Brake Calipers..!!!!

[Goldie]

When I have looked at some of the cobra kits that are complete, I notice
that quite a lot, the brake calipers have been tideied up and end up being a
greeny gold colour, but they do not look like they have been painted bacause
you can still see the texture of the metal material.

I will be dismantling all that type of stuff very soon. Big thick metal
suspension bits will go to be blasted and powder coated.

I was wondering if anybody knew what I should do to get the calipers like
this after I have dismantled them to make sure that they do actually work??

Cheers

Goldie...

[paul]

Hi I think you are talking about gold zinc plating it used to be cadmium plating but that had nasties in it. When you strip the calipers don't split them on the centre line joint and send them to a company that deals with plating car parts so that they know to keep the bores protected during the process
cheers
Paul

[PeteT]

What you have seen in Zinc pacivate coating (i think thats how its spelt? ) i have just had some bits done. I know of a company in Braintree, Braintree Electroplaters- in the phone book. But to tell the truth why don`t you just get exchange units. They are available from Dax or Classic spares of Waltham Cross they are fully rebuilt and are as new ! about £55 each, and are already coated, ready to bolt in. Cheers Peter

[Goldie]

Brilliant,
thanks for that....

I have done some visits to a few visits to a few platers today to see how much it would cost to get my side pipes chromed. I never had any idea that there was any such thing as gold zinc.

When you look at the actual finish it sort of looks like someone just put a coloured dye over the calipers as you can still see quite clearly the stippled sort of pattern as clearly as is the original. I thought that zinc plating would have made that pattern more smooth...

But if that is what you say, I will take the calipers to the few local places and ask them to show me some that they did earlier so that I am sure it is the finish that I want...

as an aside, the chroming people were saying that they may have a problem croming the pipes as, where the 4 pipes run together for about 8 inches, the place where they meet, which is a sort of deep trough, they tell me that the chrome will not be so good there, as it would me more yellow than nice shiny silver.

They recommended Nickel plating, and showed me an example, and I never knew that nickel plating was so good. It really was very much like Chrome but just a slightly different shade to it.. I was impressed.. But I am not really sure if it is the thing to do.... Has anybody had this problem with the little tight gaps not being the right colour, and how bad is it really..????

[John]

'Scuse my ignorance, but why does my Haynes manual tell me not to split the calipers under any circumstances [also see above note from Paul]?

I bought my brakes / axles ready stripped from a guy who gave up and he had already broken the calipers down piece-small, but all the bolts etc are there.How do I re-assemble to give the caliper it's integrity back, or do I need to re-source [applies to front and back]?


Help!


Regards

John

Hi, just read your messages about brake caliper spliting, im a mechanic and as such havent used a manual when rebuilding my calipers, but i cant see why you shouldnt split them, my seal kit, a budweg service part has the new joint seal in it so all should be well, i fully intend to just use the calipers as normal, hope thats re assured you.