There's a set of "high-temp" Akebono decals in the Classifieds. Powder coating can be iffy on the front calipers. When I did powdercoating, I usually baked the parts at 400-450 °F and I can see calipers getting that hot which would certainly soften the coating. With all this said, maybe Wilwood, Brembo and the like use a different material; most race cars I see have colored calipers.

 

Good to know. I had a feeling the decals might not survive. I guess I would have to hold off on those until I am done tracking the car.

That's good info. Do you know if people are seeing powdercoated calipers change color or melt after a track day? That would leave me with using high temp paint and just painting them myself. It would be glossy, but not metallic like they are now or like a lot of powdercoated ones that I see. It's not the end of the world, but my front calipers are definitely more gold than the rears- and this is with 2pc. rotors, good pads, and front brake ducts.

 

I'm obviously less of a driver than you as my calipers are still the same color front-to-back and I've used both OE and Z1 rotors with no ducting. Of course, MSR Houston isn't long enough for my weak car to obtain more than 110 mph.

I think your options are to look at what powdercoating material is used on racing calipers, use high-temp paint or run bare aluminum.

 

I agree. Ohh bare aluminum. I kind of like that idea. However, I wonder if I would need some sort of high temp clear coating to keep them from oxidizing or if the bare metal would still change color from the heat.

 

Polish to doo doo out of them. It works for Warbirds.

 

That might actually be a cool idea for a project down the road. What's the best way to get the paint off- paint thinner?

 

There are solvents specifically for removing powdercoat.

 

 

Is the paint from the factory powdercoated or could I just use some sort of automotive paint stripper?

I would prefer to do it on the car without having to disconnect the brake lines if possible.


I wonder if anyone else has tried this. Then again, if I do this I might have to peel the nice carbon wrap I just put on my window surrounds to bring the chrome back to match the calipers better. lol

The other option would probably be to paint or powdercoat them a dark color so that the heat from track days that normally turns them a different color would not be so noticeable. Then I could experiment with the akebono stickers to see how long they last.

 

I was just going to mention Rotarymikes comment on the other thread...I didn't realize powder coating was subject to destabalizing at such temps ..mind= blown....I always just painted mine cause its cheaper and easier but it may be the better option for track use if thats the case...I used high heat paint, high heat vinyl decals and high heat clear ...got my decals from Strictly GZ ..one caveat, and I mentioned this on the other thread,I haven't noticed any discolouration but I went with a copper decal and my calipers are black so they may just hide any discoloration form track use better than other colors, so maybe colour choice is something to consider too

Also, every spring, I mask the decals and give the black part a quick respray (its easy to do while on the car).. to refresh them and to cover chips (thats one big minus for paint vs powder coating..it chips easier) ...

 

Since we're talking calipers and paint... you know what I like? That anodized finish look, with sharp edges and flat surfaces. Too often a paint or powdercoat process ends up looking like the caliper was dipped in a can of paint, then covered in 20 layers of clearcoat.

How do you achieve a crisp, anodized look with the Akebono calipers?

I'm planning on a brake upgrade in 2020, and the more I keep reading about painted calipers, the more I want to dovetail that goal into the same project. I really like how Supra recommended getting a reman set of calipers to work on leading up to the brake install.

 

I think you have to do a 2 stage paint, chrome/silver with translucent colour over it to get the anodized look...the only thing with the akebonos is they are all curves and no sharp edges or flat surfaces really so it may not look right...

 

Good info. And good point on the caliper design. The Akebono edges are rolled. Hmm.

 

Besides, sharp corners are hot spots for developing cracks in the base material.

 

Late to the party, but just wanted to add... the akebonos are aluminum, correct? You could get them actually anodized.

I think the akebonos, like most mass-production calipers, are cast and therefore the edges are not crisp. Compare to wilwoods or some brembos - those are machined, and much more crisp lines on the outside.