Brake caliper covers can make your car look better while serving a useful purpose. These covers, made from strong aluminum and steel, turn plain brake parts into eye-catching features that make your wheels stand out. You can pick from many colors and styles to match your taste. Beyond looks, they help keep your wheels cleaner by catching brake dust. You'll need the right tools to put them on, and they must have a 3mm gap for safety reasons. They cost between $200-300 for a full set and typically last seven years, making them cheaper than painting your calipers. For car owners who want both better looks and practical value, these covers are worth thinking about.
Key Takeaways
- Brake caliper covers offer instant aesthetic enhancement through various colors, logos, and custom designs without requiring permanent modifications.
- High-quality aluminum and stainless steel construction provides a premium, sporty appearance while resisting rust and weathering.
- Digital preview systems allow buyers to visualize different designs before purchase, ensuring satisfaction with the final appearance.
- Covers reduce brake dust accumulation on wheels, maintaining a cleaner, more attractive appearance over time.
- Custom engravings and brand collaborations provide unique personalization options to match individual style preferences and vehicle themes.
Understanding Brake Caliper Covers
Brake caliper covers do two main jobs: they make your car look better and help control brake heat.
They're made from strong airplane-grade aluminum and stainless steel, which are great at handling and moving heat away from your brakes. When working properly, these covers can cool your brakes by 30-50 degrees. Installing professional brake components ensures optimal stopping power and safety.
Getting the right fit is very important since these covers need to match your car's exact brake setup. Whether a mechanic puts them on or you do it yourself, you need to use the right clips and parts made for your car to keep your brakes working safely. Manufacturers offer extensive testing and trials to ensure covers don't interfere with brake performance.
Good-quality covers go through careful testing to make sure they're safe and fit well. Their design helps manage heat while leaving enough room for your brakes to work normally.
Design and Aesthetic Impact
Modern brake covers let you personalize your car while staying useful. They use special laser designs that let you pick different colors and official car brand logos. Made from tough airplane-grade metal with special paint, these covers look good and last long, matching today's car styling trends.
The covers are made to fit specific car models perfectly and work well with existing brakes. These quality covers are handcrafted in San Diego, ensuring premium craftsmanship in every piece. Custom performance wheels can complement the look of your brake caliper covers for a complete aesthetic upgrade.
Besides making your car look better, they help keep your wheels cleaner by catching brake dust.
Thanks to team-ups with big car makers and racing groups like World of Outlaws, you can choose from many unique designs that meet all safety rules.
Installation Process and Requirements
To install caliper covers correctly, you need five basic tools and must get your car ready first.
You'll need a 3/8 inch wrench, pliers, .013mm feeler gauge, and a lug wrench, plus safety glasses to protect your eyes.
Start by lifting your car onto jack stands and taking off the wheels to reach the brake calipers. Make sure to engage the Emergency Brake before raising the vehicle.
Consider laying down floor mats under your work area to catch any debris or spills during installation.
Check carefully that there's a 1/8 inch space between the wheel and brake caliper.
Put the stainless steel clips and covers in place, then tighten them to 25 inch-pounds.
Front and back calipers need different steps, so watch how you place and line up the clips.
At the end, measure the gaps again and put the wheels back on as the car maker says to do.
Cost Analysis
Caliper covers cost between $200 and $300 per set, making them a smart buy compared to painting your brake calipers. While this might seem steep at first, these covers usually last more than seven years, while painted calipers need to be redone every 3-4 years.
The price includes tough airplane-grade aluminum parts and often comes with free delivery and payment plans. Though painting looks cheaper at first glance, dealing with brakes and their moving parts makes the work much more expensive. Custom-make options are available for buyers who can't find their preferred colors in stock. If you already have roof storage installed, caliper covers add another stylish dimension to your vehicle's custom look.
Plus, proper makers back their covers with guarantees and spare parts, making them worth the money. Prices stay about the same for most car types, changing a bit based on special designs and where you buy them.
Performance and Safety Considerations
Safety is key when picking brake caliper covers since they can really affect how well your brakes work. Good covers, especially ones made of aluminum like MGP models, help brakes stay cooler by cutting heat by 30-50 degrees. But cheap covers can trap heat and make brakes work poorly. The best makers test their covers carefully and get approval from car companies. When putting covers on, you need to leave at least 3mm space from the wheels, and the covers must fit your exact caliper size. Good covers can also help keep brake dust off your wheels. To stay safe, avoid fake products and make sure your covers use strong materials and attach firmly, especially on bigger vehicles that need more braking power.
Paint Versus Covers Comparison
Brake caliper covers and paint each have their own good and bad points that car owners need to think about. Covers are easy to put on, keep looking good over time, and shield against weather damage.
Painting takes more work but lets you pick any look you want and doesn't add weight to your car.
Important things to think about:
- How hard it is to set up and how long it takes
- What you'll spend on supplies, tools, and maybe expert help
- How much care they need and how long they last
Both ways can make your car look better. Covers protect better and go on faster, while paint gives you more style choices and keeps your car lighter.
Your best pick depends on what your car needs, how much money you can spend, and how much upkeep you're willing to do.
Brand Options and Quality
MGP Caliper Covers and AOOA Racing lead the brake cover market, each bringing their own strengths to quality and custom options.
MGP stands out by using top-grade aluminum and having official backing from car makers. They build their covers with strong stainless steel clips and tough powder coating.
AOOA Racing takes a different path, using unique materials to make their covers look just like real painted brake calipers.
Both makers let buyers create custom designs - MGP uses laser cutting for sharp, clean letters, while AOOA Racing puts on special heat-resistant stickers.
When it comes to quality, MGP makes all their covers by hand in America and tests them carefully to meet car safety rules.
AOOA Racing puts their effort into making sure their covers fit perfectly and can handle all types of weather.
Customer Experience Reviews
Real-world feedback on brake caliper covers shows both good and bad results, mainly between top sellers MGP and AOOA Racing. Buyers who shared their thoughts on many websites point out big differences in how easy they are to put on and how well they last, with looks being what matters most to many.
What users say about these covers:
- MGP covers handle heat very well (up to 1,200°F) and last a long time, but many struggle to make them fit right.
- AOOA Racing gets good marks for being easier to put on and looking more like real painted calipers.
- Most bad reviews talk about how hard they are to install, mostly with MGP products.
The Better Business Bureau shows MGP has ongoing problems with helping customers - 36 people have complained about slow shipping and parts that don't fit right.
This hints at problems in how they make and check their products.
Maintenance and Durability
Brake caliper covers work best when properly cared for, and their lifespan depends on both upkeep and quality materials.
MGP uses strong aircraft-grade aluminum that keeps brakes cool and fights rust, with a 3-year backup promise.
To keep covers working well, make sure there's enough space (at least 3mm) between them and your wheels, check that brake pistons pull back fully during setup, and keep the sliding parts clean and oiled.
You can take the covers off easily when you need to work on your brakes, and they fit without changing your original brake parts.
Testing on race tracks shows these covers help move heat away from brakes effectively, and tough heat tests prove they stay strong even in harsh conditions.
Customization Possibilities
Brake caliper covers let you change how your car looks in many ways through different designs, materials, and looks.
Today's color choices include regular car colors and fancy carbon fiber looks, with exact paint matching to your car. The covers can be decorated with car company logos, military badges, and your own designs using laser cutting.
You can customize your covers with:
- Many color coating choices from plain to shiny to special finishes
- Sharp, clear engravings with different text styles and your own pictures
- Strong aluminum build with steel parts to hold them in place
Making your covers is easy with a simple car-picking tool and digital preview system that shows you how different designs will look before you buy.
This careful process makes sure the covers look great on your car while staying strong and handling brake heat well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Caliper Covers Affect Tire or Wheel Balancing?
Caliper covers won't mess up your wheel balance or affect how your tires work when they're put on correctly. They're made to work smoothly with your brakes while keeping your wheels spinning just as they should.
Do Caliper Covers Void My Vehicle's Warranty?
Putting caliper covers on your car usually won't affect your warranty if they're installed correctly. The main things to watch for are using parts that your car maker approves and making sure they fit right. Your warranty stays valid as long as the brake system works normally and you haven't made any changes the manufacturer didn't allow.
Are Caliper Covers Legal in All States and Countries?
Caliper covers are allowed in most places, but rules change depending on where you live. While different states have their own rules, you can usually use caliper covers as long as they're put on correctly and meet basic safety rules.
Can Caliper Covers Be Transferred Between Different Vehicles?
Caliper covers won't work if you try to move them from one car to another. Each car needs its own special covers that fit just right. The shape and size must match perfectly to stay safely in place and not get in the way of other parts.
Do Weather Conditions Affect the Longevity of Caliper Covers?
Sturdy caliper covers made from strong aluminum with protective coating can handle tough weather well. When fitted correctly with good airflow between parts, these covers last much longer.
Conclusion
Brake caliper covers represent a cost-effective aesthetic modification that provides visual enhancement without mechanical intervention. While these covers offer customization options and brand variety, careful consideration must be given to material quality, heat dissipation, and proper fitment. The final assessment indicates that caliper covers serve primarily as a cosmetic solution, delivering satisfactory results when quality products are selected from trusted retailers like Gexhaust. For professional advice on caliper cover installation and product selection, contact us to ensure proper fitment and optimal results.