Break Caliper Cleaning/Replacing

This is where you can find out about valeting and detailing--washing, cleaning, polishing, waxing and other car care issues.
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Buz007
Joined: Fri 16 Jul, 2010 20:18
Posts: 254

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Leeds

Break Caliper Cleaning/Replacing

Post by Buz007 »

Hello Fellow Clean Freaks :D

Another job on my list when the car comes out of winter storage is to clean up the rather rusty looking break calipers
Image

I have swapped break disks before many years ago on a ford fiesta but dont know if i'd be confident enough to mess around with the Z's. Pretty sure the orange top rust will disappear from the disks once it gets running a bit but the calipers are annoying me, anyone know if its feasible to perhaps clean them off and mask up and spray them in-situ? Is it worth doing or are you better off replacing them?

Cheers

Buz
''need I remind you 007, you have a licence to kill...not to break the traffic laws''
billz
Joined: Mon 22 Mar, 2010 20:09
Posts: 1240

  Z4 roadster 3.0si
Location: nottingham

Post by billz »

All i did was to degrease mine give them a good wire brushing then wiped any residue and dust off, then i painted them silver, using engine enamel now all i do is every now and again is take wheels off and wipe them down. They have been painted for about six months and look as though they will need doing again soon just to keep them up to scratch. If you click on my sig pic it will take you to the image where you can zoom in to have a better look.
bill
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Z3 3.0 Sports Sold
Z4 3.0si Ruby Black with Champagne Leather and Piano Black Dash
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Mouldy
Joined: Mon 26 Jan, 2009 19:40
Posts: 538

  Not specified
Location: Northampton

Post by Mouldy »

I did mine a few months ago. Here's the link to the thread;

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... ht=#255965

I used caliper paint that I bought off eBay. It looks good and I am pleased with the results. Changing the calipers will be very expensive, so if your brakes work, I'd just give them a good clean and paint them.

I have used engine enamel on the centres of the discs but it doesn't last too well. Smoothrite or Hammerite could be used, but I find that both are quite difficult to get a good finish with, unless sprayed and masking up the calipers is just too much a**eache for me!

Good luck!!!
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Skoda Octavia vRS TSi DSG on Tour at Rocamadour
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Buz007
Joined: Fri 16 Jul, 2010 20:18
Posts: 254

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Leeds

Post by Buz007 »

cheers boys, thanks for the link :o
''need I remind you 007, you have a licence to kill...not to break the traffic laws''
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Ferdinand
Joined: Sun 16 Nov, 2008 17:25
Posts: 444

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Sjælland, Denmark

Post by Ferdinand »

I painted my calipers early 2009 using Hammerite and the brake discs using zinc-spray to keep the factory look - I used to spray brake discs black using heat resisting black paint but it makes the brakes and rims look smaller.

Hammerite works really well and it lasts
Ferdinand


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Titan
Joined: Fri 01 Apr, 2005 20:20
Posts: 4002

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: North Yorkshire

Post by Titan »

Did mine using engine enamel LINK
You can do them in-situ but its easier to strip them off and work on the bench in the garage :wink:
Image :devil:
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