Junkman2008
07-10-2008, 05:32 PM
The last thing to remove are the rotors. I never could get my front rotors off the car (ended up painting them on the car), but this is what I was told to do to remove them. First, put the wheel nuts back on their shafts. Don't screw them on far, just enough so that they cover the ends of the threads. What you're going to do is bang the center of the rotor with a hammer as you're pulling it off the axle. The wheel nuts will protect the ends of the threads when you whack and miss the rotor. Trust me, you will miss. If you can get them off the car, it makes painting them a lot easier.
You've probably noticed that I have neglected to say what size socket to use on these bolts. That's because I wasn't 100% sure that I was using the correct size to remove them. With metric and standard bolts both seeming like they'll work, I'll just let you make the call. If someone knows the exact size, maybe they'll let me know and then I'll edit this post. Until then, happy hunting!
Now that you have removed all of the parts, you'll need to scrub or Dremel all of the brake dust, dirt, brake fluid, and rust off all the parts. The Dremel tool with the brushes described in the parts section of this thread are the best way to go. Check out these before and after pictures of the bracket:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/bracketcompare.jpg
And here's the caliper:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/calipercompare.jpg
If you want that paint to stick to this stuff, you've got to get the gunk off of them.
Now you're ready for some paint.
Big Time Warning!!! Whatever you do, don't spray paint anywhere near your car unless you have covered the entire car with something. A bed sheet, car cover, your fat uncle, something. Don't walk outside your garage and spray any of the parts unless your car is covered with something. Why you ask? Because the over-spray will somehow find it's way back into the garage and slowly settle over the entire car.
Ask me how I know.
I'm loosing count of my rookie mistakes. The good news is that the over-spray can be buffed out without too much work but that cost me another $80.
Let's Start Painting!
First of all, the red paint in the can is way to thick. It starts drying before you even get one coat on the caliper. Here's what you need to do. Get the red paint out and stir it up real good. Pour half the red paint into another container that you can reseal. Don't worry, there's enough paint in that pint can to do a few cars. What you're going to do is thin that paint out some with the paint thinner.
CAUTION: It only takes a few drops of thinner to get this stuff thin. Don't pour too much thinner in there. Start with a thimble amount of thinner, stir it up real good and see how the consistency is. Try painting on a rough surface like a brick or something else that is similar to the caliper. If you can get the paint to cover the surface evenly without leaving a whole bunch of stroke marks, then you've got the right consistency. If you accidentally put to much thinner in there, add some of the paint still in the can into what you're working with. That's why you separated the two; just in case you screwed up.
Once you get the consistency right, lay your first coat of paint on the calipers. This stuff dries real fast so you'll be laying multiple coats rather quickly. Read the box for actual drying times. Here's what my first coat of paint looked like:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/paintedcaliper.jpg
Notice how smooth the paint is. If you use that stuff straight out of the can, your caliper will not be this smooth.
The brake bracket and rotor required a little more prep. First, I Dremeled the heck out of the rust on the rotor, washed it clean and dried it. Next, I treated both parts with the NAPA rust treatment spray that you saw in the parts section of this thread. That stuff goes on fast! You wait 2-3 minutes between coats and after you get all the coats on that you desire, you wait 24 hours and then start applying the paint. After all that, I broke out the paint brush and painted the hat (that's what they call the part of the rotor that is not touched by the brake shoes).
I hated the results. The paint was too shiny, and no matter how much you thinned it out, it still left some awfully ugly brush strokes. It looked like it was painted at "Amateur Night at the Apollo". I wanted a smooth, flat black factory painted look. Not that "give a bucket of paint to the Our Gang kids and let them have a go" look. Thus, I ended up stripping the thing and repeating the whole process over again, but this time I painted it with the spray can Dupli-color black. MUCH BETTER RESULT!
You've noticed that I painted the entire rotor. I don't recommend this because the first time you go to apply your brakes, it will begin to heat up and peel that paint off the rotor. Yea, It will clean every drop of the paint off the rotor, but it will also deposit little black balls of paint all over the inside of your rims. If you catch this right away, it will be relatively easy to clean off. Woe unto thee if you don't. Mask off the rotors so that you don't have this issue and this will also keep you from gumming up your pads. I haven't had any issues with mine but "do as I say, not as I did."
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/rotorcompare.jpg
I highly recommend the rust treatment spray before painting the rotor and brake bracket. When that stuff finishes drying, it drys to a very dark finish, almost black, Thus, if your paint ever begins to thin or chip, the rust treatment color will disguise the flaws. At least that's my theory...
I did use a brush to go around the edge of my rotors. I gunked the paint in there read heavy because that area was real rusty. I was pleased with the way that turned out because now when I look at my wheel, I can see the opening between my rotors and it is nice and black.
Here is one of my brake brackets once I had cleaned, treated and painted it. I even spent time cleaning the metal brake clips.
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/brakebracket.jpg
Here's a shot of a finished caliper. I didn't mask off the lettering, I simply broke out the Dremel tool and used a sanding bit to clean off the lettering. WARNING! That sanding bit is easily capable of grinding those letters right off the caliper! The secret is to not turn the Dremel tool up too high and to use very little pressure. Here was my end result:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/finishedcaliper.jpg
Once everything is painted and dry, you can put it all back together and lower the car. Then, start on the rear end. The rear will go much faster because now you know how to disassemble and reassemble everything. The bolt sizes are the same as the front so you don't have to break out anything new. I used those ramps to get my rear end high enough for the jack and used the same piece of wood to raise the car for the jack stand placement. Over all, this was a very simple mod and you'll be so proud of yourself once you complete it.
As far as how long it takes to do this, some guys say 4 hours and some say more or less. It took me 2 weeks but when you remove 1 bolt and then take the rest of the day off, the job might run a little long. This is why you won't find me pulling a tranny at Patches garage; not unless you can do without your car for a couple of seasons. The last time I saw my mechanic, he was still rolling on the floor laughing at how long I took.
The end result however, BRILLIANT! Just check out these results:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/wheels.jpg
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/c51.jpg
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/c52.jpg
Well folks, this is my contribution to this great forum and I hope it helps at least 1 person. If so, then it was worth while. I know for a fact that you guys have helped me beyond thanks. Keep up the good work!
The Junkman
You've probably noticed that I have neglected to say what size socket to use on these bolts. That's because I wasn't 100% sure that I was using the correct size to remove them. With metric and standard bolts both seeming like they'll work, I'll just let you make the call. If someone knows the exact size, maybe they'll let me know and then I'll edit this post. Until then, happy hunting!
Now that you have removed all of the parts, you'll need to scrub or Dremel all of the brake dust, dirt, brake fluid, and rust off all the parts. The Dremel tool with the brushes described in the parts section of this thread are the best way to go. Check out these before and after pictures of the bracket:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/bracketcompare.jpg
And here's the caliper:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/calipercompare.jpg
If you want that paint to stick to this stuff, you've got to get the gunk off of them.
Now you're ready for some paint.
Big Time Warning!!! Whatever you do, don't spray paint anywhere near your car unless you have covered the entire car with something. A bed sheet, car cover, your fat uncle, something. Don't walk outside your garage and spray any of the parts unless your car is covered with something. Why you ask? Because the over-spray will somehow find it's way back into the garage and slowly settle over the entire car.
Ask me how I know.
I'm loosing count of my rookie mistakes. The good news is that the over-spray can be buffed out without too much work but that cost me another $80.
Let's Start Painting!
First of all, the red paint in the can is way to thick. It starts drying before you even get one coat on the caliper. Here's what you need to do. Get the red paint out and stir it up real good. Pour half the red paint into another container that you can reseal. Don't worry, there's enough paint in that pint can to do a few cars. What you're going to do is thin that paint out some with the paint thinner.
CAUTION: It only takes a few drops of thinner to get this stuff thin. Don't pour too much thinner in there. Start with a thimble amount of thinner, stir it up real good and see how the consistency is. Try painting on a rough surface like a brick or something else that is similar to the caliper. If you can get the paint to cover the surface evenly without leaving a whole bunch of stroke marks, then you've got the right consistency. If you accidentally put to much thinner in there, add some of the paint still in the can into what you're working with. That's why you separated the two; just in case you screwed up.
Once you get the consistency right, lay your first coat of paint on the calipers. This stuff dries real fast so you'll be laying multiple coats rather quickly. Read the box for actual drying times. Here's what my first coat of paint looked like:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/paintedcaliper.jpg
Notice how smooth the paint is. If you use that stuff straight out of the can, your caliper will not be this smooth.
The brake bracket and rotor required a little more prep. First, I Dremeled the heck out of the rust on the rotor, washed it clean and dried it. Next, I treated both parts with the NAPA rust treatment spray that you saw in the parts section of this thread. That stuff goes on fast! You wait 2-3 minutes between coats and after you get all the coats on that you desire, you wait 24 hours and then start applying the paint. After all that, I broke out the paint brush and painted the hat (that's what they call the part of the rotor that is not touched by the brake shoes).
I hated the results. The paint was too shiny, and no matter how much you thinned it out, it still left some awfully ugly brush strokes. It looked like it was painted at "Amateur Night at the Apollo". I wanted a smooth, flat black factory painted look. Not that "give a bucket of paint to the Our Gang kids and let them have a go" look. Thus, I ended up stripping the thing and repeating the whole process over again, but this time I painted it with the spray can Dupli-color black. MUCH BETTER RESULT!
You've noticed that I painted the entire rotor. I don't recommend this because the first time you go to apply your brakes, it will begin to heat up and peel that paint off the rotor. Yea, It will clean every drop of the paint off the rotor, but it will also deposit little black balls of paint all over the inside of your rims. If you catch this right away, it will be relatively easy to clean off. Woe unto thee if you don't. Mask off the rotors so that you don't have this issue and this will also keep you from gumming up your pads. I haven't had any issues with mine but "do as I say, not as I did."
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/rotorcompare.jpg
I highly recommend the rust treatment spray before painting the rotor and brake bracket. When that stuff finishes drying, it drys to a very dark finish, almost black, Thus, if your paint ever begins to thin or chip, the rust treatment color will disguise the flaws. At least that's my theory...
I did use a brush to go around the edge of my rotors. I gunked the paint in there read heavy because that area was real rusty. I was pleased with the way that turned out because now when I look at my wheel, I can see the opening between my rotors and it is nice and black.
Here is one of my brake brackets once I had cleaned, treated and painted it. I even spent time cleaning the metal brake clips.
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/brakebracket.jpg
Here's a shot of a finished caliper. I didn't mask off the lettering, I simply broke out the Dremel tool and used a sanding bit to clean off the lettering. WARNING! That sanding bit is easily capable of grinding those letters right off the caliper! The secret is to not turn the Dremel tool up too high and to use very little pressure. Here was my end result:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/finishedcaliper.jpg
Once everything is painted and dry, you can put it all back together and lower the car. Then, start on the rear end. The rear will go much faster because now you know how to disassemble and reassemble everything. The bolt sizes are the same as the front so you don't have to break out anything new. I used those ramps to get my rear end high enough for the jack and used the same piece of wood to raise the car for the jack stand placement. Over all, this was a very simple mod and you'll be so proud of yourself once you complete it.
As far as how long it takes to do this, some guys say 4 hours and some say more or less. It took me 2 weeks but when you remove 1 bolt and then take the rest of the day off, the job might run a little long. This is why you won't find me pulling a tranny at Patches garage; not unless you can do without your car for a couple of seasons. The last time I saw my mechanic, he was still rolling on the floor laughing at how long I took.
The end result however, BRILLIANT! Just check out these results:
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/wheels.jpg
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/c51.jpg
http://www.pc-surgeon.net/images/cforum/c52.jpg
Well folks, this is my contribution to this great forum and I hope it helps at least 1 person. If so, then it was worth while. I know for a fact that you guys have helped me beyond thanks. Keep up the good work!
The Junkman