Brembo Caliper Covers

bart513 said:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3D-Red-Brem...la|Model:Roadster&hash=item27dbfd5ed1&vxp=mtr


Has anyone seen or used these? It might be a better idea than painting or powder coating!

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Ha, yes, and considered purchasing them. It would be nice to see them installed on a MS and know if they cause any problems...like vibration noise...

Don't buy them... it would be easier to just paint it with Hammerite. I did this before on several cars and isn't that hard once you have all the masking tape in place.
Why I suggest not to buy these? You have to use strong glue to apply the cheap plastic part, on a part that can get pretty hot, and is close to some very vast spinning parts. I guess no one would like it to come off and hit your wheel/brake lines/body work, have stuff melting down on your calipers, or have the service point unable to reach the needed parts of the brakes because you glued a cheap cover onto it..

So.. just get some hammerite and have fun I still have a tutorial to do this, somewhere on the net. I can post it if you like.

I once translated this topic to Dutch, but here's the original:
http://www.scirocconet.co.uk/forum/how-paint-your-brake-calipers-t1570.html

Anything that retains heat in the braking system is bad. It cooks the fluid and prematurely wears the caliper pistons.

I will at some point upgrade the brakes when my warranty expires as I am not fond of the weak braking.

Please take the following in the good spirit it is meant...

As far as "saving money" by covering the caliper with a plastic Brembo cap... You own a kick ass limited production $100k roadster that is as original and unique as they come, and needs no cosmetic polishing. Are you really considering a 15 dollar fake brake upgrade? (And what will that say to the future used car buyer and the future value?)

Consider paint or a caliper upgrade.

Just my humble $0.02

Best,

T

TOBASH said:

Anything that retains heat in the braking system is bad. It cooks the fluid and prematurely wears the caliper pistons.

Click to expand...

That's true with an ICE car and a Roadster on a track. The Roadster has a little problem with not getting enough heat in the brake fluid, which it needs to evaporate the moisture that accumulates in it. That's why Tesla started recommending that you flush your brake fluid at least every 2 years. Several of us on this forum have noticed the fluid thicken and turn to sludge if you wait much longer than 2 years if you live in a humid climate.

Otherwise I agree with everything you said about the plastic caliper covers.

TOBASH said:

I will at some point upgrade the brakes when my warranty expires as I am not fond of the weak braking.

Please take the following in the good spirit it is meant...

As far as "saving money" by covering the caliper with a plastic Brembo cap... You own a kick ass limited production $100k roadster that is as original and unique as they come, and needs no cosmetic polishing. Are you really considering a 15 dollar fake brake upgrade? (And what will that say to the future used car buyer and the future value?)

Consider paint or a caliper upgrade.

Just my humble $0.02

Best,

T

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Well said.

Also the covers in the link were fakes (non-Brembo from a China Seller). I'm sure Brembo wouldn't sell such a thing that'd negativly effect the braking components. Here's a couple of videos where you'll get a nice laugh...

The first part is all you have to watch, the labeling... Its what you would have expected from fake stuff coming from China:


This one talks about brake fade that can occur from the cover and stresses not to install them:

hcsharp said:

That's true with an ICE car and a Roadster on a track. The Roadster has a little problem with not getting enough heat in the brake fluid, which it needs to evaporate the moisture that accumulates in it. That's why Tesla started recommending that you flush your brake fluid at least every 2 years. Several of us on this forum have noticed the fluid thicken and turn to sludge if you wait much longer than 2 years if you live in a humid climate.

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Thanks for your kind words HCSHARP.

Just a note as to brake fluid from what I learned as a former mechanic and as a former street modifier/racer, (and as an additional explanation for BART513):

AFAIK...regarding brake fluid changing color and requiring change every 2 years...

DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluids are hydrophilic. They actively absorb water in an effort to shield brake parts from oxidation induced wear and blockage. They also degrade with heat over time. As such, all my vehicles get new DOT 4 every 2 years. Humid areas will allow the fluid to see more water so it will scavenge more water, and thereby degrade more quickly. This is not just a TESLA phenomenon. Just go to any one of your other cars and compare the fluid in the overflow with fluid in a new container. You will immediately see the color difference.

A heat shield will speed up the process of fluid degradation, as well as create "fade" as per the video that was provided by Wiztecy. I believe the heat range of brake fluid is just shy of 500 degrees F. Retaining heat expands and even vaporizes the fluid. The fluid no longer transmits forces effectively to the piston(s) in the caliper(s). Clamping forces are delayed and reduced and can result in longer stop distances. This is why many racers have air ducts pointed at the braking systems. It is not just to keep rotors and pads cool. It is also to keep caliper temps under control.

DOT 5 is hydrophobic and should never be used in cars not meant for DOT 5 use, as DOT 5 repels water and will not protect parts. Worse, water will collect in dependent areas and corrode those areas.

For those of us under warranty, I suggest letting Tesla do the changes each and every time, for documentation purposes.

Best,

T

TOBASH said:

Anything that retains heat in the braking system is bad. It cooks the fluid and prematurely wears the caliper pistons.

I will at some point upgrade the brakes when my warranty expires as I am not fond of the weak braking.

Please take the following in the good spirit it is meant...

As far as "saving money" by covering the caliper with a plastic Brembo cap... You own a kick ass limited production $100k roadster that is as original and unique as they come, and needs no cosmetic polishing. Are you really considering a 15 dollar fake brake upgrade? (And what will that say to the future used car buyer and the future value?)

Consider paint or a caliper upgrade.

Just my humble $0.02

Best,

T

Click to expand...

Plus the all the calipers are Brembos to begin with. So no fake covers needed.

artsci said:

Plus the all the calipers are Brembos to begin with. So no fake covers needed.

Click to expand...

Well, they are AP Racings.. The OEM pads are Brembo :wink:

AP Racing is a rebrand of Brembo, so essentially same company.

http://www.brembo.com/en/company/about/the-group-brands

"Brembo is the proprietor of the Brembo, Breco, Bybre and Marchesini brands and also sells products under the AP Racing brand."

Didn't know that! Again I learned something today on TMC :biggrin: