People love their cars. And why shouldn’t they? You can tell a lot about a person by how well they take care of their vehicles. Most people who own at least one car use it as their main mode of transportation, and they like it looking its best. Washing the car regularly, having a stellar paint job, nice rims, you get the picture. Even your brake calipers can have their own paint job to really make those wheels pop, adding to the special aesthetic qualities of your car.
How to paint brake calipers the right way. It is important to paint the calipers the proper way by cleaning them thoroughly, taping/covering the surrounding unpainted areas, choosing the proper paint to apply, and waiting 24 hours before driving the vehicle due to heat caused by braking.
Painted calipers can add a nice touch to vehicles that have a certain color scheme or aesthetic. Painting them the correct way is imperative, though, due to the fact that improper application of paint can lead to braking issues. If any paint gets on areas around the braking system where it shouldn’t be, it can affect the friction levels that are necessary when slowing a vehicle to a stop.
How to Properly Prepare and Paint the Calipers
When preparing your brake calipers to be painted, there are some specific steps that should be taken to ensure that only the areas having paint applied end up with paint. One imperative point to make is avoiding getting any paint on the brake pads. Brake pads can become contaminated if they end up with paint on them. Once paint ends up on the padding material, it can affect the necessary friction caused by braking and lead the pads to becoming less effective.
Let’s take a look at the steps a vehicle owner should take to ensure that the new paint job ends up on the calipers only:
- Remove the wheels: This may seem like a no-brainer, but people may attempt to think up clever ways to get around having to remove the wheels in an effort to paint the calipers. Save yourself the headache, take the wheels off.
- Remove the calipers and brake pads: In order to protect the brake pads when painting the calipers, it is best to remove the calipers from the wheels and then take out the brake pads. It’s too risky to leave the pads in place when painting the calipers, so take them out and put them someplace safe until after the job is done.
- Clean the calipers: Don’t skip this step. It’s important to thoroughly clean those calipers before painting them. The reason behind this is any buildup or particles left behind to get trapped under the paint will cause the paint to flake and peel sooner than later. Use a stiff, wire brush and a proper cleaning solution to perform this step.
- Mask the areas around the calipers: Use tape and newspaper to complete this step. Cover any of the areas that are around the caliper to protect from the paint. It is way easier to take the time to properly cover these areas before painting than to try and get the job done without masking.
- Pick the right paint: Without choosing the proper paint to apply, you can end up with calipers that don’t look so great in the end due to peeling paint. There are special paints specifically for brake calipers that exist in the marketplace. Calipers experience a high level of heat being a part of the braking system, so manufacturers have come up with special formulas for paint that can withstand the higher temperatures.
- Paint the calipers the right way: The best instruction for proper painting is to do one side of each caliper at a time. It takes about a half hour (roughly) for the paint to dry, then apply a second coat. After another 30 minutes of dry time, apply two coats of paint to the other side. Make sure to apply the paint evenly to avoid drips and make sure the paint is completely dry before replacing the calipers.
- Finishing the job: Once all of your calipers have been properly painted and have had time to dry, it’s time to wrap up the job. Slide those brake pads back into place and carefully replace the calipers. Something to keep in mind after getting the assemblies back together with the wheels in place is to wait 24 hours before driving the car. This will give the paint ample time to cure before taking the vehicle out for a spin and subjecting the new paint to high heat.
With these steps in place, a new caliper paint job can be accomplished yourself, and it will look fantastic in the end. The proper time and attention will allow for a finished product that will also last. The right procedure will keep those calipers looking nice for 3-5 months.
How Long Will my Caliper Paint Job Last?
Over time, the paint will tend to chip and peel even with the proper paint application. But where cheaper paints will last no time at all, you can at least get a good handful of months before having to perform the paint application again. Dependent on whether the vehicle owner wants to continue to paint the calipers is a personal choice, but many car owners will prepare to paint the calipers multiple times during the life of the vehicle.
Once a car owner gets the hang of painting the calipers, it can be a breeze done in no time at all. The first time can tend to be a little tedious due to the specific steps that need to be taken. But after going through the process a time or two, most people will become familiar with the process and be able to complete the work more efficiently.
At the end of the day, the situation will boil down to whether the vehicle owner truly loves the look of their painted calipers and wants to keep that specific look for their vehicle.
A Different Option for your Calipers
Tons of car owners love the look of painted or colored calipers. It’s totally understandable, especially with the right color scheme. And there is an option outside of having to paint them that gives a similar effect to any vehicle.
Caliper Covers have become more popular as the automotive industry has evolved. In an effort to provide the same effect as painting your calipers without the repetitive applications over time, manufacturers created special covers of varying colors for calipers.
Companies such as MGP Caliper Covers have taken the time to research and develop specific caliper covers for every car. Without the proper fitting, one caliper cover for a specific vehicle would not fit on a different vehicle. Caliper sizes between vehicle models are different, so special covers for every kind of vehicle are necessary for the proper fit.
Caliper covers also have the unique benefit of added protection for the vehicle’s calipers, since they come as an item made completely of aluminum with no plastic. The covers are installed directly over the calipers themselves, so they serve to protect the calipers from the elements.
A Little History on the Subject
It wasn’t until the 1990’s that someone came up with the idea to paint brake calipers for an added touch. Until then, even the high-performance vehicles of the world sported either black or silver brake calipers.
One theory in relation to the trend beginning is that the Ferrari 355 with its powder red-coated calipers sparked the idea for other car owners to paint their own calipers to provide that look. In the early stages, high-temperature engine paint was used to paint the calipers on cars. So, the paint industry saw the idea coming to life and ran with it. Soon after a special paint made specifically for calipers was released and is still available today.
Even after the Ferrari 355 seemingly began the new trend, other auto makers followed suit. The 1995 Trans Am GT had versions that included red brake calipers as well. And even today, if you spot a Porsche with yellow brake calipers, that typically means the owner dropped around $7,000 or more for the carbon-ceramic brake package. The package has many other benefits outside of the colored calipers, but it is easy to spot one of these vehicles due to the caliper color.
Sparking the new trend had caused many vehicle owners to take it upon themselves to paint their brake calipers. Some jobs look better than others, but with a trend will come many people looking to follow along in an effort to give their vehicle a nicer look.
Enhancing the Durability
Once you have your new paint applied to your calipers, there is one additional step that can be taken to help enhance the durability of the paint you just applied. As we’ve mentioned, it’s important to give your calipers ample dry time before replacing the calipers. Most people will be excited to replace the calipers and have the vehicle put back together for its completed look. But resistance is key.
Replacing the calipers too early can result in the integrity of the paint job becoming compromised. This will ultimately lead to the paint flaking and chipping earlier than expected, which just ends up costing more time in the end by repainting the calipers.
So, to enhance the durability of your new paint job, use a final clear-coat application. Along with the special paint that has been formulated for brake calipers, special clear-coat products have also been formulated as well. Applying one of these products seals in the new paint, protects it from chipping earlier than expected, and also gives the calipers an additional glossiness.
The added final touch of giving those calipers a nice shine is one that a lot of vehicle owners don’t skip. Yes, you can reinstall your calipers with just the paint and no final top coat. But without this final step, the calipers won’t have that added shine that will be visible behind those wheels.
Car owners who have experience with applying clear coats to their calipers have advised of a good response. A car can make it through a rough Chicago winter without the paint peeling from the calipers if a final coat is applied. It is worth it to take the extra time and spend a little extra money to perform this added step because, in the long run, it will keep the repetitive paint jobs from continuously happening by protecting your paint job.
Special Brake Caliper Painting Kits
Painting brake calipers has become so popular over the years that some companies have formulated special kits to buy that include everything you will need to complete the job. With these special kits, you will typically have a system that will last longer than buying just the caliper paint to use.
A caliper painting kit will provide special cleaner so you can perform the proper cleaning before you begin. You will usually have to provide your own wire brush to handle the job, but a great wire brush is typically going to be a drop in the bucket. You can easily find one for around $5 that will work perfectly with the cleaner that is included in your kit.
You are also going to receive special caliper paint and a high-gloss finish coat. But some formulas have actually been created to combine the two, eliminating the final step of adding a clear coat. By combining the two, it creates the added durability of applying the final coat separate while only having to apply the proper coats of paint.
Some kits can also include different paint applications. Meaning that caliper paint can be applied in the traditional way with a sufficient brush if the kit does not include a spray-on application. Some kits will also provide spray paint, should you choose that route. It is all up to the consumer.
If you enjoy traditional painting with a brush and appreciate the added benefit of not having to worry about spray paint getting in places it shouldn’t be, then brush-on paint is right for you. But if you are great at masking areas with your tape and newspaper to protect from the spray, then a spray application is right for you. It is all personal preference. And in the end, you will end up with a similar finished product.
Some paint systems will also include what is called a paint reactor. What this formula does is create yet another way to enhance the durability of the paint. So much so that if it isn’t use within a specific window after being added to your paint, the paint will harden and become unusable.
The kits that include this solution are going to be your brush-on paint applications, but it is a great addition to any caliper painting kit because it causes the paint to harden way faster, and it will stay that way for longer than a traditional paint job. As long as you apply your paint within 4-6 hours of adding the paint reactor to your paint, you will have plenty of time to complete the job. Just make sure the work is done before time’s up or you will end up with a can of completely hardened, unusable paint.
Final Thoughts
Loving your car is completely normal and acceptable. Wanting your vehicle to look its best is a desire within most vehicle owners. Painting your calipers also gives you a creative edge to give your car a uniqueness, not every vehicle has. A proper color scheme with calipers that are eye-catching with color is a great way to pump up your vehicle’s aesthetics.
There are important steps to take, which are imperative for proper application. We covered the proper steps to get the job done and have a lasting caliper paint job. Nothing could be more frustrating than having to continuously paint your brake calipers over and over to keep them looking nice. But with the proper time and attention, your paint job will last.
There are some great caliper paints that are available to you along with the special kits we have also mentioned. It is all up to the consumer to decide which is right for them, so long as they are getting the final look they desire for their calipers. With all the options that have been made available, any vehicle owner with the desire to give those calipers an extra touch of color will find the right product for them.
And we also mentioned the option of caliper covers, as well, which can be an alternate option to painting the calipers. Hopefully, enough information has been provided to help make an educated decision when it comes to your car’s special look.
But most importantly, the steps to do the paint job right
are going to help in completing the job properly, so you don’t have to worry
about the paint falling apart right from the get to go.
Sources
“How to Paint Brake Calipers”
wikiHow Staff, March 29th, 2019
https://www.wikihow.com/Paint-Brake-Calipers
“RANT: DIY Painted Brake Calipers + Do’s and Don’ts or Painting Calipers”
Calvin, March 29th, 2015
“MGP Caliper Covers or Caliper Paint?
Asher Stefani, March 24th, 2017https://www.calipercovers.com/blog/mgp-caliper-covers-or-caliper-paint/
