^ , gotcha. I didn't want the op to stop considering the idea after being flamed so much.

 

I actually think it's a great idea. You'd have to take your brakes completely apart to paint everything, then you'd have to do a bunch of controlled stops in a safe place (e.g., parking lot) to burn the paint off the contact area for the pads.

I've always been sickened (yes, sickened) by the rust on the rotors outside of the pad contact areas.

 

just a ? but if you have your rotors zinc plated or they come that way doesn't that keep them from rusting????

 

thats why i suggested taping off the swept area with painters tape and then wiping the area with brake parts cleaner...besides if you do this with new rotor or even when you do new pads etc, you'll have to break everything in anyway.

The only reason I didn't suggest painting the surface and then "burning" it off with the pads and such is because on a new rotor or pad change I'd be concerned about it having some adverse affect on break in. I agree it would make things quicker, but I personally wouldnt do it.

I tend to go with semi-gloss black, gloss is easier to clean while washing the car, but I dont like my rotors having that "wet" look. To me, a satin or semi-gloss is just right.

 

Thanks for all the advice guys. No I'm not planning on painting them a funky colour, just want to protect the new rotors from rusting. Guess I'll try going with a high temp engine paint in a matte black finish. Gonna try to find one that is good up to 1200F to be safe. I also had concerns about the adverse effect it could have on pad/rotor friction as I'll be installing new Hawk hps pads at the same time. From the previous posts seems like I shouldn't be too concerned thought. I'll give it a try and see how it goes.... Thanks again!

 

this is not a dumb idea. but you need to use a better process.

the rust line you develop on the unswept area looks terrible on a nice set of upgraded rotors. makes them look local car parts store cheap. I have Stoptech cross drilled on my 05 Coupe and there was a wide band of rust that developed along side the rotor hat , which is of course painted. it makes no sense why a company like Stoptech left this wide of an area exposed and not painted.

after my brakes and pads were broken in and a line of rust developed, I decided to pull the rotors. I masked off the swept areas and used naval jelly to remove the rust. once the rust was removed and the area was cleaned, I painted the "rust line" area with black high temp grille paint at the suggestion of Stoptech. I used the brush on type paint and it came out kind of rough, but it looks better than rust. you can only notice up close. I would suggest spray paint for a better finish. maybe some high temp engine enamel. it has held up for 20K miles with no issues. any small amount that gets on the swept area is quickly disposed of with one quick stop.

with all that being said, does anyone know of any OEM replacement rotors that do not leave behind this rust line?? I need to replace my Stoptechs soon as the fronts have warped on me. I do not track car and I am looking for a quality cross drilled for good street performance and looks. Rotora, Brembo, Etc. ?? please hit me up with some suggestions as I miss driving my car hard.

 

I have painted a lot of rotors (with high temp black) to prevent rusting of the unswept area and never had an issue with stopping or the paint wearing off of the area swept by the pads.

 

how many coats did u do?

 

A couple of light coats to completely cover the metal.

 

besides OEM, does anyone know of any aftermarket replacement rotors that DO NOT require painting to avoid "rust belt"?

 

All brake rotors have some level of iron content in them and iron will rust when it has air and moisture. So, no there is not a rotor that will not rust. You may get some that are painted or treated on the unswept area, but the swept area will rust. The rust should go away the first time the brakes are applied.

 

thanks for the info, but I am not talking about the swept area of the rotor. I understand that area always has some rust on it after a rain storm or wash.

the area I am talking about is what I referred to as the "rust belt". it is the area between the swept portion on the rotor and the rotor hat. on most aftermarket rotors, this area is left unpainted and will rust.

does anyone know of any aftermarket rotors that are painted correctly, like OEM, to avoid this situation?

 

Use high temp ceramic engine paint from Duplicolor, or something equivalent.

 

Only a pre-coated rotor will prevent this line from showing up, something with a zinc or corrosion coating, but usually none of them are painted so you'll have to paint the rotors anyhow if you want that painted look. Some places say they do black-zinc coating, but I have no personal experience with this and I have never seen it in person.

 

have you ever had any rotors that have been coated with zinc? if so, how did they hold up? I am thinking about calling some aftermarket companies and see if they can offer this service. other than that I will just have to continue to mask off and paint. thanks.