I really want to take on this project over the Christmas holidays for my 2001 SE since they are looking kind of dingy. Every time I read about people doing this, they always seem to use a brush and paint them while they are still on the rotor. Is this the best way or is it just because of ease? I would think it would be easier to spray them by having a mechanic (and I have a good friend who is one) take them off. Is there anything I should know before doing this as in covering something, etc?

By the way, while I have the tires off, what is the best way to clean/paint the inside edge of the factory 17" rims because they do not seem to shine with wheel cleaner when I just wash them regularly?

I learn so much on here...

 

Just paint them while its on there.. Cuz if you take them then you gotta disconnect the brake lines.. Re-bleed them when you put them on..etc.. Put some newspaper, cover up the rotors and you'll be gtg.

 

The brushing method just seems to look better and lets you get into the little snooks and small areas on the caliper. If you had a friend that could take off the whole caliper, then I guess the spray method would work there. It's just that most ppl don't wanna tape up everything before the use the spray.

and umm... you wanna paint your rims? why?

 

Maybe paint wasn't a good word. I just meant the inside edge of the factory rims seems to look worn/dirty and I wasn't sure if I could just scrub it to clean the rim. If you look at the wheels up close, it really looks bad. I never see any pics of aftermarket rims with the inside edge behind the spokes looking so dirty. Sorry to sound a little too much like a "newbie".

 

nah.. it has nothing to do with you being a newbie. The inside of the rims usually gets that dirty because of brake dust and what not. I usually don't get too worked up trying to clean that stuff. But if it really bothers you, you could use brake cleaner on only the inside on the rim to get the black stuff off and just use a wheel/rim cleaner from autozone or something on the outside. Prepare to buy a brush that you'll only use for the rims cause it will get relatively black

 

some plastic and a roll of masking tape, and drop cloths for the car, and you can easily paint them on the car.

i didn't have any trouble spraying them and getting into the crannies.




not hard. came out great. easy, cheap - what more could you want in a mod?

 

do not use a brake cleaner on the rim, inside or out. just use a wheel cleaner or car wash soap and water.

i get a sponge everytime i wash the car and clean the inside of the rim, i'm not sure if you all can fit your hands in between the spokes or not.

 

thanks for clarifying that. so no brake cleaner, even on the inside of the rim.

 

go to my homepage. I have a writeup with lots of pics. I did it with a brush while still on the rotor. Check it out!!

 

PMAS,
great job on the calipers, I wanna paint mine black. Ive been thinking about it for a while but didnt know really where to start, you posted great pics and step by step instructions. Hows the paint holding up??? Has it worn/chipped away or anything?? Is there any part of the brake/pad/caliper that you need to stay away from as your painting it???

 

Thanks so much for the praise. Nope, there is no chipping, peeling, etc. Knock on wood. Just be very patient and try to keep a steady hand. I would try and only paint the caliper and not the back of the brake pad. It gives it a cleaner look. Also try not to get paint on the rotor becuase it's a b1tch to get it off. Good luck and drop me a line if you have any questions.

 

I did it with spray...it looks better that way. It just takes a little more prep work so that you don't get paint everywhere.

 

Spraying worked well on my friends Max. Just use a lot newspaper.

 

Can you buy this paint at Kragen or Autozone?

 

pmas76's calipers were what made me paint mine!

I used a brush and it took me about 4 hours (3 coats of paint on each caliper + drying time between coats), but the weather was nice then, so I didn't mind.

If you have someone willing to take your calipers completely off of the car, do it! You could remove all of the clips and the pads and everything, and probably have the most flawlessly painted calipers around. But, if you decide not to do that, you can do a good job with either spray or a brush. Like pmas76 said, don't paint the back of the pad... it'll look more professional.

Oh, and N E V E R use brake cleaner on a painted surface. It won't be painted anymore!!!

Almost forgot... you can use any type of high-temperature paint. The $40 kits are nice, but you can do it just as well with a $3 can of Brake Caliper Paint from AutoZone.

Good luck!!!!!