What color to paint brake calipers?
 

I am planning on painting my hubs/rotor hats and calipers when I change over to my summer wheels. I am trying to decide which color to paint the calipers. The hubs I will paint silver which is the original color. What color do I paint the calipers? The vehicle is Saphire Metallic Black with Black interior.

Gloss or flat black, imo. Unless you have a Brembo BBK or similar, go black. It'll look clean and correct with your Black Saph paint.

I would like to have them powder coated, but I can't have the car out of service that long. I painted my wifes Audi calipers silver and it has lasted 2 years. I did it with caliper spray paint. The masking was a PIA but the results were good. I was thinking of using a foam brush this time to cut down on time. What's better spray or brush by hand?

I'm Running 22" DAAT Wheels. Sport Tech Brakes by Dave Zackhausen. I painted the Rotors and Brake Calipers Red! It looks fantastic. Complimnets all the time. Too each their own. The red works with the Titanium Silver and the Chrome Wheels. It was hard to find wheels that work with the E53....and hard to find colors that work as well.

ncx has a good point though about the clean look.. So black may be the way to go!

Great question about spray or brush!

My first coat was spray...to get every nook and cranny! Then after two hours drying and baking in the hot sun....I went back with a spunge brush very lightly as you don't want lines...so both!

I hope this helps!

RR

OEM shade of silver paint might look good too, not sure. I just don't know if you will get it to look like the OEM finish. I can't offer an opinion on spraying them since I did mine with a brush last time, but spray should be fine (cover everything else good - no overspray!). It is all about the cleaning stage as you know if you did it successfully before. Wire wheel acid or some really great degreaser is needed to get the calipers ready for paint. Post some pics when you are done.

Agree with Rich... too each their own. If you like red or yellow or zebra stripes... it's your car. Do whacha like.

ncx great point!

it was worse than going to the gym.....I used a wire brush and Brake Cleaner - Aresol Spray!! I actually went through 2 cans! I scrubbed them dogs with the wire brush until my hand wanted to fall of! That had alot to do with the way the paint will take and dry!
:thumbup:

I agree with ncx, either paint them silver or black. I would reserve colors like red, and yellow for a bbk (brembos, stoptechs, ap racing, etc). Painting the calipers a loud color warrants extra attention to them, and the stock calipers are nothing to show off. I have Brembos on all four corners of my M3 and got them in silver, didn't want something too flashy.

would oven cleaner be a good solution? or no? justowing this out there

:iagree: