Painting Brake Calipers
This week we performed some custom work, painting brake calipers on a 2008 Maserati Ghibli Q4. The process takes about 12 hours to do it the right way. Prep is key to making these calipers turn out like this. 1) Removing as much brake dust, dirt and grime and 2) High quality products.
First we will remove the wheels, brake rotors and pads. Next we do prep, lots and lots of prep. We can not do enough prep. If there is any brake dust on the calipers, the primer will not adhere correctly and you will see it. We also mask the entire car, incase of over spray,. We also mask the suspension components, ABS / sensor wires and brake fluid lines. After all the prep and masking is done, we spray 3 coats of acid based self etching primer on the calipers.
We let that set up and cure per the manufacture’s instruction, then start painting the brake calipers. Painting brake calipers takes time. Applying many light coats is the another key to a quality finish. The paint we use is a ceramic based high temp paint (900º) that will hold up to the heat. We let that set up for many hours before starting on the next step. When the paint has sets up, we install the Maserati decals. We use 3m cast vinyl that has a very long life, UV stable and is extremely thin. The clear coat will protect the decals and will last the life of the calipers. Lastly, we spray the calipers with ultra gloss, glamour 2 part clear coat. Again, many coats is the key to this amazing finish.
After everything cured over night, we were able to reassemble the brakes. We check the brakes and make sure everything is functional, exactly like when the vehicle arrived at the shop.
If you would like your brake calipers painted with the same results, contact us. Call 425-254-0627 or email us. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA.