Any experiences with caliper paint? The calipers and brake drums on the cars are looking pretty shoddy behind the alloy wheels. Darn the salt or whatever ice remover they use these days. I'm not looking for flash, just something to dress them up a little bit so they look decent. I'm thinking a neutral gray or matte black.
Caliper paint?
- Thread starter sciphi
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Look at Eastwood. I have been reading but have not done any yet. The best seem to be two part paints and you need to pull all 4 calipers at once to do it.
I used Duplicolor Caliper Painting Kit. It worked great, took 3 or 4 coats. Best to jack up car, take off all 4 tires, and just keep going around car painting and re-painting. It is a ceramic paint and holds up well (over 4 years and still going).
Kit has everything: cleaner, tape, paint, brush.
Pep Boys carried it, about $17 then.
Link below
Kit
Paint looks much shinier on car.
Kit has everything: cleaner, tape, paint, brush.
Pep Boys carried it, about $17 then.
Link below
Kit
Paint looks much shinier on car.
Last edited:
Kestas
Staff member
I just use Rustoleum. It seems to hold up well.
Originally Posted By: Corvette Owner
I used Duplicolor Caliper Painting Kit. It worked great, took 3 or 4 coats. Best to jack up car, take off all 4 tires, and just keep going around car painting and re-painting. It is a ceramic paint and holds up well (over 4 years and still going).
Kit has everything: cleaner, tape, paint, brush.
Pep Boys carried it, about $17 then.
Link below
Kit
Paint looks much shinier on car.
X2,used on my calipers and they still look great
I used Duplicolor Caliper Painting Kit. It worked great, took 3 or 4 coats. Best to jack up car, take off all 4 tires, and just keep going around car painting and re-painting. It is a ceramic paint and holds up well (over 4 years and still going).
Kit has everything: cleaner, tape, paint, brush.
Pep Boys carried it, about $17 then.
Link below
Kit
Paint looks much shinier on car.
X2,used on my calipers and they still look great
Another +1 for the Duplicolor brush on kit for calipers. It comes out looking like a factory applied coating.
For drums, I just spray bomb with some Duplicolor high temp engine enamel, usually in cast iron grey or satin black. IMO, the caliper paint is just too shiny on drums and looks cheesy.
For drums, I just spray bomb with some Duplicolor high temp engine enamel, usually in cast iron grey or satin black. IMO, the caliper paint is just too shiny on drums and looks cheesy.
Does the Duplicolor hold up well over time?
Use this first regardless of the top coat.
Clean the caliper, rotor or bracket first and just shoot it. It dries in a few min, then top coat without sanding the primer.
http://www.duplicolor.com/products/selfEtchingPrimer/
Clean the caliper, rotor or bracket first and just shoot it. It dries in a few min, then top coat without sanding the primer.
http://www.duplicolor.com/products/selfEtchingPrimer/
Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
Another +1 for the Duplicolor brush on kit for calipers. It comes out looking like a factory applied coating.
For drums, I just spray bomb with some Duplicolor high temp engine enamel, usually in cast iron grey or satin black. IMO, the caliper paint is just too shiny on drums and looks cheesy.
Thanks! Satin black sounds about right for the drums.
I'll have to get black for the calipers and rotor hats. Nothing fancy, just more dressy than corrosion.
Another +1 for the Duplicolor brush on kit for calipers. It comes out looking like a factory applied coating.
For drums, I just spray bomb with some Duplicolor high temp engine enamel, usually in cast iron grey or satin black. IMO, the caliper paint is just too shiny on drums and looks cheesy.
Thanks! Satin black sounds about right for the drums.
I'll have to get black for the calipers and rotor hats. Nothing fancy, just more dressy than corrosion.
Walmart has expanded their DoItYourself Automotive Paints section recently.....they now sell Caliper Paints, if I recall in Yellow or Black. And they also sell Silver and black gloss "Performance Wheel Paint" - Performance, meaning, it must make your car run faster
These are all Rustoleum products
These are all Rustoleum products
What about using something like Loctite Extend?
What about BBQ paint? I don't know if it is resistant to oil, but it could take the heat.
Originally Posted By: Kestas
I just use Rustoleum. It seems to hold up well.
Same here. I don't drive a race car and have no delusions while driving my current cars, the calipers don't get hot enough to burn off regular paint. My 10 year old Mazda still has 10 year old Rustoleum on the calipers.
I just use Rustoleum. It seems to hold up well.
Same here. I don't drive a race car and have no delusions while driving my current cars, the calipers don't get hot enough to burn off regular paint. My 10 year old Mazda still has 10 year old Rustoleum on the calipers.
I am a bit of a dork about this, as on all of my vehicles I have removed, cleaned, sanded, and painted the calipers. I always paint them black or dark silver/grey, as it looks dumb to have tiny OEM brakes with bright red paint IMO, but solid black or silverish looks understated and clean.
The main reason I do it is to keep them from coroding or getting covered in baked on brake dust.
Didn't have to worry about it with my BBK though :-D
The main reason I do it is to keep them from coroding or getting covered in baked on brake dust.
Didn't have to worry about it with my BBK though :-D
I use Rustoleum Spray [normal stuff].
Cheap and easy to use. Maybe touch up every year or two.
Heat has not been a problem at all for the finish.
The actual calipers and drums don't get as hot as the pads/shoes.
Cheap and easy to use. Maybe touch up every year or two.
Heat has not been a problem at all for the finish.
The actual calipers and drums don't get as hot as the pads/shoes.
Kestas
Staff member
I painted the calipers of my 71 Cutlass with Rustoleum 30 years ago. They're holding up fine.
I do the same with any brake hardware I buy. I hate installing bare parts made of cast iron, with no protection. Cast iron is one of the worst for corrosion.
I do the same with any brake hardware I buy. I hate installing bare parts made of cast iron, with no protection. Cast iron is one of the worst for corrosion.
I've got about 5 years on the Rustoleum BBQ paint on my rear drums and they are OK, but not great. The last couple of years I've been using the Duplicolor Caliper paint (black) and it seems to be slightly better. It has been on my front calipers for 3 years now and still looks pretty good. It stays a nicer black color.
As for buying rotors already coated, the Raybestos ones I installed in the fall with a black coating is already rusting. The stuff I've painted myself is much better.
As for buying rotors already coated, the Raybestos ones I installed in the fall with a black coating is already rusting. The stuff I've painted myself is much better.
Are people painting the calipers on or off the vehicle?
I like a shiny paint for keeping things clean and better looking.
Normal paint lasts - They really don't get that hot in normal street driving.
Normal paint lasts - They really don't get that hot in normal street driving.
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