- Got a simple one this week. Your break calipers or drums are probably one of the first things to start to develop rust on your car. The rust is ugly and noticeable, especially through certain types of alloy and aftermarket rims.
- So lets get rid of this problem, the solution is as easy as 3 steps.
Before we get started,
Picking Your Paint: First off, get yourself a high-heat engine paint, or designated caliper spray paint from a local auto parts or hardware store. There are multiple brands available, select colour, and consult application process and directions on the can before selecting which is best for you. Another option we have used in the past is a regular, oil based rust paint. It seems to hold up just fine.
Ideal Conditions: Ideally you would like to completely remove your drum or caliper, and then paint them. This allows for better accuracy, in painting only the parts you want, and eliminates over spray onto things like the disks, or your vehicle.
But, in the absence of time, as most of us need our vehicles, or just don’t want go through the effort of removing the parts, it can be done on the vehicle, just make sure to be meticulous when masking off the calipers and drums. Also, make sure to cover your vehicle!
So let’s get started!
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1. Remove your wheel, and begin to remove all the surface rust and dirt from the drum or caliper you wish to paint. We suggest using a wire brush for the surface rust, followed by sandpaper, the grit choice is up to you. Keep in mind, don’t rough it up, keep it as smooth as possible.
Remember, it’s not going to end up perfectly smooth but the paint will cover what rust or imperfections won’t come off.
(the bumper, bumper lip, and rims were at the body shop getting colour matched)
2. Proceed to cover the vehicle, masking off the areas to be painted and make sure everything else is covered. Spray paint travels further in the air than you think, and you will regret it when there’s over spray on your paint! Also, make sure you cover your rotors, you don't want paint on your braking surface! We recommend removing them.
We further covered the truck with a drop cloth, that met up with our newspaper, covering the entire vehicle.
In the picture to the left, we were actually painting the outer edge of the dust cap as a red accent, but the process is the same.You can see how the entire disk is wrapped with a garbage bag (very handy for this type of thing) and the remainder of the suspension covered with our newspaper drop cloth.
3. Make sure the surface is clean, and then paint! Take your time and apply it in light coats, following the can directions appropriately. This will ensure proper bonding, and drying. You don’t want your paint flaking do you? Let it dry, and remount your wheel.
After painting our dust caps as an accent, we painted the calipers black to clean it up.
Guaranteed, your brakes don’t stand out for the wrong reasons anymore!