I've played around with various brake cleaners and brushes on our older cars but I just don't seem to be able to get them looking fresh. I'm sure it has to do with the coatings (Stock, not painted) but I've always thought there has to be some way to keep that silver/grey coating looking new. Is there some contaminant remover I should be trying? Am I missing something or is nothing short of a disassemble and severe scrubbing going to help?
Keeping stock brake calipers looking new?
- Thread starter Honda Fan
- Start date
I’ve had good luck with stock calipers by using something like a Sonax wheel cleaner, and a long horse hair brush available on all the sites. I just wet, spray , agitate with the brush to foam it up, and then rinse… I usually follow it with something like Gyeon wet coat to give it a protective coat and then hit with a leaf blower…..done for a couple months.
If you are super OCD, or they are filthy from letting it go for several months, a better option is to take the wheel off.
If you are super OCD, or they are filthy from letting it go for several months, a better option is to take the wheel off.
- Thread starter
- #3
Wheels will definitely come off. Not as OCD with the calipers as I am with other things. Just looking for the right formulation to keep them clean. I tried brake cleaner on come older calipers and used a pretty aggressive brush but it didn't seem to work.
PouncingPanzer
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- May 11, 2017
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SOnax Wheel Cleaner Plus every 4-5 washes with OPC at 1:3 all washes in-between keep my VW factory red calipers looking spotless and new. 60k on the GTI and 41k on the GLI and not a spec of fallout baked onto them. I use a 1.25" boarshair brush for contact washing.
Desertnate
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- Aug 5, 2013
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If they are the "raw" aluminum like the calipers on many cars these days, I think this is the only answer to keeping them looking good in the long-run. You don't have to paint them a crazy color either. They have silver, black, and some other colors which would not look out of place.
Several of my cars have had the unfinished calipers and despite my best efforts, they tarnish as the years go by. Between the elements, heat, and time they eventually discolor or stain.
PouncingPanzer
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- May 11, 2017
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IF you don't want to paint un-painted calipers BUT want to prevent the oxidation, try a product called "Shark's Hide". It is for protecting unfinished metals and pushed primarily for preserving tooling(wrenches, hammers, etc) if they are exposed to elements. But it works on aluminum intake manifolds, magnesium valve covers, steel tailpipes, etc. You just need to do it very early in the service life of whatever it is you're trying to protect. It dries clear-ish and is just a tiny bit hazy once cured. I have used it on hands tools and valve covers myself.
Keeping those brake parts looking fresh can be tricky. You can try using a specialized brake dust cleaner or an iron contaminant remover. They work wonders on that silver/grey coating. Also, consider a gentle scrubbing with a soft brush to avoid damage. Hope this helps!
Coatingsarecrack
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- Dec 9, 2018
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AutoFanatic wheel cleaner.
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AMarkham40
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- Oct 28, 2010
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The silver finish you see on many OEM calipers is a zinc plating not a paint or powder coat that can be easily cleaned. I recently rebuilt the OEM calipers on my Tacoma & painted them with silver Duplicolor caliper paint to make cleaning easier in the future.
Desertnate
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- Aug 5, 2013
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Oof! That looks like a lot of work, but the results look really good. Duplicolor sprays on, doesn't it? Why did you choose Duplicolor over G2?
AMarkham40
Member
- Oct 28, 2010
- 101
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Yes, it was the spray version. I wire brushed, lightly sanded (220 grit) & then cleaned the caliper with brake cleaner before applying the paint (3 coats). Also made sure to cover the piston area to avoid the paint getting on the new seals.
I went with Duplicolor since it was available locally whereas I needed to order G2.
Danube
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- Jan 11, 2012
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The silver finish you see on many OEM calipers is a zinc plating not a paint or powder coat that can be easily cleaned. I recently rebuilt the OEM calipers on my Tacoma & painted them with silver Duplicolor caliper paint to make cleaning easier in the future.
Great result !
Desertnate
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- Aug 5, 2013
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Thanks! I like to hear people's reasoning behind certain products over another. I know it helps me in the decision process and will hopefully help others.
The calipers on my car are simply the zinc coated as you describe and totally out of character with the car. They need a little color. Now I just need to decide what color and what method to get them there.