Axel Stands (+Caliper Painting)

wraith

wraith

I'm planning on cleaning and maybe painting my scabby old calipers over the long weekend.

I've got a couple of Axel Stands (and chocks, of course) and just wanted to know the best place to use them on my N16.

I'll be doing one side at a time.

Also any hints, gotchas, etc regarding removing / cleaning /painting calipers would be appreciated. I'm not going to disconnect the calipers from the brake lines but will probably want to remove the pads.

First time I've tried anything like this so kinda paranoid I screw something up.
 
Thanks, I also found this thread which suggests Halfrauds Caliper Paint is crap - which sucks because I bought a tin of it this morning.

Is it crap - would I really be better with Hammerite?

Was going for brush-on rather than spray as I thought I'd get a better finish.
 
Ahhh nuts - looks like the safety (axel) stands go in the same place as the 'emergency' jack does - I was going to use that to lift the car enough to get the stand under it but now can't - this means I've got to get myself a trolley jack and attachments for the stands.

Why is nothing ever as easy or cheap as it first looks? :wall:
 
Just jack the car up on the front crossmember and then put the axle stands under the sills at the back of the front wheel arch?
 
That's what I have to do but I don't have a trolley-jack yet, just the crappy emergency scissors-jack that comes with the car and I don't fancy using that to lift it at the crossmember.

I can't find the rubber adaptors (part no LM4519-0000) for the axle stands anywhere online either. :wall:
 
Sorry, Just ignore me! i mis-read your post, thought you were in a dilemma of where to jack the car up and put the stands!

Personally id Just use use some towel stuffed on the axle stands for a bit of protection. Ive never had any problems.
If its any use, here's is a pic of where i usually put the stands. It seems like a strong enough area.
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p232/daleberridge1/DSCF0048.jpg
 
Put somet under the jack to raise the height, ie wooden boards, that way you'll get it high enough. As long as the jacking point is sturdy you'll have no probs.

You should also be able to jack it high enough from the side and have enough space to slip the axle stand through.
 
if you take the caliper and carrier off you can go at them with a wire brush and a drill and get alll the dirt and corrosion off them so when you paint them they will look mint and the paint will really stick to the metal.

brake02.jpg

brake01.jpg
 
Thanks for all the advice guys.

As it stands I'm tempted to do a bodge job for now - leave the calipers in place, clean them as well as possible and carefully brush on some Hammerite direct-to-rust smooth black. If and when I get the proper tools for the job I'll strip them right down and do a proper job with them off the car.

Main things in my way here is lack of tools (don't even have a torque wrench) , lack of expertise/experience/example and an inability to go more than 24 hours without driving the car (if I screw something up or something goes 'ping' and flies off into the great unknown and I have to replace it).
With most things I'd just go for it and learn-as-I-go but brakes keep me alive so I don't want to mess them up.

One more question, though..

1) Will using a rust remover when cleaning calipers in-place knacker the rubber seals and so on. Should I just ue brake and clutch cleaner and wire brush/steel wool?
 
Given how old and scabby the calipers are anyway I just painted them in place.
Just cleaned them up a bit and used Black Hammerite direct-to-rust paint.

I'll do a proper job when I get replacement calipers.
 
The seal's over the sliders and the seal round the piston itself are dust seal's to stop brake dust a road debri's getting into the moving parts. If they did they would seize up really quickly. Brake fluid is your arch enemy so make sure you have no leaks or nothing or your work will of gone to waste mate
 
No leaks but it needs to go in for a brake overhaul anyway (handbrake's a bit dodgy, need new rotors and rear brake pipes are a bit rusty).
 
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