Anodizing on Brake Caliper Arms a Problem?

[Jennifer Donleavy]

Hi Ya'll!

My beloved Superbe Pro brakes have died. The return springs, rusted
and cracking, stopped doing their job. So I have another pair of
old-style single-pivot brakes that I would like to put on my bike --
Sachs Rival 7000 (made by modolo) that have never been mounted.
However, the caliper arms of these brakes are covered with a tough
grey coating, which I presume is anodizing.

First, is it definitely anodizing, or could it be extremely tough
paint or powder-coating? Second, does having the brake caliper arms
coated in this way cause failure problems the way that anodizing does
on rims, that is, when I use these brakes will cracks form in the
coating that will propagate into the soft aluminum arm? Third, if
this is a problem, what's the best way to remove the coating?

Thanks!

Jennifer D

 

[Rudge]

Almost all rims and groupset components have some form of anodising so you
cannot assume that the anodising is likely to cause cracking.



"Jennifer Donleavy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Second, does having the brake caliper arms
> coated in this way cause failure problems the way that anodizing does
> on rims, that is, when I use these brakes will cracks form in the
> coating that will propagate into the soft aluminum arm? Third, if
> this is a problem, what's the best way to remove the coating?
>
> Jennifer D

 

[jim beam]

in a word, "no" - not because of anodizing.

caliper arms are usually forged, not extruded, so you won't see the same
type of cracking seen in rims.



Jennifer Donleavy wrote:
>
> Hi Ya'll!
>
> My beloved Superbe Pro brakes have died. The return springs, rusted
> and cracking, stopped doing their job. So I have another pair of
> old-style single-pivot brakes that I would like to put on my bike --
> Sachs Rival 7000 (made by modolo) that have never been mounted.
> However, the caliper arms of these brakes are covered with a tough
> grey coating, which I presume is anodizing.
>
> First, is it definitely anodizing, or could it be extremely tough
> paint or powder-coating? Second, does having the brake caliper arms
> coated in this way cause failure problems the way that anodizing does
> on rims, that is, when I use these brakes will cracks form in the
> coating that will propagate into the soft aluminum arm? Third, if
> this is a problem, what's the best way to remove the coating?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jennifer D

 

[ajames54]

Jennifer Donleavy <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi Ya'll!
>
> My beloved Superbe Pro brakes have died. The return springs, rusted
> and cracking, stopped doing their job. So I have another pair of
> old-style single-pivot brakes that I would like to put on my bike --
> Sachs Rival 7000 (made by modolo) that have never been mounted.
> However, the caliper arms of these brakes are covered with a tough
> grey coating, which I presume is anodizing.
>
> First, is it definitely anodizing, or could it be extremely tough
> paint or powder-coating? Second, does having the brake caliper arms
> coated in this way cause failure problems the way that anodizing does
> on rims, that is, when I use these brakes will cracks form in the
> coating that will propagate into the soft aluminum arm? Third, if
> this is a problem, what's the best way to remove the coating?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jennifer D


If I'm remembering the brakes correctly they were a darkish sort of
mottled grey? If so then it was an Enamel or Powder coating rather
than anodized.. (heavy paint).

In any case anodizing would not be an issue in this case.

 

[Tim McNamara]

jim beam <[email protected]> writes:

> in a word, "no" - not because of anodizing.
>
> caliper arms are usually forged, not extruded, so you won't see the
> same type of cracking seen in rims.

Not to mention the metal being many, many times thicker than the
anodized layer, which is not so much the case in anodized rims.

 

[Werehatrack]

On Tue, 04 May 2004 15:56:31 -0700, Jennifer Donleavy
<[email protected]> may have said:

>First, is it definitely anodizing, or could it be extremely tough
>paint or powder-coating?

Possibly either.

>Second, does having the brake caliper arms
>coated in this way cause failure problems the way that anodizing does
>on rims, that is, when I use these brakes will cracks form in the
>coating that will propagate into the soft aluminum arm?

Rims are a differrent matter. They have a thin cross-section subject
to far more stress cycles, making them much more susceptible to
cracking due to the presence of very small stress risers. Brakes are
far more robust, and any potential stress risers from crazing or
cracking of the anodization would not, in my opinion, have any
significant bearing on the likelihood of failure.

>Third, if
>this is a problem, what's the best way to remove the coating?

I wouldn't worry about it at all.

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