Painting Brake Callipers

While they're off I'm thinking it might be nice to clean them up and paint them.

Anyone suggest a paint worth using?

Is it worth it?

Red or yellow paint looks daft.

unless it's a Lamborghini or Ferrari don't paint them

I cant believe you own a defender and there arent more important things to do to it than paint the callipers!
Thats the kind of thing people do who own normal cars that dont go wrong all the time ala defender

High temp caliper paint is a must

Mine are painted gold by the p.o.

If you do a proper refurb job, paint em.
After chipping off the crud, bead blasting and then chemical treatment, the castings look terrible and are prone to further corrosion.

Racing colours are a tad too far, but the dull red hammerite looks good behind the alloys IMHO.

Mine is a gold colour from new and dunt need painting!

Did mine on my car a month or so ago, orange calipers on a grey car looks ok. I was trying to lose the exec car look on my mazda 6!

I got my paint off ebay.

found some red caliper paint out from my boy racing days still debating if i'm going to use it

davebaird said:

found some red caliper paint out from my boy racing days still debating if i'm going to use it

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TBH I will probably paint my defender ones when I change the brakes next. No idea what colour though. I guess the only thing that goes with red is red. Or black, but that is a waste of time.

Paint them mate, Even if you just do them black it's got to look better than rust.
Rustoleum you already have should be up to the job.

Hammerite direct to rust is is actually a high temp paint, and direct to rust is cheaper than "caliper paint" - a lot of people use this.

Most commerical paint will actually withstand the temperatures of calipers, 2K for example can be used to paint engines and brakes.

I'm not massively into painting calipers BUT, I must admit it does offer them some protection and if maintained will stop surface rust. Maybe I will paint mine black at some point.

aaronmorris said:

Paint them mate, Even if you just do them black it's got to look better than rust.
Rustoleum you already have should be up to the job.

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the standard 3 in 1 stuff ?
and do you need to undercoat them first ?

greyhair said:

the standard 3 in 1 stuff ?
and do you need to undercoat them first ?

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Yeah, Should be fine, I've painted my engine with it. No undercoat as you say it's 3 in 1
But I painted my callipers in 2k.

I always use stove paint. Flat black. If you look in the freelander forum and what have you done to yours today, I put a picture of my rear drums up yesterday. Give you an idea.
Mike

Arc - what chemical treatment do you refer to? I was just thinking of rubbing mine down with wire brush, cleaning with panel wipe until they looked clean enough for paint to stick well.

I did the front calipers with jenolite....
But have since moved on to bilt hamber deox-c for submersible parts and then their hydrate 80 for an undercoaty type protection.

Google their stuff - very popular and a lot of very positive feedback amongst the forums.




Gotta say though, I put a wire brush on an angle grinder and although it did well, there was a still a lot of surface rust left which needed blasting to get good. Chemicals then did the final step.

Al203 said:

Arc - what chemical treatment do you refer to? I was just thinking of rubbing mine down with wire brush, cleaning with panel wipe until they looked clean enough for paint to stick well.

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I didn't even do that on my car last time and it lasted for at least 2 years. Wire brush to get the worst of it off, then wash with water and wait for it to dry.

Arc,
That looks interesting. I've been googling as you suggested.
What's going on in your pictures?
Pic 1 wire bushed or blasted
Pic 2 part painted with deox
Pic 3 painted with hydrate 80

Presumably you know it is heat resistant?