painting vented rotors

Live with the rust. Painting is a waste of time/paint. You'd need a high temp epoxy paint worth more than the rotors. Might slow heat transfer too. Rotors can get as hot as an exhaust manifold. I wouldn't say you're are anal retentive. Maybe you just have too much time on your hands. Read a good book.

--Vic

Am I missing something, Nate?

What good is painting the rotors? The paint will wear off!

Unless, of course, you're talking about painting the VENTS! You can get VHT paint, usually a Urethane that's made for calipers and rotors. As far as the cosmoline, regular brake parts cleaner should do the trick.

And as far as being anal, *I* would have them powder coated! ;)

I know. makes masking easier :)

yes, and the hub part.

yup, got some...

I'm thinking it'd take quite a few spray cans to get it clean enough to paint though...?

Now that's just over the top :)

Seriously, I wonder why more rotors aren't coming through zinc or cad plated? guys like me would go nuts for that stuff.

nate

Buy an old oven on the side of the road for $25 and do it yourself!

Good God, I thought *I* was bad!!!!

I want to take the calipers off my Scion tC, have them sandblasted, and then polish and clear-coat them.

One of these days, if I ever find the cable that connects my digital camera to my computer, remind me to show you what I did with a set of Celica wheels...

You know what the worst part is? My truck has steel wheels. you can't see this stuff. BUT I KNOW IT'S THERE...

You oughta see the insides of the brakes on my Stude. If I'd bothered to paint the return springs, they'd look like ones from a brand new car with the drums off.

nate

Shoot! I replace rear drums once every ten years whether they need it or not...

Nate Nagel wrote in news:gu0129029v3 @news1.newsguy.com:

ANY such coating or paint is totally GONE after one single Rust Belt winter, probably why no parts maker bothers to produce anything any more durable.

If you decide to "go nuts" over this silliness, make sure you live in a place where oxidation isn't any kind of concern. Phoenix AZ would be good.

My question: They make exhausts and brake caliper pistons out of semi-stainless. Why not brake rotors?

I'm guessing steel is too brittle, but that is simply just a guess.

If you don't want 'em to rust, there's always carbon or ceramic :) (probably not worth it for a pickup truck though...)

nate

The manufacturers recommend that all new rotors be washed with soap and water. Supposedly that's the only way to lift the steel machining residue off the surface. if you don't it is said that it will get in the pads and make them less effective and/or noisy.

I was under the impression that they did make stainless steel rotors, but havent checked it. They would be expensive, in a world where most people want a $15 rotor.

Im going to have to google this, out of curiosity.

"HLS" wrote in news:hFVMl.18758$8_3.4798 @flpi147.ffdc.sbc.com:

Lots of them for motorcycles, but not for cars. Why? Too heavy maybe?

Expense, more likely... There is a wide overlap of densities from cast iron to stainless steel, but let's just say there is no real difference.

There are patents for martensitic stainless steel brake rotors for cars...

I would guess that the market for bikeheads is greater for this type of item than for soccer moms.