Thanks to this thread:

 

lol @ Chase

dude, you're one of us now (Night Wrenchers) lol

Looks clean bro

 

serioulsy i cant work in the day i never have time so i started this project at 10pm and when i was putting in my K & N intake that was at midnight haha

 

u think pink cals will look good on the black 8? im either painting them pink or red... i may jus do 1 pink an see how it looks and go from there

 

I just did mine last weekend. Got a SS 8 so I painted black with G2 paint and Polaks white decals - I am very pleased with how it turned out - now I just hope the decals stay on well.

 

Did my calipers and hubs a few weeks ago. Duplicolor Black kit... enough paint for 5 more coats

 

I'm debating doing black with white decals, or white with black decals

I drive a BB....

Any input? (This is actually a repaint from blue)

 

Definitely black with white decals

 

i have an 04 winning blue i gonna order polaks rx8 decals and do the bottom coat then decals then paint over and take the decals off

suggestions on color combinations?
and what kind of paint to use g2 duplicolor some other brand?

im in georgia now snow so cold weather not a problem

if i decided to do blue which paint brand would be best to match the color of my car? or come close i want it to look good
anyone have pics of WB with painted calipers that you did yourself?
that show a side view of the whole car
ive seen acouple where they said they were a wb then only took pics of the wheels

 

blue lettering and black base

I used the g2 paint and it's great.

 

what if i did white lettering and blue base?
would that be too much?
the blue base i would get G2 to color match my winning blue as close as possible

if so ill just do black base blue lettering

 

can you use the brake caliper paint on the engine covers?

 

hey i was just wondering where do u get the car stands from and how much would they cost?? also where do u put them underneath the car??

 

Autozone, Pep Boys, Sears, most anywhere they sell automotive products. We have relatively lightweight vehicles so the two ton stands are adequate.

They typically go along the sills at/near the standard jack points.

Always use jackstands. It's not worth the potential injury working off a jack alone.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...ame=Jack+Stand

 

Sorry if this info is burried somewhere, but searching for Caliper Paint DIY instructions is proving to be impossible...

I'm looking for DIY INSTRUCTIONS on how to Remove/Paint the calipers & rotors...... I understand this is an OLD post, but since it's still active, I wondered if someone might post the instructions themselves, specifically how to remove the calipers, rotor and any relevant brake bleeding (no clue what that is but I've seen it mentioned).

The Pics and observations posted here are nice, and give great advice on how to tape things up, colors, etc... but they are missing the key info for a DIY.. that is how to actually start the project.

If this info is located in another thread that someone is aware of, please feel free to shoo me in that direction.

My main goal is to not F#@# up my breaks because I did something stupid to the Calipers

 

The G2 caliper paint kit comes with complete instructions.

Removing the calipers to a bench for painting is optimal, but you can paint them on the '8 as long as you mask around them properly and of course stay away from the brake runners.

Basically you just wire brush (if necessary), degrease the calipers with the included solvent, mix the 2-part paint and brush it on. Let dry and repeat as many coats as desired (two coats adequate - there's a time limit once you mix the paint).

 

If I had to do it again, I would go with a brush on paint and mask with the calipers still on the car. I had to do touch up with the calipers on and it was pretty easy and painless.

 

I do not have this "G2 Caliper Paint Kit"... I simply have a few cans of Caliper Paint and of course the cleaning supplies...I didn't see the need to buy an overpriced 'kit' just to include paint brushes, stirring sticks and a decal. Is there something else inside that makes the $40+ worth it?

According to G2's website however they don't even recommend removing the Calipers, per the instructions they have online.. perhaps they changed it since you bought your kit? (Or are there different kits perhaps)

The main reason I need/want to remove the calipers is so I can remove/paint the Rotor and shield behind it properly. The rotor itself is what has all the rust anyway, and I figured it'd be a pain in the *** to scrub.. rotate wheel.. scrub again..rotate etc...


Either way.. still hunting for instructions.. or a kind soul near me that might be able to show me how

 

The paint included in the G2 kit is arguably better than other brands and it was a easy 'one stop shopping' if you will.

I don't know what more you could be looking for as far as instructions - this ain't rocket science. Again, remove calipers or mask, wire brush if necessary, degrease with brake cleaner, mix the 2-part paint and brush it on as many coats as desired/within the paint's time limit (typically 2 coats). You can also do the hubs and rotor hub-rims (of course don't get paint on the rotor-brakepad contact surfaces). Done.

 

Aha! And there lies the key part of this DIY.. removing said calipers... I'm sure it's not difficult, however as someone who's never changed brakes/calipers I'm having a hard time locating any decent instructions.

I've found a few highly technical 'blow-up' type of pictures from various manuals.. but nothing that guides you step by step, as a typical DIY would do.

I've seen quite a few threads on these forums alone with people who have had problems putting on the calipers once removed, often lacking specific tools that seem to be required or not knowing 'simple' things that anyone who's done this before would know.

I guess I was a bit to optimistic that a DIY on painting calipers would have more info than "remove, clean, paint". The original poster had some great tips on things he found out but I don't think I'd call this a DIY by any means, perhaps a "Tips when..xxx" would have been a more appropriate title. (Just my option btw..)

Anyway.. I've finally purchased my jacks and stands, so this weekend I'll see how things go trying to clean it all while leaving the brakes on the car itself.. then seeing how easy it will be to tape everything off so I don't mess up the rotors/pads etc..

 

Check out the Brake DIY's for caliper removal. You should probably just mask yours.

http://www.hi-impact.org/ryang/modif...x8_brakes.html

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-how-change-your-rear-brake-pads-172382/

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...=brake+pad+DIY

 

I had seen this one, it's missing a few critical pics and honestly I couldn't even figure out where that first pic was from (Missing a reference point that I could identify, or perhaps just zoomed in too much for me).

This one I also looked at but only mentions how to swing it out.. no mention of how to remove it, and exactly how to put it back on correctly.... I almost went this route...

Finally.. you mentioned this link..
PERFECT!

I hadn't seen this one before, and it's not listed in the Alpha/Category sticky list for some strange reason... It's a bit hard to read due to lack of formatting, but by far it's the most comprehensive instructions I've seen, with great pics...

NOW I understand why everyone's been pushing to just mask it off.. OMG that's a lot of work.....

I tried to start the project today, thinking I had everything I needed...
Jack.. Check..
Jack Stands.. Check
Wheel Lock.. check...
Paint and materials.. check...

Then I ran into a few snags.. which required a few trips to Sears.. For anyone else who attempts this for the first time.. here's a list of items I neglected to make sure I had on hand..

1) Break-Bar/Flex Wrench - Used to help undo the lug nuts, especially when tightened properly to the right torque.. that little 10' wrench in the RX8 Toolkit simply does NOT have the right leverage.

2) To go along with the wrench, a 21 MM 6 point socket. (Strangely my tool kits all only had 19 or 22mm.. and all 12pt.. ) The 22mm probably would have worked but didn't want to risk stripping anything.. NOTE: Home Depots selection of sockets is dismal these days.. Sears Had the right one for about $6.50 among the other hundred or so sizes.

3) Torque Wrench to put back on the nuts properly. I never used a torque wrench before on my old cars..I just kinda tightened till I 'felt' they were good. I don't think you should risk it on the RX8.. Wrenchs can run quite a bit of $$... locally I can't find a good one under 79bucks... however I'm looking at a few off the internet:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...itemnumber=239
or
http://www.amazon.com/Michigan-Indus...0387974&sr=8-3

Perhaps someone has an opinion of a good one under $50? Or will these suffice for light duty? I'm leaning toward the amazon simply because it appears to also include an adapter I can use with my other tools which all are 3/4' (I only plan on rotating tires, and perhaps a few minor items)

Note: Make sure whatever one you get that it's rated at least over 100torque.. reason is our wheels are rated at something like 65-85 lbs.. and the smaller wrenchs usually stop at 75. Also pay attention to the driver size.. make sure it's the same size as whatever socket/break-bar you get so they are all interchangeable.

4) Finally... the Jack.
I just got this model from Sears, for over half off during last weeks sale.. $39.99!! http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00950140000P Looks like a decent light-weight system. Also bought 2 extra stands for the rear.

Now as a few others have noted in various threads... the RX8 is VERY low, even at stock. Most jacks will have trouble fitting under the front.. and even those that do, often have issues pumping the jack due to clearance. I've not solved this yet myself.. still debating which route to go.. the main two options I've seen are A) Use ramps (or some used 2x4's) to get a few extra inches to start, while using the front jack point.. or B) use the side rails with some sort of notched wooden block or foam/rubber padding on the side rails where the normal jack would be used. (a Spring Coil Booster works good I'm told).

Make sure you have all those 4 points covered before even thinking of starting a project like this.. most of the DIY I've read about 'assume' the user has these tools already and is familar with them. I suppose a decent 'home-mechanic' might.. but for those of us who never had the time before (Thank you Wall-Street!) we might need to spend a bit to get our toolset up to date.

Welp.. tommorrow I'm off to solve my jack issue.. then the 8 goes up.. hopefully I'll have enough time to at least clean 1-2 wheels of rust before I need to go anywhere.... I figure this weekend I'll clean all the rust.. then next weekend, a light cleaning again + paint. (Should be easy with the rust gone i hope)

Anyway.. thanks for that link Huey, It definitely helped me choose not to bother taking them off!

 

Most of my tools are from Sears (Craftsman), Northern Tool, Autozone (Duralast), and Harbor Freight (the latter for lesser used items). The Harbor Freight torque wrench is fine, but as you're building up your tools the Amazon linked is probably preferable as you cite it has the adaptors you may need. I prefer an ol' school click type as well. I can't be bothered looking at a needle.

Yup, an 18" breaker bar is a must. Autozone has a good one.

Get a "race jack." The very low profile is just right. 1.5 or 2-ton is fine. I can get to my front center jack point (just aft of plastic undercover) with the low profile jack, and that's the lowest point. Some other typical:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=67022

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NPULJC/...SIN=B000NPULJC

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ment+%26+Jacks

http://www.calcarcover.com/product.aspx?id=324&cid=

Also get a set of Rhino Ramps (Autozone or similar) for when you don't need to remove the wheels but still need clearance e.g. oil changes.

http://www.rhinoramps.com/12000.html

Wheel chocks are a good safety item as well.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96479

It's not really that hard to take off the calipers/rotors. Proper tools, take your time, don't force anything, and you'll be fine. But masking for caliper paint will also work aok.

 

heres mine with the stickers on front and back



coments welcome

 

just a note to all the guys using the decals on your calipers. The decals are best used as masking for the base coat of color you put down before the top color. If you want white lettering on your caliper you would put a base of white on that area, wait for it to dry, put on the decal over the white paint, then paint everything your top color (ie black). Once you were done painting you would remove the decal exposing the white paint beneath.

I don't think a vinyl decal is going to hold up for very long on our calipers.