adverse effects of temperatures, you need to use a specialized heat-resistant paint. It has the following advantages:

• ease of application, high quality and evenness of the layer without streaks;
• wide palette of matte and glossy shades;
• excellent protective properties against corrosion, mechanical damage, the influence of reagents and other chemicals;
• decrease in thermal conductivity;
• increase the service life of calipers.

The composition of paints includes acrylic resins, organic solvents, plasticizers and other targeted additives. The most resistant to high temperatures paints and varnishes additionally include silicone components, silicates. Paints are available in banks, bottles and in aerosols. The latter are the most convenient form that allows staining car parts even to beginner painters.

The disadvantages of aerosols include the high cost and high consumption of material, so you have to buy it with a margin. Also, when coating calipers from spray cans, it is necessary to more carefully close the surrounding parts, otherwise spray will fall on them.

Also on sale are kits for painting calipers, including paint and all the necessary tools for work. Heat-resistant acrylic coatings allow protecting the surface of brake parts for a period of 5 years or more without the need for re-painting.

The best brands of paints that are well suited for calipers are:

1. Foliatec. Premium heat-resistant paint, presented in different shades - glossy, matte, with a metallic effect. The material is very strong, chemically stable, wear-resistant, allows you to get a durable coating. Available in aerosols and banks.
2. Motip. More budget version of the paintwork material for calipers. It is made only in cans. It withstands heating of the coating up to +650 degrees, has good hiding power, high adhesion to the surface, and has powerful dirt-repellent properties.

Do parts need to be removed before painting

There are two ways to paint calipers - with and without dismantling. The first method has a number of undoubted advantages, so professionals use only it. Here are the benefits of removing calipers:

• more convenient work;
• uniform staining of parts from the outside and inside;
• no risk to spray paint on discs, wings.

If you do not remove the calipers, the applied layer will not be even; moreover, the part will remain unpainted from the sides, bottom and back. Poor coating is not able to give products protection at the proper level.

Disassembling the calipers also has drawbacks - the work will be more time-consuming, complicated, more tools will be required, and after the parts are returned to their original place, the system will need to be pumped.

Preparation for painting

Before painting the calipers, you need to check their technical condition - you may need to repair or replace parts first. A jack is used for removal, substituting it in order to fix the machine in a raised state. They unscrew the wheels, carefully inspect all the nodes, then remove the parts.

Each caliper rests on two bolts: if they are poorly unscrewed, you will first have to fill the joint with WD-40 liquid or tap it well. For painting calipers only on the outside, only rims can be removed.

Preparation of parts for staining is performed as follows:

• remove all traces of corrosion using a metal brush, emery cloth, rust converter;
• if the rusting of the metal has reached a high degree, it is cleaned using sandblasting or a drill with a special nozzle;
• rubber parts are cleaned from dirt, dust;
• the pistons are cleaned with sandpaper with the smallest grain, acting extremely carefully and not reaching them completely (otherwise the brake fluid may leak out);
• wipe the calipers with a degreaser;
• insulate with masking tape, film, newspapers all moving elements that cannot be painted (otherwise the paint will work as a lubricant after heating and will interfere with braking);
• paste conductive hoses and other unpainted parts with masking tape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0wUGGhgVyo

Painting process

Calipers are machined in a well-ventilated area with bright lighting. First you need to do wet cleaning so that there is no dust on the walls and floor. A container of paint is opened immediately before work, introducing a hardener into it (if necessary) or simply mixing well. Shake the can thoroughly.

Paint and varnish material is applied in 2-3 layers with breaks of 30 minutes. It is necessary to carry out the work gently, smoothly, so that no drips form. It is more convenient to do this from a spray can, or use a spray gun from a distance of 25-30 cm. The second layer must be applied at an angle of 90 degrees to the previous one - so the likelihood of stains will be minimal.

The drying time of the material is usually short, and the machine can be operated after 24 hours. First you need to install the parts in the right place, checking the degree of drying of the surfaces manually.

By painting the calipers, you can easily give the car an original and stylish look. Also, the use of paint will help maintain the integrity of the parts and seriously extend their service life.