R1 Concepts Rotor/Pads install and making wheels pop!!

I've been doing this on customers trucks for years already and on this project I am doing a return customers rotors/pads and painting calipers.

There are many different ways people do this but since 1994 this is how I did my first truck and its been working fine ever since on all the cars/trucks I've done. Steven from R1 concepts I've been working with on the gm trucks for years already and I feel R1 Concepts Premimum line rotors slotted only (more surface area better for the trucks) have lasted the best on the gm trucks I have done.

When you get the rotor they come coated but its not all the way to where the pad touches so if you just install them in a few days you will see a rust ring which looks horrible. So what I've been doing is cleaning down the rotors and using Rust-Oleum semi gloss black paint and spraying over the rotors.

So you start with this (you can see coating doesn't go all the way to where the pad touches)


And end up with this

Now when painting the rotor what I do is focus much of the paint on the hub area and the edge right after it meaning the part that doesnt touch where the pads hit on the face on the rotor. I then just do a few squirts on the slots and then on the top edges and inside vaines. This will just keep the rotor free from rust longer giving it a better look especially behind big wheels. I do the same on the backside of the rotor and dont worry if the paint runs on the face of the rotor as soon as you go for a test ride it will wipe the paint away and leave you with a clean surface.




I'll be updating this thread with pictures because I will be doing this truck this weekend. *Next will be the cleaning of the caliper and also painting it with the same paint.


Also dont forget the back plate of the pads

X2 with R1 concepts I bought their D/S rotors with ceramic pads , Could not be happier But the other day I did notice a small rust ring on them , Being my truck is off road it doesn't bother me , Great info and thanks for sharing,

does the veins remain painted when the pads grind off the paint?

Also to clear things up you said just rostoleum paint , did you mean caliper paint or just regular paint ?
I would imagine regular outdoor paint would chip off due to the heat

Donyukon said:

X2 with R1 concepts I bought their D/S rotors with ceramic pads , Could not be happier But the other day I did notice a small rust ring on them , Being my truck is off road it doesn't bother me , Great info and thanks for sharing,

does the veins remain painted when the pads grind off the paint?

Also to clear things up you said just rostoleum paint , did you mean caliper paint or just regular paint ?
I would imagine regular outdoor paint would chip off due to the heat

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Rustoleum high Performance Enamel is all ive been using no chipping issues at all or peeling. The veins are on the inside of the rotor the only thing that gets wiped away is the paint on the face of the rotor where the pad touches everything else will stay black.

here is the pic from my old trailblazer ss

Looks fine, until you drive it...

i forgot this is my escalade same thing done. I've had the brakes on for 1 year now im going to prob clean up the rotors next week and spray it black again to make it look new

No rust pretty much all brake dust

You spray the pads too??? That doesn't ruin them??

07Burb said:

You spray the pads too??? That doesn't ruin them??

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The back plates not the actual surface of the pads

NORCAL SS said:

The back plates not the actual surface of the pads

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I gotcha. Now the paint that is on the surface of the rotor. How does that affect braking performance?

This is all blowing my mind... Really don't see the point especially on a daily driver. Seems like a waste of paint to me.

For those people that have big wheels or just are pickey and want a clean look they will understand where im coming from and why I do this.

As for brake performance no negatives come from doing this. I cant wait for the finished look my customer is really looking forward to this.