Powder Coating Brakes

[Joshua_RS5]

Hey guys,

I am looking at getting my brake calipers powder coated this year. Has anyone else done this? If so, did you run into any issues? Can you let me know on things to look out for or any specific steps I should take to get this done properly? I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you

[s vier]

Josh, I’m just south of you and am looking the same thing. I have Ceramics I want to install but I don’t like the grey. I want them to be the same Tornado Red as my current Calipers.

[Joshua_RS5]

I heard that taking apart the rear parking brake can cause issues such as them not wanting to go back together. Does this sound familiar?

[Sazexa]

You'll need some sort of VW/Audi coding type tool or diagnostic tool to put the rear brakes into service mode, since they have the parking brake motors. Aside from that, just find a good shop that specializes in auto parts and powder coating.

[Joshua_RS5]

You'll need some sort of VW/Audi coding type tool or diagnostic tool to put the rear brakes into service mode, since they have the parking brake motors. Aside from that, just find a good shop that specializes in auto parts and powder coating.

So there shouldn't be an issue with putting the electronic parking brake back together?

[bknewtype]

just make sure ur shop redoes all the seals and stuff after powdercoating them

alternatively u can have them professionally painted. much cheaper and no need to rebuild. they may not last as long as powder coat, but they still last a good 3-5+ years and i doubt anyone really owns the car for that long.

[Joshua_RS5]

just make sure ur shop redoes all the seals and stuff after powdercoating them

alternatively u can have them professionally painted. much cheaper and no need to rebuild. they may not last as long as powder coat, but they still last a good 3-5+ years and i doubt anyone really owns the car for that long.

I definitely plan on keeping this car until it dies for good. But thank you for the input.

[bknewtype]

I definitely plan on keeping this car until it dies for good. But thank you for the input.

no problem.i had the dilemma when doing my r8 brakes. powder coat vs paint. decided paint because it was 500 vs 1200. kind of a no brainer. shop took apart the brakes, sandblasted, cleaned all the seals, did a 2 stage paint with clear, and put everything back together. just a suggestion since not many people think of paint. it holds equally as well





[IMG]IMG_5677 by Bknewtype, on Flickr[/IMG]

[Joshua_RS5]

no problem.i had the dilemma when doing my r8 brakes. powder coat vs paint. decided paint because it was 500 vs 1200. kind of a no brainer. shop took apart the brakes, sandblasted, cleaned all the seals, did a 2 stage paint with clear, and put everything back together. just a suggestion since not many people think of paint. it holds equally as well





[IMG]IMG_5677 by Bknewtype, on Flickr[/IMG]

Love the car dude. Since I am keeping the car indefinitely, I think I am still going to go with Powder coating them. I've been in contact with a powder coating up by me and they quoted me quite fairly in my opinion. But I have to do all the disassembly and reassembly of the calipers myself.

[Natejo91]

I don’t have an S5/RS5 (I wish) but I took apart my brakes, had them powder coated and then reassembled/rebuilt them last summer. I had my front calipers, rear calipers and caliper carriers along with associated hardware all powder coated for $350. Im in Seattle...just giving you a price reference if you’re asking around. I recommend powder coating because it gets baked on and holds up to heat better if you plan on tracking your car at all. If you go the powder coating route, I recommend buying some extra dust boots and o rings in the event that you tear one during reassembly. Ask me how I know :(


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[Joshua_RS5]

I don’t have an S5/RS5 (I wish) but I took apart my brakes, had them powder coated and then reassembled/rebuilt them last summer. I had my front calipers, rear calipers and caliper carriers along with associated hardware all powder coated for $350. Im in Seattle...just giving you a price reference if you’re asking around. I recommend powder coating because it gets baked on and holds up to heat better if you plan on tracking your car at all. If you go the powder coating route, I recommend buying some extra dust boots and o rings in the event that you tear one during reassembly. Ask me how I know :(


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When you had yours done, how far did you disassemble the calipers? Did you take everything off? Or were there some areas that were just masked off?

Thanks!

[Natejo91]

I took them completely apart. O rings, seals, any dust boots or covers. Basically anything that’s rubber. Luckily, the place I took mine to does a lot of car parts so they actually had plugs/covers made to put over the cylinder bores. I bought some calipers off a wrecked Cayenne Turbo, disassembled them cleaned them up a little bit so that the nice lady at the front desk didn’t have to get her hands dirty and they sand blasted them for me and then powder coated them. Afterwards, I used a little bit of fine grit sandpaper to clean up any overspray in the cylinder bores to make sure the pistons would seal against the walls nice and tight again.


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[Joshua_RS5]

I took them completely apart. O rings, seals, any dust boots or covers. Basically anything that’s rubber. Luckily, the place I took mine to does a lot of car parts so they actually had plugs/covers made to put over the cylinder bores. I bought some calipers off a wrecked Cayenne Turbo, disassembled them cleaned them up a little bit so that the nice lady at the front desk didn’t have to get her hands dirty and they sand blasted them for me and then powder coated them. Afterwards, I used a little bit of fine grit sandpaper to clean up any overspray in the cylinder bores to make sure the pistons would seal against the walls nice and tight again.


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Sounds good! Thank you for the help. Time to get me hands dirty, yet again haha.

[Natejo91]

Always

Good luck!

[Joshua_RS5]

Does anyone know where I can get a good set of caliper stickers from? I've been finding a lot of ebay and Amazon ones, but not so much anything else.

[AsherAudi]

Does anyone know where I can get a good set of caliper stickers from? I've been finding a lot of ebay and Amazon ones, but not so much anything else.

As long as they're heat-resistant vinyl they should be good - I got mine from the dealer though!

[Joshua_RS5]

As long as they're heat-resistant vinyl they should be good - I got mine from the dealer though!

Okay thank you! On another note, I keep hearing mention of this seal that cannot be removed from inside the caliper. Is this true? If so, will this be able to withstand the temperatures that come along with powder coating?

[NaiveTurtle]

I had zero issues with any seals or parts not coming out of my rear calipers when I had them powder coated.

I will say that you will want to see if your current calipers are powder coated black or not. My guess is that since you have an RS5 you have black powder coated calipers from the factory (my S5 did). Is this is the case you will need to take your torn down calipers (or have your powder coating shop send them out) to a chemical stripper. Most shops do not have a sand/media blaster strong enough to remove all of the powder coat. If you don't take care of this one step the new powder will look like junk and possibly have adhesion issues. the chemical stripping cost me ~$50 for the two carriers and two calipers.

[NaiveTurtle]

I had zero issues with any seals or parts not coming out of my rear calipers when I had them powder coated.

I will say that you will want to see if your current calipers are powder coated black or not. My guess is that since you have an RS5 you have black powder coated calipers from the factory (my S5 did). Is this is the case you will need to take your torn down calipers (or have your powder coating shop send them out) to a chemical stripper. Most shops do not have a sand/media blaster strong enough to remove all of the powder coat. If you don't take care of this one step the new powder will look like junk and possibly have adhesion issues. the chemical stripping cost me ~$50 for the two carriers and two calipers.

[Joshua_RS5]

I had zero issues with any seals or parts not coming out of my rear calipers when I had them powder coated.

I will say that you will want to see if your current calipers are powder coated black or not. My guess is that since you have an RS5 you have black powder coated calipers from the factory (my S5 did). Is this is the case you will need to take your torn down calipers (or have your powder coating shop send them out) to a chemical stripper. Most shops do not have a sand/media blaster strong enough to remove all of the powder coat. If you don't take care of this one step the new powder will look like junk and possibly have adhesion issues. the chemical stripping cost me ~$50 for the two carriers and two calipers.

I will make sure to ask the place I am having my calipers done at. Thank you for the heads up!

[JorisRS6]

I got my caliper powdercoated on my previous car. I first tried paint but it didnt last. A year later i tore them apart and removed all rubber and the pistons. Thrn i got them professionally sandblasted, chimical stripped and powder coated for $500 CAD. It lasted snd looked much better than the paint imo.


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[bknewtype]

I got my caliper powdercoated on my previous car. I first tried paint but it didnt last. A year later i tore them apart and removed all rubber and the pistons. Thrn i got them professionally sandblasted, chimical stripped and powder coated for $500 CAD. It lasted snd looked much better than the paint imo.


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prob didn't do it at a professional shop then. shop that painted my calipers, also did a sandblast, chemical strip, and took apart the whole caliper before doing 2 stages of paint w/ clear coat. they last 3 years minimum without showing any wear at all.

I painted my own calipers on my a5, with the calipers on with very little prep and it looked decent for a DIY, but def found some chips and wear over time.

[Natejo91]

Just my advice, but I wanted to do it right the first time and not have to worry about possibly doing the whole process over. So I took everything apart and got it blasted and powder coated. No worrying about seals leaking later on or paint chipping or pealing.

Conversely, you could ask around at different powder coat places and see what temperature they bake at. If it’s a place where they bake multiple parts at once, then the time and temperature may vary depending on the thickness of the various parts. Or you could just ask and see what they recommend. A couple of places I asked said they wouldn’t do it unless I disassembled everything.


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[JorisRS6]

prob didn't do it at a professional shop then. shop that painted my calipers, also did a sandblast, chemical strip, and took apart the whole caliper before doing 2 stages of paint w/ clear coat. they last 3 years minimum without showing any wear at all.

I painted my own calipers on my a5, with the calipers on with very little prep and it looked decent for a DIY, but def found some chips and wear over time.

Yes thats right. The painting i did myself. I did take them apart though, sanded them down and baked them. I just got a new phone so i dont have pics. Im considering painting the rs6 calipers simply because i hardly drive it. 5-10k a year.


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[bknewtype]

Yes thats right. The painting i did myself. I did take them apart though, sanded them down and baked them. I just got a new phone so i dont have pics. Im considering painting the rs6 calipers simply because i hardly drive it. 5-10k a year.


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Yea the shop that did mine used actual high heat automotive paint, same methods as painting a car, not from a spray can and results are phenomenal. Paint is def a great alternative to powdercoating as it costs a lot less and still last for a good amount of time while cheap enough that u can change colors every few years

If someone can get powdercoating done for about the same price as paint, go with that without a doubt. But all the shops here quoted 3x the priced of paint simply due to the fact that the caliper needs to b rebuilt , while paint doesnt require a rebuild


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[Sazexa]

How much did painting cost you? I can have my calipers powder coated, single-stage color and a clear coat over it, for probably around $100ish per caliper.

[bknewtype]

How much did painting cost you? I can have my calipers powder coated, single-stage color and a clear coat over it, for probably around $100ish per caliper.

Painting was 500 for dismantling sandblasting 2 stages ppg paint and clear. Powder coat woulda been almost 1500 due to rebuilding

Of course, cheaper if i dismantle and prep myself but I’m not mechanically inclined like that


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[Joshua_RS5]

I'll definitely post some pictures when I get this done! Won't be until mid-April however.

[NaiveTurtle]

Painting was 500 for dismantling sandblasting 2 stages ppg paint and clear. Powder coat woulda been almost 1500 due to rebuilding

Of course, cheaper if i dismantle and prep myself but I’m not mechanically inclined like that


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I'd like to know where you got the 1500 from to rebuild and powder coat. Rebuilding is no where near that expensive. You may be think of R8 tax, but it's no where near that high.

I rebuilt my 6-piston AP calipers, chemical stripped, and powder coated for under $500. And that should be very similar to R8 calipers.

[bknewtype]

I'd like to know where you got the 1500 from to rebuild and powder coat. Rebuilding is no where near that expensive. You may be think of R8 tax, but it's no where near that high.

I rebuilt my 6-piston AP calipers, chemical stripped, and powder coated for under $500. And that should be very similar to R8 calipers.

my friends shop in Brooklyn quoted me 1500 for powder coating all in, and 500 for painting all in, and he recommended I do paint instead

another shop in jersey, whos actually a vendor here, had a deal of 1200 if we got 5 people as a group buy

both are super reputable shops

[NaiveTurtle]

my friends shop in Brooklyn quoted me 1500 for powder coating all in, and 500 for painting all in, and he recommended I do paint instead

another shop in jersey, whos actually a vendor here, had a deal of 1200 if we got 5 people as a group buy

both are super reputable shops

That seems a but ridiculous to me...

[bknewtype]

That seems a but ridiculous to me...

might be location based as well, but yea, for me it was a no brainer to do paint because imo its not worth 1500 for powder coating. 500 for powdercoating all in, ill do it in a heart beat over paint for sure.

[Joshua_RS5]

I'm going to be about $800 for powder coating mine. But that also includes tear down of the calipers, current powder coat removal, storage of the car and bleeding of the brakes.

[NaiveTurtle]

I'm going to be about $800 for powder coating mine. But that also includes tear down of the calipers, current powder coat removal, storage of the car and bleeding of the brakes.

If you are paying someone to do it then $800 seems more reasonable. Cause you habe to factor in labor.

[bknewtype]

I'm going to be about $800 for powder coating mine. But that also includes tear down of the calipers, current powder coat removal, storage of the car and bleeding of the brakes.

outta curiosity, "current powder coat removal " how do you know the oem calipers are powder coated? afaik the OEM brakes has the red "painted" option so I would think the original brake calipers are painted black as well

also that price includes rebuilding the seals and everything? if so, a great deal

[Joshua_RS5]

outta curiosity, "current powder coat removal " how do you know the oem calipers are powder coated? afaik the OEM brakes has the red "painted" option so I would think the original brake calipers are painted black as well

also that price includes rebuilding the seals and everything? if so, a great deal

One of the other guys in this thread told me that his were powder coated from the factory. He had the black calipers just like I do. So I am just assuming that he was telling the truth. Still have a lot to learn about my car. And yes, that includes the total rebuild of the calipers as well. Plus my new pads that I got over the winter.

[bknewtype]

One of the other guys in this thread told me that his were powder coated from the factory. He had the black calipers just like I do. So I am just assuming that he was telling the truth. Still have a lot to learn about my car. And yes, that includes the total rebuild of the calipers as well. Plus my new pads that I got over the winter.

mmm im not so sure if they are powder coated honestly, not saying they aren't, but the fact that the option for red calipers are paint from factory, makes me think the OEM color is paint as well

either way, kinda irrelevant. but good luck! u got a great deal for PC

[bknewtype]

as I thought, oem brakes are painted, not powder coated:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...1#post12076561

[NaiveTurtle]

My rear calipers and carriers were powder coated black. I had to have them chemically stripped.

Either someone powder coated them or the factory did.

[bknewtype]

My rear calipers and carriers were powder coated black. I had to have them chemically stripped.

Either someone powder coated them or the factory did.

possible different with the s5 vs rs5 as the s5 never had option for painted brakes. they could of switched methods to be more cost effective on the RS