Trupiano
Registered User
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2010
- Posts
- 10,981
- Reaction score
- 725
- Ram Year
- 2010 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD Crew Cab
- Engine
- 6.7L CTD
DIY Painted Calipers
You'll need 2 cans to tackle all four calipers, but yeah it's not too hard at all. Here's a little step by step for you.
Supplies:
painters tape/masking tape
2-3 cans of brake fluid DOT 3
Sockets 11mm, 14mm, and 21mm
Ratchet
Breaker bar, or long wrench with a closed end to use as a braker bar
brake cleaner
Car wash soap
Soap bucket
bucket/pan to catch the brake fluid that will drain out of your lines
(optional) turkey baster
couple rags
place to hang calipers on to paint/dry
2 cans of duplicolor engine paint good to 500'
wirebrush/sand paper
small rubber piece/or bolt to plug up caliper drain hole
1. Jack up the truck, put her on jackstands. I used the axle for the rears, and the lower control arms for the fronts.
2. Remove the wheels, set them aside where they wont get pain spray on them.
2b. [Optional] Use the turkey baster, or a siphone and remove as much brake fluid from your reservoir as possible.
3. Loosen the 2 large bolts on each caliper with the 21mm socket. You might need the breaker bar for these two bolts, they're torqued down pretty good. (leave them threaded in a couple threads till you get the brake line removed), then remove the 2 smaller bolts with the 11mm socket.
4. Put the catch pan under the brake and remove the brake line with the 14mm socket, let it hang over the pan. It will drain fluid, but that's ok cause you'll replace it with new fluid later.
5. take the caliper off the brake, then take the two caliper pieces apart, then take the pads off, then take the two stainless steel clips off. Clean them all with brake cleaner a couple times.
6. Sand the two caliper pieces with 250-320 grit sand paper, or the wire brush. After they are sanded pretty well, put them in the soapy bucket and clean the hell out of them with the rag.
7. After they're completely dry, hang them on the hooks for painting, and put the rubber plugs/bolts or whatever in the drain hole so you dont get paint in there. Also, tape over everything rubber. Each boot, so they wont crack and leak from getting paint on them.
8. Paint 3-4-5 coats, each 10 mins apart, and dont paint for more than an hour. Real lite coats at first, then the last can be a little thicker wet coat.
9. MOST IMPORTANT! After painting them, put them in a area where they can dry without being moved, or getting dust particles on them. AND DONT TOUCH THEM!Let them dry completely/cure, might take up to 12-24 hours.
10. When they're fully cure, reassemble all the pieces and put them back on the truck in reverse order, and make sure every bolt is tightened TIGHT! NOTE: THE CALIPERS NEED TO BE INSTALLED SO THE BLEEDER VALVE IS ON THE TOP OF THE CALIPER. IF NOT, YOU WILL NEVER GET YOUR BRAKES FULLY BLED.
10b. Make sure when your reinstalling the brake line, don't get any fluid on the painted caliper, cause brake fluid eats through paint pretty fast. I used some rags and a plastic bag.
11. Put new fluid in the reservoir, and bleed each brake several times until there's no bubbles and the brake fluid comes out in a clear/clean stream.
Hope this help!
REARS
FRONTS
ALL PAINED AND ASSEMBLED
You'll need 2 cans to tackle all four calipers, but yeah it's not too hard at all. Here's a little step by step for you.
Supplies:
painters tape/masking tape
2-3 cans of brake fluid DOT 3
Sockets 11mm, 14mm, and 21mm
Ratchet
Breaker bar, or long wrench with a closed end to use as a braker bar
brake cleaner
Car wash soap
Soap bucket
bucket/pan to catch the brake fluid that will drain out of your lines
(optional) turkey baster
couple rags
place to hang calipers on to paint/dry
2 cans of duplicolor engine paint good to 500'
wirebrush/sand paper
small rubber piece/or bolt to plug up caliper drain hole
1. Jack up the truck, put her on jackstands. I used the axle for the rears, and the lower control arms for the fronts.
2. Remove the wheels, set them aside where they wont get pain spray on them.
2b. [Optional] Use the turkey baster, or a siphone and remove as much brake fluid from your reservoir as possible.
3. Loosen the 2 large bolts on each caliper with the 21mm socket. You might need the breaker bar for these two bolts, they're torqued down pretty good. (leave them threaded in a couple threads till you get the brake line removed), then remove the 2 smaller bolts with the 11mm socket.
4. Put the catch pan under the brake and remove the brake line with the 14mm socket, let it hang over the pan. It will drain fluid, but that's ok cause you'll replace it with new fluid later.
5. take the caliper off the brake, then take the two caliper pieces apart, then take the pads off, then take the two stainless steel clips off. Clean them all with brake cleaner a couple times.
6. Sand the two caliper pieces with 250-320 grit sand paper, or the wire brush. After they are sanded pretty well, put them in the soapy bucket and clean the hell out of them with the rag.
7. After they're completely dry, hang them on the hooks for painting, and put the rubber plugs/bolts or whatever in the drain hole so you dont get paint in there. Also, tape over everything rubber. Each boot, so they wont crack and leak from getting paint on them.
8. Paint 3-4-5 coats, each 10 mins apart, and dont paint for more than an hour. Real lite coats at first, then the last can be a little thicker wet coat.
9. MOST IMPORTANT! After painting them, put them in a area where they can dry without being moved, or getting dust particles on them. AND DONT TOUCH THEM!Let them dry completely/cure, might take up to 12-24 hours.
10. When they're fully cure, reassemble all the pieces and put them back on the truck in reverse order, and make sure every bolt is tightened TIGHT! NOTE: THE CALIPERS NEED TO BE INSTALLED SO THE BLEEDER VALVE IS ON THE TOP OF THE CALIPER. IF NOT, YOU WILL NEVER GET YOUR BRAKES FULLY BLED.
10b. Make sure when your reinstalling the brake line, don't get any fluid on the painted caliper, cause brake fluid eats through paint pretty fast. I used some rags and a plastic bag.
11. Put new fluid in the reservoir, and bleed each brake several times until there's no bubbles and the brake fluid comes out in a clear/clean stream.
Hope this help!
REARS
FRONTS
ALL PAINED AND ASSEMBLED
Last edited:
