digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Clean, sand, and prep brake calipers thoroughly, then spray them with high-temperature spray paint in thin coats for a rust-resistant, good-looking finish, all done on the car without bleeding the brakes. The host stresses that preparation determines the final result and that the level of detail depends on whether your goal is rust prevention or appearance.
Key Points
- Keeping the brake line attached and the caliper set aside on a support means the brakes do not need to be bled.
- Preparation is the main factor in quality: the host says the better the sanding and prep, the better the paint job.
- Rust prevention is the host's goal for his truck; for show-quality results, disassembling the caliper and painting under the pad clips is recommended.
- Covering nearby components with a garbage bag and taping rubber parts protects them from overspray.
- Heat-cured finishing: after reassembly, driving 15 minutes then cooling about 30 minutes is said to bake the paint on.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Gather supplies: high-temperature spray paint (rated to about 2000°F, around $5), isopropyl alcohol, a metal wire brush, 230 grit sandpaper, 600 grit sandpaper, brake cleaner, lint-free towels, and eye and lung protection.
- Cover the surrounding parts and the brake hose area with a garbage bag, and keep the brake line attached and off to the side on a supported box or jack platform.
- Wire-brush all metal surfaces to remove rust, avoiding the rubber guide pin boots, the brake line rubber, and the piston rubber.
- Clean with brake cleaner and let it dry.
- If the calipers are rusty, sand with 230 grit to remove rust spots; if they are smooth, you can start at 600 grit. Then, if you used 230 grit first, finish with 600 grit for smoothness.
- Hit the caliper with brake cleaner again, then change gloves and wipe with alcohol using a lint-free towel. Let the alcohol evaporate before painting.
- Read the paint can's instructions and confirm the temperature range and spray distance (the host sprays about a foot away).
- Tape off any rubber parts you don't want painted.
- Apply about three coats, waiting about 2 minutes between coats, letting the first side dry about 30 minutes before flipping.
- On the second side, take care around the piston cover; tape it if you want to be extra careful, then apply two to three more coats.
- Allow about 30 minutes to dry before reinstalling.
- Bake the paint on by driving the car about 15 minutes, then letting it cool about 30 minutes.
- Reinstall with new brake pads and a new rotor, which the host also installed.
- The host also painted the wheel hat with the same spray paint.
- Safety: wear eye and lung protection while sanding and spraying.
Bottom Line
A cheap spray-paint job can make worn calipers look and resist rust nearly as well as a professional refinish, provided you invest the time in cleaning and sanding first.
