[E30 sam]

So I stupidly took my car to one of those hand car washes as it was filthy and I didn't have any time, the quality of the wash was actually okay but the problem is that they sprayed their pre wash all over my wheels. What ever it was it has eaten through my disc's (not the face just area around the hub) which where still looking well and my calipers are now a rusty eye sore. I know my own fault but my question is can I get my calipers powder coated?

Every time I wash the car the brakes are really letting it down so I'm thinking clean my discs up, strip the calipers and get them powder coated grey to tidy them up but I'm unsure that powder coating will withstand the heat that the calipers endure while breaking.

Cheers in advance for any help.

[djgandy]

You can paint the calipers with caliper paint.

[Thermobaric]

Yeah. Quite common to powder coat calipers. Quite a few places offer it.

http://www.biggred.co.uk/
http://www.godspeedbrakes.co.uk/cont...ioned-calipers

[Aragorn30d]

I painted my disk bells with hammerite smooth black, and they're holding up just fine.

[Dopeslope]

I wouldnt of thought powder coating would be up to high heat applications ???

Give your nearest place a call ?

You would get a better looking finish with paint though.

[Thermobaric]

Powder coating stands up fine to the heat and you in fact get a better finish over paint.

[Aragorn30d]

But you can paint them yourself, insitu, in about 20minutes....

Powdercoating calipers requires them to be removed, stripped, powdercoated, rebuilt and refitted, leaving the car immobile for days.

[Thermobaric]

Sure. It just depends if you're happy to pay extra & endure a bit of inconvenience if it's your only car for a superior finish.

[erchie84]

Done properly paints fine and a bit lacquer to finish it off

[Dopeslope]

Have you thought about anodizing ?

If you do the rebuild yourself I know I'd be interested in part no's and a DIY........

[steb9780]

Painted mine with some hammerite smooth silver, neighbour asked me if I'd put new calipers on...so result in my book that!

Some pictures in a thread I made here if you are after ideas on colour/finish

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1151121

[R99]

BMW did exactly this to my brakes - spayed some kind of acidic wheel cleaner onto the wheels and its obviously then landed on the painted surface of the disc top hats (BMW Performance discs)

I'll be collecting it on Thursday with 4 brand new discs - I hate to think what this stuff is to be able to strip paint!!!

[Aragorn30d]

The painted bit isnt painted. Its a zinc coating, which is why the acid eats it.

The acid doesnt do anything to paint, which is why its used as a wheel cleaner!

[R99]

Makes more sense r.e coating, I'm guessing the zinc prevents rust as long as it doesnt come into contact with something acidic?

How does it hold up to road salt?

[Aragorn30d]

The zinc acts as a sacrificial anode. The idea is that its more reactive that the steel, so instead of the steel rusting, the zinc gives up electrons instead.

Over time, with exposure to moisture etc the zinc will change color and become depleted and eventually the disk will start to rust, but its a very gradual process, perhaps happening over a year or two in a fairly subtle manner.

Unlike hot-dip galvanising used on fences and structural steelwork etc, the electroplated layer on brake disks is very thin, and if it was a few years old it'll likely have been near depletion anyway. Furthermore, you dont typically get the bright orange fresh rust stage, it starts silver, and just gets darker and darker with time, which means folk dont notice the disk has rusted.

The Acid reacts readily with Zinc and so dissolves it away.