How to paint calipers on a car with your own hands

You can paint the working surface of the brake device only on a training sample for clarity. Painting brake discs is an operation in which the field of activity involves the caliper and other surfaces that are not involved in the braking mechanism itself. The need for this operation is required after purchasing alloy wheels. The thing is that the elements of the brake device under cast discs are visible better than under stamped ones. A rusting mechanism is negative. But the problems are not only about aesthetics. Regular restoration of the paintwork is required to ensure high-quality protection of the caliper from mechanical damage, which is usually caused by stones, gravel and corrosion. Please remember that this part operates under special conditions. When braking, it can heat up to 620 degrees. Simple household paint will not withstand such heat. The technique for preparing a surface is significantly different than standard painting. Just disassembling the unit already says a lot. Surfaces hidden from view require special, specific preparation.

Preparing the caliper for painting work

For painting to be successful, it is important to properly prepare the part for painting tasks. You can complete this task with your own hands quite simply if you have experience in assembling and disassembling suspension elements. A person who has ever changed the pads will be able to carry out all the work on the car in this case independently. Painting calipers with your own hands begins with high-quality preparation of all parts. To do this, the following processes are performed:

• the element is removed from the car so that the paint does not get on other parts of the brake system;

• surfaces are cleaned using a metal brush or other tools;

• the surface is inspected for deep damage that will spoil the appearance;

• if everything is fine, pre-treatment with a primer is carried out to prepare for painting;

• High-quality paint and varnish materials are selected that will help complete all tasks.

Equipment and materials are often selected based on price. This is an important factor for any car; even luxury vehicles will not be processed for too much money. It is necessary to balance the price of the purchased materials, the professional labor used and other factors. Sometimes it's better to leave the caliper without additional paint, but not to invest too much money in the car. However, you can always reduce the expense item. At services or in specialized companies, the price for painting all calipers will be, on average, 10,000-14,000 thousand rubles, so doing it yourself will be much cheaper.

How to organize your own painting of car brake calipers

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Painting activities can be carried out both on the removed unit and directly on the standard place of its attachment. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Naturally, it is more convenient to process and paint a separate part, but after the installation procedure you will have to bleed the brake system.

For many, dismantling and its consequences become a serious obstacle; we will not consider this method either. Car enthusiasts who have spray painted can also handle painting all the brake calipers of their car.

Preparatory stage

Only after thorough preparation of the surface of the part should you begin to work. The quality of the paintwork directly depends on the responsibility with which the car owner approaches cleaning the unit from dirt and corrosion. The preparatory stage consists of the following points:

• Using a wheelbrace, loosen the wheel bolts on the side to be prepared.
• Raise the car with a jack, unscrew the wheel mounting bolts and remove it.
• Clean the caliper from dirt and rust using a wire brush or power tool with special attachments.
• Finish the surface of the part using sandpaper. The surface of the node should be smooth and shiny.
• Degrease the surface with anti-silicone or white spirit.
• Using newspapers, PET film and masking tape, cover the elements that do not need painting.

Painting procedure

The working color mixture must be prepared a few minutes before application. The paint or primer in the can is prepared by shaking. There are several methods for applying paintwork:

• brush;
• tampon;
• spray gun;
• with a spray can.

During the process, you need to avoid excess paint to avoid drips. Usually 2-3 layers are applied with intermediate drying stages of 20-30 minutes. Complete drying lasts 24 hours, even if the paint is heat-resistant, gentle operation is recommended for several days.

Among car enthusiasts who have painted calipers with their own hands, aerosol cans of paint are very popular. The working techniques are well shown in the video with Foliatec paint.

The technology for working with spray cans is available to almost all motorists:

• Apply a layer of primer to the part and let it dry.
• Keep the can above the surface to be painted no higher than 250-300 mm.
• After applying the first layer, let it dry for 20-30 minutes, then paint again. The layers must be applied perpendicular to each other.

If you decide to remove the caliper, then it makes sense to sandblast them, but, again, all this requires time and financial investment. In any case, only recommendations are given here, and the final decision will be made by the owner himself, guided by the feasibility of a particular operation.

Do-it-yourself painting of calipers: process technology

Applying paint and varnish materials to caliper parts

If you chose to powder coat the calipers, you will have to sandblast them. This way you will get rid of corrosion and will be able to completely protect the part from all potential problems. But with the help of powder painting it is impossible to achieve the desired shine and the necessary visual parameters. The powder has a matte tint; the polymers smear very quickly during equipment operation. Conventional paints can be applied as follows:

• you should choose a place where you can safely spray paint and not be afraid to spray it on something else;

• you can paint it using a spray can, but it will be better if painting is done with a compressor and a spray gun;

• It is better to leave the already painted caliper completely alone for a period of about one hour to dry;

• then you can move the parts to a place convenient for drying and do not touch them for another 8-10 hours;

• After this, you can carry out the assembly, performing all the steps quite carefully and slowly.

You can do this kind of car tuning with your own hands if you have all the tools and materials at hand. If you don't have anything in stock, you shouldn't buy everything you need for it. It is better to turn to specialists if you have no experience doing this work at all. The painting may not be professional; imperfections are not so noticeable on these parts. But it is better to choose the most worthy materials. Low prices do not do paint and varnish products any credit.

Technical characteristics of an economical version of thermal paint

Motip paint also has good consumer reviews. This is a worthy substitute for premium heat-resistant compounds. The products of the German-Dutch concern Motip Dupli Group are represented by aerosol paints, varnishes, and primers. Heat-resistant paint for painting calipers and brake drums Motip has the following characteristics:

• has excellent adhesion;
• endowed with good hiding power;
• has resistance to aggressive environments;
• has heat resistance up to 120 °C.

Motip paint is an economical version of thermal paint for calipers. The stages of applying the composition do not differ from those used when working with premium aerosols.

Powder paint, popular among car painters and car owners, has excellent protective and decorative properties. It creates a durable and reliable coating that has a long service life. This type of paintwork material is distinguished by a wide variety of available colors. However, for all its advantages, powder paint is not suitable for calipers, since it cannot withstand high temperatures.

Is it possible to paint without removing parts from the car?

If you are interested in the so-called “lazy” painting of brake system parts, you can also use these options. There is a line of paints and varnishes that are applied with a brush. To do this, just remove the wheel, clean the metal surfaces from various contaminants and rust, and then simply apply paint.

But this only gives a basic understanding of how to paint calipers without removing them from the car. It must also be remembered that this method will not always be acceptable in terms of quality and required technical parameters. In this case, the paintwork layer may turn out to be defective and wear out quickly. You should always use only the most effective solutions that will last a long time.

Painting with a brush is unlikely to be a good solution for expensive luxury cars. In this case, it is better to overpay for the services of specialists and get maximum benefits in appearance.

How to paint it yourself

Before painting the caliper, you should also check its technical condition.

Coloring methods:

• with dismantling the caliper - it is more convenient to paint, the part is evenly painted both from the outside and from the inside, but the system will have to be pumped after installing the painted unit;
• without dismantling the part - it is inconvenient to paint, you need to carefully close the adjacent parts, the sides and inside of the caliper will be painted unevenly.

You can paint the discs and calipers the same color to make the elements look harmonious.

Below are detailed instructions on how to correctly and correctly paint the calipers with a brush and a spray can.

The car is jacked up and secured using strong latches to ensure safety. Then the wheels are unscrewed. Check the technical condition of the caliper by visually inspecting it. Then the part is removed. It is attached to two bolts, they are unscrewed. If they do not give in, you need to fill them with WD-40 or tap them. If this method does not work, heating the unit in an oven should help.

If you are sure that the assembly is in good condition, it is not necessary to remove it for painting. If the calipers will be painted only on the outside, it is enough to remove only the wheel rims.

Before painting the calipers, they need to be properly prepared for painting. All traces of corrosion must be removed from the surface of metal elements. Use a rust converter and metal brushes. The process can be mechanized by purchasing an appropriate attachment for a drill or using sandblasting (sandblasting is used to clean a dismantled caliper).

Rubber parts (anthers) are cleaned of dust. The pistons are treated gently using fine sandpaper. Moreover, they should not be removed completely, otherwise the brake fluid will leak out. For finishing, the elements are sanded with fine-grained sandpaper.

If no corrosion is observed, clean the surface with sandpaper. Then it is treated with a degreaser.

When painting calipers, it is important to isolate all moving working elements with masking tape: under the influence of high temperature, the paint acts as a lubricant. If it gets on the brake disc, you simply won’t be able to brake.

Masking tape is used to cover the supply hoses and all other parts that should not be painted.

Work should be carried out in a well-ventilated area with sufficient bright light sources. The room itself is wet cleaned to eliminate dust. The air in the room should be relatively dry.

Prepare a brush for work.

The container with paint is uncorked immediately before starting work. A hardener is added to the composition in the amount specified in the instructions and mixed.

After 20 minutes, the paint must be mixed again. The paint is applied in 2-3 layers with a break (about 30-40 minutes each). They paint neatly and smoothly, without drips.

You can drive the car within a day, but it is better to wait a few days until the paint is completely dry.

When working with a spray can:

1. Cover the body with two layers of primer, making wide movements with the brush. The second layer is applied approximately an hour after the first.
2. The can is kept at a distance of 25-30 cm from the caliper.
3. They try to apply the second layer at an angle of 90 degrees to the previous one to eliminate streaks.

Brake system calipers and drums lose their aesthetic appearance during operation. However, with the help of painting, they not only restore a presentable appearance to the elements of the brake system, but also protect them from environmental influences.

Let's sum it up

In order for the painting of calipers to be successful, you need to remember the need for high-quality preparatory work. If these tasks are not performed properly, you will not be able to ensure the longevity and attractiveness of the equipment. Painting work can be carried out using an aerosol can, powder spraying, compressor classic painting, or using a brush. It is better to give preference to professional methods. They guarantee durability and high quality.

Preparatory processes depend on the method chosen, but often when preparing the device you will need to remove it from the machine. This way you will be able to remove all rust and dirt. Painting work will be completed efficiently only if the surface is properly prepared. Visual results also depend entirely on the paint options chosen. The more expensive the technology, the greater the durability and higher quality of the coating. If you don’t have experience working with your car’s paintwork yourself, it’s better to entrust the services to professionals and get the maximum benefits.

Instructions for use

The Foliatec paint packaging contains the following elements:

1. 1 bottle of cleaner with a capacity of 400 ml;
2. 1 can (metal) of paint and varnish material for brake calipers with a capacity of 150 grams;
3. 1 metal can of specialized hardener with a capacity of 50 grams.

For proper paint application, manufacturers recommend having:

• container where the hardener will be mixed with paint. It doesn't have to be plastic;
• a stick with which to mix two materials (hardener and paint);
• a brush with which to paint. It is recommended to select a model with a width of less than 15 mm;
• masking adhesive tape, which will be used to cover the unpainted surface to prevent paint from getting in;
• a brush with steel bristles to clean the surface from dirt and rust;
• a piece of clean cotton cloth for wiping the cleaned surface.

The manufacturer recommends opening the cans immediately before starting painting. In this case, the room temperature should be no less than +15 degrees. Calipers should be painted in a room with good ventilation and minimal dust.

For the painting process it is not necessary to dismantle the calipers along with the brake discs. You just need to remove the wheel rims of your car. Although, if you are going to paint both the outside and inside of the caliper with Foliatec, you will still have to dismantle it.

Before applying the paint, you need to prepare the surface (clean off dirt, rust using a steel brush, as well as the cleaner provided in the kit). You also need to cover with tape the surfaces that will not be painted. Only after this work has been completed can you begin painting the calipers by mixing the paint with the hardener.