HYDE161
Go Kart Champion
At the beginning of this year I upgraded to the StopTech ST-40 328mm Big Brake Kit and covered the brake aesthetics and performance gains in the thread HYDE16 Reviews: StopTech ST-40 328mm Big Brake Kit. At the time, I special ordered gloss black calipers for that sleeper look and to match my rear OEM calipers which were already powder coated in gloss black. After I posted my review I received some PMs asking to see how my StopTech calipers looked after a couple of months. This prompted me to research feedback on the long term durability of the caliper finish. Low and behold I found several other StopTech owners who had their glossy color choices fade over time and chose to refinish them with a powder coating service. To try and extend the original gloss black finish I applied 22PLE VM1 Signature Rim & Metal Coat to see how long the finish would last.
22PLE VM1 Signature Rim and Metal Coat:
After having the StopTech ST-40 328mm Big Brake Kit installed at Redline Speed Worx, I picked up 22PLE VM1 Signature Rim and Metal Coat from Detailer’s Domain, washed the calipers down and applied two coats of 22PLE over a weekend. I have found that this hardening sealant works extremely well to protect anodized surfaces and my painted wheels. Application is easy; wear latex gloves, put a few drops on a lint-free makeup pad, wipe over the surfaces, allow to dry for 10 minutes, wipe off excess with clean microfiber cloth, buff with another clean microfiber cloth, allow to dry/set/harden for 12-24 hours and toss the microfiber cloths away (they will harden after 12-24 hours and are useless).
Gloss Black Finish at Time of Installation:
StopTech Refinishing:
After washing the StopTech calipers weekly (Sonax wheel cleaner and Wheel Woolie Wheel brushes) and even after a mid-summer booster coating of 22PLE, by the beginning of Fall (~9 months), the face of the caliper had faded from a glossy black finish to a matte black finish with what looked like white stains. Since I’m a detailing perfectionist, I was also bothered by the fact that the StopTech caliper bridge bolts faces, bleeder fittings and transfer tube fittings were corroded dark brown. Overall, I felt like the calipers looked looked like complete crap. While swapping over to my winter wheel setup, I decided to have these calipers refinished with a powder coating service for a longer lasting and more durable finish. I reached out to Zeckhausen Racing to see what I needed to rebuild these StopTech calipers. They recommended all new dust seals and that I have my StopTech calipers refinished by ThePowderCoater.com, who I was told, has refinished countless StopTech calipers. After talking with Mike at ThePowderCoater.com, I sent my calipers off in the mail.
Overall Results:
Communication with Mike was a breeze over the phone or through email and his turnaround time was very impressive. As an added step I asked Mike to blast / clean the corroded bridge bolt faces, bleeder fittings and transfer tube fittings and apply clear coat to protect them from future corrosion. Mike even tried to match the StopTech logo to my silver wheels (Audi TT-RS gloss silver paint code). The results speak for themselves; I am in love with my StopTech calipers all over again and feel that the gloss black finish is MUCH stronger.
Winter Results:
Even with this past week of heavy road salt, the gloss black finish is unaffected. Running these brakes through the winter is no longer a concern as I expect the gloss black finish to last for years.
22PLE VM1 Signature Rim and Metal Coat:
After having the StopTech ST-40 328mm Big Brake Kit installed at Redline Speed Worx, I picked up 22PLE VM1 Signature Rim and Metal Coat from Detailer’s Domain, washed the calipers down and applied two coats of 22PLE over a weekend. I have found that this hardening sealant works extremely well to protect anodized surfaces and my painted wheels. Application is easy; wear latex gloves, put a few drops on a lint-free makeup pad, wipe over the surfaces, allow to dry for 10 minutes, wipe off excess with clean microfiber cloth, buff with another clean microfiber cloth, allow to dry/set/harden for 12-24 hours and toss the microfiber cloths away (they will harden after 12-24 hours and are useless).
Gloss Black Finish at Time of Installation:
StopTech Refinishing:
After washing the StopTech calipers weekly (Sonax wheel cleaner and Wheel Woolie Wheel brushes) and even after a mid-summer booster coating of 22PLE, by the beginning of Fall (~9 months), the face of the caliper had faded from a glossy black finish to a matte black finish with what looked like white stains. Since I’m a detailing perfectionist, I was also bothered by the fact that the StopTech caliper bridge bolts faces, bleeder fittings and transfer tube fittings were corroded dark brown. Overall, I felt like the calipers looked looked like complete crap. While swapping over to my winter wheel setup, I decided to have these calipers refinished with a powder coating service for a longer lasting and more durable finish. I reached out to Zeckhausen Racing to see what I needed to rebuild these StopTech calipers. They recommended all new dust seals and that I have my StopTech calipers refinished by ThePowderCoater.com, who I was told, has refinished countless StopTech calipers. After talking with Mike at ThePowderCoater.com, I sent my calipers off in the mail.
Overall Results:
Communication with Mike was a breeze over the phone or through email and his turnaround time was very impressive. As an added step I asked Mike to blast / clean the corroded bridge bolt faces, bleeder fittings and transfer tube fittings and apply clear coat to protect them from future corrosion. Mike even tried to match the StopTech logo to my silver wheels (Audi TT-RS gloss silver paint code). The results speak for themselves; I am in love with my StopTech calipers all over again and feel that the gloss black finish is MUCH stronger.
Winter Results:
Even with this past week of heavy road salt, the gloss black finish is unaffected. Running these brakes through the winter is no longer a concern as I expect the gloss black finish to last for years.
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