The Best Way to Paint Brake Rotors and Restore Brake Rotors
Brake rotors have a big impact on how your wheels look. Beautiful wheels with rusted rotors peeking through just don't scream wow. Yet, rust-free rotors with painted rotor hats can make all the difference, and they make the car or truck look well maintained. If your rotor hats are rusty, here is how to clean, prep, prime, and paint brake rotors to achieve a quality, long-lasting result. It's easy to do, the results look great, and it's much cheaper than buying new rotors.
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Rotor On or Off the Car? Rust can be removed from the rotor hat by sanding, sandblasting, or chemical means. Sanding or chemical removal can be done with the rotor still on the vehicle, but sandblasting requires removing both the rotor and caliper. This guide covers painting the brake rotors while they remain on the car, which is the easier route for most DIYers. |
Step-by-Step: Preparing the Rotor Hat
| 1. Remove loose rust. Eliminate loose or flaking rust from the rotor hat with sandpaper or a wire wheel. Be careful not to gouge or scratch the friction surface of the rotor. You want to remove as much rust as possible, but there's no need to bring it down to perfectly bare metal — RustBlast in step three will handle the rest. |
| 2. Clean the rotor hat. Brake cleaner is traditionally used to remove brake dust and debris, and it works, but it's a harsh and toxic option. Instead, use KBS Klean, a strong cleaner that is water-based, non-toxic, and biodegradable. Mix it with water and use it with a scrub brush to remove all dirt, grime, and brake dust. It works as well as brake cleaner and is safer to use. |
| 3. Etch and neutralize remaining rust. Address any remaining rust and prepare the surface for the best possible adhesion with RustBlast, which dissolves rust and micro-etches the metal surface with a texture that lets paint grab on. Spray RustBlast on and scrub it with a brush or scrub pad. It also leaves a zinc phosphate coating on the metal that prevents flash rusting. |
| 4. Mask off what shouldn't get paint. Getting paint on the friction surface of the brake rotor can interfere with contact between the rotor and the brake pads, which affects braking and can damage the pads. Before painting, cover the friction surface of the rotor with masking tape, and cover the brake caliper and wheel studs as well. |
Priming and Painting the Rotor Hat
When deciding what paint to use on brake rotors, it's important to choose a product that can handle high temperatures. This project uses KBS Xtreme Temperature Coating Primer followed by KBS Xtreme Temperature Coating, both available in aerosol. It's not necessary to remove every bit of rust before applying the primer, since it's capable of bonding to and permanently sealing any remaining rust.
| 1. Apply XTC Primer. KBS Xtreme Temperature Coating Primer is silicone based and can handle temperatures up to 1200°F. It acts like galvanization, locking onto the metal to provide a surface for the best bonding of Xtreme Temperature Coating. Apply two thin covering coats, allowing 15 minutes of drying time between coats. |
| 2. Apply Xtreme Temperature Coating. Xtreme Temperature Coating is a high temperature paint intended for brake rotors that handles temperatures up to 1500°F. After waiting 30 minutes for the primer to dry, apply at least 2 thin covering coats with at least 15 minutes between coats. Once painting is done, wait 30 minutes for it to dry, then remove the masking tape. |
| 3. Heat cure for maximum hardness. Let the primer and paint cure at ambient temperature for 12 hours, then drive the vehicle a few times to heat up the rotors and let them cool back down to room temperature naturally. |
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Don't Wait For Rust Painting rotor hats isn't just for rotors that already show rust. Painting new rotors up front prevents the rust problem before it ever starts. |
KBS Coatings offers all the products used in this project to clean, prep, prime, and paint brake rotor hats in the KBS Brake Rotor Restoration Kit. Xtreme Temperature Coating is available in many colors for ultimate customization.
Brake rotors have a big impact on the appearance of wheels. Taking the time to paint your brake rotors can help make them look their best.