- Joined
- Jan 3, 2013
- Messages
- 7,539
- Car
- AUDI S8 V10, S210 E320 CDI (R.I.P.)
Here is mine done at BCS (not a great pic sorry)
Newly painted callipers - paint on discs!
- Thread starter Charlie2020
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
ash59fifty-uk
MB Enthusiast
Here we go again Ash, i
agree your calipers look great, from BCS, but for £400
they should do, I did mine meself, and on the car, and they look fine, certainly not crap, ok if you got down on your hands and knees and looked at them closely they ain't perfect, but just walking past the car or the car moving they look good, and for £10
and my time, they'll do for me.
I’m not sure why people take it personally, anyone can hold a paintbrush and hold a spray can. Also anyone can lay a brick but if I want to install a little porch to the front of my house it wouldn’t look great DIY so I get a pro in
It’s all about wether you’re happy at the end of the day, some have QC concerns, some do not
SmartAmg
MB Club Veteran
Totally agree your calipers are far better quality than mine, and as I've said so they should be. What slightly bugged me was, you said,
"I don't care who you are, if you do your calipers yourself they will look crap" And mine
certainly don't look crap.
And nothing to do with quality concerns, more to do with money concerns.
OP
OP
Charlie2020
Active Member
ok yes they do look the business, but £400 does seem steep when getting all four wheels refurbed and dipped/sprayed is £400-£500 and I would have thought a lot more work.
I am inclined to agree that diy (or sub standard pro) don’t look ‘crap’ given they are replacing the ‘corrosion grey’ they come with, one would have to go really wrong for it not to be a huge improvement. I would rather pay more for piece of mind, but have been hit with two new discs and two new tyres in my first 3 months (Don’t ask how badly lipped discs got through a B service and the strict Mercedes approved used car tests - that’s another story - which I complained about of course)
Last edited:
OP
OP
Charlie2020
Active Member
no it is just glue left on the wheels and he never cleans it. They were refurbed and made black at the same time and that was a perfect job to be fair.”
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2017
- Messages
- 4,269
- Car
- GLB 220D 4Matic P+
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2013
- Messages
- 7,539
- Car
- AUDI S8 V10, S210 E320 CDI (R.I.P.)
£400-£500 is a steep price for a set of wheel refurb in my opinion. As I said in the other thread, there is a difference between painting calipers and refurbishing them. Depends if you want the internals doing or not. There are companies that will paint them for you in situ, whether that gives a better finish than DIY I'm not sure
They often slap some glue on the tyre wall when fitting the tyre to help it seal against the rim.I for one am puzzled with this so called "Glue" Where did it come from?
Looks like the tyre fitter was as careful at applying the glue as the person who sprayed the callipers.
ash59fifty-uk
MB Enthusiast
I’m yet to see any DIY calliper Jobs (unless the person is in the trade) look acceptable! Again, nobody should take that personally
Petrol Pete
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
This 'glue' on the inside of the tyre bead was completely unknown to me until just the other day when I saw 2 part worn tyres being fitted to an old van at a place next to my mates garage . I was in there to give the guys my 2 pence worth on new light fittings .
The fitter painted black 'rubber' gunk on the inside of the wheel rim lip before mounting the tyre but no lubricant on the tyre bead. I asked him what it was and in his best Albanian/English he said it was glue to stop the tyre going flat.
Having never having anything to do with part worn tyres my guess is because they have done XXXX amount of miles and the bead has been disturbed more than a few time they are susceptible to leaks at the bead
Every day is a school day.
The fitter painted black 'rubber' gunk on the inside of the wheel rim lip before mounting the tyre but no lubricant on the tyre bead. I asked him what it was and in his best Albanian/English he said it was glue to stop the tyre going flat.
Having never having anything to do with part worn tyres my guess is because they have done XXXX amount of miles and the bead has been disturbed more than a few time they are susceptible to leaks at the bead
Every day is a school day.
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2010
- Messages
- 5,626
- Location
- Stirling, Scotland
- Car
- E55 AMG W211, E250 Sport W212, (and some Imps)
What's the mark on right hand side of last picture ?
SmartAmg
MB Club Veteran
Very nice! Lee.Sorry for the thread revival.... but couldn't help myself
Just had these done as part of my wide arch project By Golding Barn Garage. This is Quality.
View attachment 92823
View attachment 92824
View attachment 92825
not sure what mark? I can't see one, I looked at them today while I was at the bodyshop.
Could be lighting??
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2010
- Messages
- 5,626
- Location
- Stirling, Scotland
- Car
- E55 AMG W211, E250 Sport W212, (and some Imps)
Joderest
Active Member
I have to disagree with some comments on here.
A decent DIY job can be done with care. My W163 callipers front and back looked a bit sorry, so at the front I took out the pads, wire brushed the calliper and then rubbed down, masked everything up and sprayed with undercoat, de masked and rubbed down again and then masked up, sprayed with smooth silver hammerite, then when dry some clear hard coat.
Rears needed to come off and have piston rubbers replaced, I did the same to them (except being off the car, no need to mask up). I bought some calliper stickers and put them on before the hard coat.
They still look ok over a year later, might have to do the front ones again as I let a garage replace the lower ball joint and they scratch the calliper !!!!
A decent DIY job can be done with care. My W163 callipers front and back looked a bit sorry, so at the front I took out the pads, wire brushed the calliper and then rubbed down, masked everything up and sprayed with undercoat, de masked and rubbed down again and then masked up, sprayed with smooth silver hammerite, then when dry some clear hard coat.
Rears needed to come off and have piston rubbers replaced, I did the same to them (except being off the car, no need to mask up). I bought some calliper stickers and put them on before the hard coat.
They still look ok over a year later, might have to do the front ones again as I let a garage replace the lower ball joint and they scratch the calliper !!!!
Gazwould
MB Enthusiast
Spray nice smooth finished alloy calipers every time , hand painting rough iron cast is very doable insitu .
What clear coat did you use on top of the Hammerite Smooth ?
What clear coat did you use on top of the Hammerite Smooth ?
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2019
- Messages
- 2,377
- Location
- Guildford
- Car
- E250 Avantgarde Estate, Alfa GTV V6, Vespa, Ducati, many bicycles...
Agree, I’ve done the calipers on the E250, my Alfa and touched up those on my wife’s Abarth, all using smoothrite. I prefer to paint by hand as I find the sprays can be a bit thin. There’s definitely a technique, a sweet spot of paint thickness when laying it on. Thick but not so thick it runs, and I also get a hairdryer on it straight away so it skins. Then leave a good couple of days before adding decals. Then leave a week before lacquer. If you lacquer before the hammerite has cured enough they can wrinkle. I use the Halfords universal lacquer.
Joderest
Active Member
It was just clear coat one would use on body work paint.
There is one you can get for callipers but I suspect it's the same thing.
Just a rattle can. You really do have to take your time with masking up
There is one you can get for callipers but I suspect it's the same thing.
Just a rattle can. You really do have to take your time with masking up
