Anodizing on Brake Caliper Arms a Problem?

[Jennifer Donlea]

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.

 

[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.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

 

[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.