How to Paint Brake Calipers

Many automobile owners like the idea of modifying their cars in some way that makes them unique among the thousands of similar cars. However, many of these modifications can be prohibitively expensive. Painting your brake calipers, however, is very affordable. It is easy enough that professional know-how is not required, and it provides a subtle but distinct look to your vehicle.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car jack or car lift
• Wire brush
• Cleaning solution
• Tire iron
• Spray paint
• Tape
• Ratchet

1. Select the color of spray paint for your brake calipers. Remember that some types of spray paint are more suited for metal application than others. If you are confused, consult an employee at your hardware store about the effectiveness of the paints and how much paint you will need.

2. Loosen the lug nuts holding the tire to the wheel one or two turns. You will need to remove the tire in order to access the brake calipers.

3. Raise the vehicle off the ground. Since you will only be painting one brake caliper at a time, a car jack may be used, but it is not recommended. If you do use a car jack, make sure you know how secure it is and exercise caution when placing a hand under the car.

4. Unscrew the lug nuts the rest of the way, then remove the tire from the axle. Make sure that the lug nuts are located in a safe area to prevent loss.

5. Prepare the brake caliper for painting by scouring it with the wire brush and then by rubbing it with a rag and cleaning solution. How clean the brake caliper is will determine the effectiveness of the paint job.

6. Locate the bolts holding the brake caliper to its support. Loosen and remove the bolts using the ratchet.

7. Remove the brake caliper from its support and then clean it again, checking for any areas you may have missed the first time.

8. Avoid stressing the brake line at all costs. Setting the brake caliper on the rotor is the easiest solution. However, it can prove to be problematic when finally painting the brake caliper. A better solution is to use a coat hanger to suspend the caliper in the wheel well.

9. Apply newspaper and masking tape to the area surrounding the brake caliper. While there is no one right method as to how to mask the area, make sure that the adhesive on the masking tape will not affect any areas to which it is stuck.

10. Paint the brake caliper using the spray paint in the color of your choice. Allow time for the paint to dry and then spray on a second coat. A third coat of paint is not necessary, but it is recommended.

11. Reattach the brake caliper to the support after the paint has dried. Then replace the wheel on the vehicle and lower the vehicle to the ground.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when removing the caliper, as it is connected to the brake line. Putting stress on the brake line may cause it to rupture, which will result in a serious repair needing to be made. The cost of fixing a ruptured brake line is much more than the cost of painting the brake calipers.

[DKuvila]

on 9/24/2008 Since its in the wheel well...and you are using a spray can, I guess it wont matter as much, but newspaper is never recommended. Its very thin and could easily transfer the ink onto the surface that its covering.

And what about the sanding?