Raceconcepts
 

Is Raceconcepts usually slow and hard to deal with?
I ordered all of my parts on Monday from different places, they have all given me shipment notifications and the parts are all coming today, except for Raceconcepts. They havent even notified me of order status... Is this usual? I need my rotors to put on my pads&lines.:(

When I ordered from them (rotors/lines/free fluid, no pads) they were easy to deal with and quick to ship. It seems lately though people have been having trouble. Your best bet would be to call them directly and not use e-mail for contact

I ordered my raceconcepts rotors last week and had no problems getting them promptly. When I called Ben he was waiting for my rotors to come back from the plater.

They went out the next day and I had them in three days. Although they are headquartered in Garden Grove, CA, the rotors themselves came from Raceconcepts in Collinsville, VA.

Package of 4 rotors had a total package weight of 5 lbs. ;) (I happened to drop one of the front rotors on my big toe; the swelling and black and blue condition of my toenail tells me that it probably weighed more than 1.5 lbs.)

Very well machined and a very substantial military-spec zinc plating. I masked off the actual rotor surfaces and had everything else ceramic coated to further retard oxidation and rust.

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Did you send them away to have them ceramic coated? That sounds like a good thing to do. How does it compare with powder coating? :)

PS Sounds like you need a new toenail. :eek: :o

John,
We need pics!!! I have the same question as Earl....... And Raceconcepts zinc coat them?

Harry

Raceconcepts did an outstanding job of zinc coating the rotors. Very thick, even plating that should not rust or corrode. Personally, I am not a fan of such a shiny finish, plus much of this is hidden if you use the stock wheels. For those using a larger wheel, highly-polished with a more open spoke design, these would look great. But I've seen this look on many riced-out tuner cars and don't want to contribute to the "Uncle Benn-ification" of my Pristine 96.

Anyway, I bought a can of the Duplicolor Ceramic Engine Paint, Cast Coat Aluminum DE 1650. Designed for intake manifolds and engine blocks. After masking off the swept areas of the rotors, and the flat surface of the "hat" that contacts the rim directly, I sprayed 3 light coats on each, with 10 minutes between each coat. I then applied a heavier wet coat, letting that dry for an hour.

I put the rotors (two at a time) into a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes to cure. I then turned the oven off and let everything cool down completely before taking them out. I repeated this procedure again for the remaining two rotors.

The finish is very hard and even. It is a soft lustre, semi-gloss finish that is quite pleasing. The color is not too gray, but a warmer shade of gray, bordering on a light taupe, without metallic particles, more like a soft pearl.

I will be painting the calipers with Plastikote Cast Rebuilder's Fnish, Gray 285. Again a darker, slightly metallic gray with just a hint of lustre. Looks like castings found on new alternators/master cylinders. This should be easy to do, as I will spray the calipers with the old rotors and pads in place. Once dry, I will remove the old parts and install new--instant masking!

Both of these paints are rated at over 500 degrees and that should be more than adequate for these parts.

If I had a working digital camera I would take pictures, but my new Sony Cybershot T9 6MP camera hasn't come in yet.

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I can take pictures of the shipped zinc plated will post in my locker on wednesday for you guys. I am interested in painting them as you mentioned though... Anything I should know/not do? Maybe a how-to? Like the idea of painting calipers with rotors and brakes on, I will do that since I am replacing everything anyways...

As far as painting your new rotors, not much more to add. I took a scotch-brite pad and some brake cleaner to go over the surfaces I would be painting to make sure they were clean. I then used painters' masking tape to mask off what wasn't getting painted. Here is a link to an easy way to do this:

http://www.volvospeed.com/Mods/rotor_painting.htm

As far as painting the calipers go, do this before you take off the old rotors and pads. I plan on going over the entire caliper with brake cleaner and a stiff brush. I will use plastic sheeting to cover the inside of the wheel well (behind the rotors). I will spray paint the caliper (with the old rotors and pads still in place) It doesn't matter if I get paint on them since I will be removing them anyway. Let the paint dry, remove the calipers, pads and rotors and replace with the new ones. After everything is installed, do any small touchups as needed.
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Not so sure the paint on the rotor will hold up. Brakes see some pretty insane temperatures esp if you drive on the highway. I hope it does but I would not hold my breath on the paint.

Tom