Soarer Central: Painting Rotors

Soarer Central Brakes Painting Rotors

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David Wilson
Tinkerer
NSW
Soarer TT

Posts: 86
Reg: 07-2005

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Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 10:12 pm, by: David Wilson (Davieeeee)

Just wondering if anyone has tried painting the hub/rotors to prevent the rusted look?
Is this a difficult job? Is there anything from a safety standpoint I should be aware of? Also would excess paint affect the rotor or will it jsut rub off, as Im sure I would have trouble creating a perfect circle with masking tape.

Peter Nitschke
Junk Filterer
South Australia
GT4.0 V8

Posts: 8018
Reg: 11-2004

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Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 10:16 pm, by: Peter Nitschke (Pen)

I did some a couple of years ago, worked really well. The biggest pain was getting all the old rust off first. I then layered strips of masking tape over the rotor and got pretty good coverage. I used a clear heat proof lacquer so it stayed nice and clean looking to match the rest of the rotor.

Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31

Posts: 2752
Reg: 10-2005

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Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 06:31 am, by: Matthew Sharpe (Madmatt)

Is it still holding up OK?

Peter Nitschke
Junk Filterer
South Australia
GT4.0 V8

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Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 09:33 am, by: Peter Nitschke (Pen)

I upgraded to TT brakes. I ditched the old rear rotors, might still have the old fronts at home. Somewhere...

They were fine from what I remember though. No reason not to be as long as you have high temp paint.

Jeff Wilkins
TryHard
South Australia
JZZ30 GT-TL

Posts: 412
Reg: 07-2005

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Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 01:56 am, by: Jeff Wilkins (Calin)

You can mask up the disc area roughly with wide masking tape then get your neat sharp edge with narrow electrical tape, it bends well so getting a good circle is cake.

Doug Jardine
TryHard
NSW
'97 UZZ31 V8 4.0 GTL

Posts: 183
Reg: 04-2006

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Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 11:09 am, by: Doug Jardine (Drj)

I did my hubs and calipers about 18 months back.

While wheels were being balanced, quickly used a steel brush to get the rust off.

I did not mask the disks - sprayed the hub / caliper with heat proof paint and wiped the disk with brake cleaner - all the overspray came off in one wipe - very quick and very easy.

Just don't get the brake cleaner on paint or rubber - like acetone - melts anything non metal.

Hope this helps.

Murray Lund
TryHard
NSW
V8

Posts: 124
Reg: 07-2005

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Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 08:26 pm, by: Murray Lund (Murray)

Wire brush to remove worst of rust on hub, bit of rust converter to stabilise surface, enamel paint from a tin, not spray paint - there's no need for heat proof on a street car. Use a small brush for the edges, larger small brush for rest. (There is a lip where the swept surface of the disc starts - makes painting very easy - no need for masking tape or brake cleaner). I did my hubs and calipers over 2 years ago. Still looks fine. There is no sign of any flaking or discolouration due to heat.

Ian Wood
Tinkerer
Victoria
Soarer TTL

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Reg: 07-2005

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Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 09:15 pm, by: Ian Wood (Woody)

I did mine 5 years ago. Still looks good. Used a wire brush. Wiped down with K & N multi purpose thinners, let dry then sprayed with silver caliper paint.I masked surrounding bodywork and made a round cardboard template to prevent overspray onto rotor first. Sprayed calipers as well.

Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31

Posts: 2763
Reg: 10-2005

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Friday, June 15, 2007 - 06:16 am, by: Matthew Sharpe (Madmatt)

I was going to ask if rust converter was safe to use. Do you remember what one you used Murray?

Murray Lund
TryHard
NSW
V8

Posts: 125
Reg: 07-2005

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Friday, June 15, 2007 - 02:01 pm, by: Murray Lund (Murray)

Wattyl Killrust - though I suspect they're all much the same. Rinse off before painting.

Alex Barbieri
Tinkerer
VIC
VX S pack

Posts: 35
Reg: 08-2007

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Friday, October 12, 2007 - 06:37 pm, by: Alex Barbieri (Barbieros)

I know this thread has been around for a while but you should get you rotors anodised. My uncle owns a factory in Mentone and does occasionally. He does the slotting as well, and can put a gold or black finish on the disks. Soon as I get my soarer I'll get a set and show em off.

Brian Timms
DieHard
New South Wales
TT Soarer Goodness.

Posts: 668
Reg: 12-2006

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 09:26 am, by: Brian Timms (Turbo_brian)

David Wilson wrote on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 10:12 pm:
Just wondering if anyone has tried painting the hub/rotors to prevent the rusted look?
Is this a difficult job? Is there anything from a safety standpoint I should be aware of? Also would excess paint affect the rotor or will it jsut rub off, as Im sure I would have trouble creating a perfect circle with masking tape.

I did this on the weekend when painting my calipers, the hardest bit was the preperation work.

I used a drill and steeel wire brush disk to scrub off all the rusty metal, and bring the rotor back to a nice clean shiny look (also did the outer tops of the rotors), and then masked it up.

Be careful with masking to try and get as close to covering all of the shiny part as you can.

Now, with painting, I resorted to brush painting, because you can be far more accurate with a brush as opposed to spray painting, and I used a VHT silver paint to cover the ugly unsightly bits.

Something to bear in mind is to keep the area clean regularly to prevent the rusty look coming back.

The Cause:

You get this rusty look from the brake dust settling on the rotors and wheels, and not being cleaned off properly.

Brake pads contain traces of metal shavings in their material, and these shavings, as well as natural rotor wear leave mega-fine raw metalic fragments in the dust.

If you just water wet the dust to wash it off, the metal will rust, and the rust will stick to the rotors , wheels, etc leaving that unsightly look.

Keeping them clean by using a sponge to brush them off will prevent this in the future.

B.

James Johnson
DieHard
Victoria
JZZ30

Posts: 750
Reg: 07-2005

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Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 10:29 pm, by: James Johnson (Jamesy)

pffffff effort people!!!

just paint the rotors/calipers if you get a bit of over spray on the disc surface just wipe roughly with a rag then drive around the block to clean the disc surface i have done it many times on different cars, no need to waste time masking ect

Christian Somerville
Tinkerer
South Australia
UZZ31 V8

Posts: 81
Reg: 03-2009

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Thursday, September 10, 2009 - 05:09 pm, by: Christian Somerville (Csomers)

Hey, thinking of cleaning up my hubs and painting as well as the calipers, is it best to just leave the hubs on there as Ian did and use a wire brush to clean rush off and then paint, and tips for removing the calipers and painting, cheers guys.

Dave Cazes
DieHard
SA
tt

Posts: 617
Reg: 08-2007

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Friday, September 11, 2009 - 08:48 am, by: Dave Cazes (Cazman)

Christian Somerville wrote on Thursday, September 10, 2009 - 05:09 pm:
Hey, thinking of cleaning up my hubs and painting as well as the calipers, is it best to just leave the hubs on there as Ian did and use a wire brush to clean rush off and then paint, and tips for removing the calipers and painting, cheers guys.

Holy thread revival.
Yes leave them on the car. Just use a wire brush and get as much rust as you can off.

I painted my rotors when they were new. So I didnt have to combat any rust etc.
I have done it previously on other cars, but on the soarer I think im getting them up to higher temps, as the same heat proof paint that i used before, is now wearing off on the edges.

David Tra
Goo Roo
qld
TT

Posts: 1099
Reg: 11-2007

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Friday, September 11, 2009 - 09:07 am, by: David Tra (Bookie)

hey Dave

How long does it take to dry?

I do not have jack stands and thinking about doing it one wheel at a time.

Christian Somerville
Tinkerer
South Australia
UZZ31 V8

Posts: 84
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Friday, September 11, 2009 - 09:35 am, by: Christian Somerville (Csomers)

Cheers dave, yeah same david. I am thinking of just doing it in my driveway one wheel at a time whilst taking off the calipers - cleanin and then painting red, how long would it possibly take to do each corner (hub - cleaning and painting and caliper - cleanin and painting)

Cheers, by the way love the slotted rotors

David Tra
Goo Roo
qld
TT

Posts: 1100
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Friday, September 11, 2009 - 10:00 am, by: David Tra (Bookie)

I am planning on leaving the rotor + calipers on whilst I do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3mhq_BrnU0

Christian Somerville
Tinkerer
South Australia
UZZ31 V8

Posts: 86
Reg: 03-2009

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Friday, September 11, 2009 - 06:41 pm, by: Christian Somerville (Csomers)

Good vid, but nah i am going to be taking the calipers off, easier and you get a better surface coverage. Cheers Dave!

David Tra
Goo Roo
qld
TT

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Saturday, September 12, 2009 - 09:17 am, by: David Tra (Bookie)

off topic but this video is better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfDWQbnb-Zo

Rob Rojo
Goo Roo
NSW
92 TT & 95 TT

Posts: 2781
Reg: 12-2007

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Sunday, September 13, 2009 - 10:47 am, by: Rob Rojo (Rob_tt)

I painted my calipers and hubs on the car about a year ago, I didn't do any prep or masking just sprayed straight on and they still look just as good as they did when I painted them. The paint on the rotors comes of as soon as you hit the brakes.

Rob Rojo
Goo Roo
NSW
92 TT & 95 TT

Posts: 2782
Reg: 12-2007

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Sunday, September 13, 2009 - 10:59 am, by: Rob Rojo (Rob_tt)

Also just painted the calipers and rotors on our other Soarer yesterday when fitting new wheels.

Before:

After:

Christian Somerville
Tinkerer
South Australia
UZZ31 V8

Posts: 89
Reg: 03-2009

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Sunday, September 13, 2009 - 05:39 pm, by: Christian Somerville (Csomers)

Nice rob!

Dave Cazes
DieHard
SA
tt

Posts: 620
Reg: 08-2007

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Monday, September 14, 2009 - 09:23 am, by: Dave Cazes (Cazman)

Rob Rojo wrote on Sunday, September 13, 2009 - 10:47 am:
painted my calipers and hubs on the car about a year ago, I didn't do any prep or masking just sprayed straight on and they still look just as good as they did when I painted them. The paint on the rotors comes of as soon as you hit the brakes.

Yeah thats it, I basically just rubbed the calipers with a dry rag, youd be suprised that the paint just sticks to it really well.

I did min one at a time, with one jack and 1 jack stand also.

As I did mine when installing the new discs it was very easy.

No one even commented on my custom slotted discs

Peter Nitschke
Junk Filterer
South Australia
UZZ30 UZZ31

Posts: 10859
Reg: 11-2004

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Monday, September 14, 2009 - 11:46 am, by: Peter Nitschke (Pen)

Christian Somerville wrote on Friday, September 11, 2009 - 09:35 am:
Cheers, by the way love the slotted rotors

Dave Cazes wrote on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 09:23 am:
No one even commented on my custom slotted discs

Dave Cazes
DieHard
SA
tt

Posts: 622
Reg: 08-2007

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Monday, September 14, 2009 - 12:09 pm, by: Dave Cazes (Cazman)

Peter Nitschke wrote on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 11:46 am:
Christian Somerville wrote on Friday, September 11, 2009 - 09:35 am:

Cheers, by the way love the slotted rotors

Dave Cazes wrote on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 09:23 am:

No one even commented on my custom slotted discs

haha my second job is being blind. Sorry hahaha