I'd like to have dark coloured brake discs on a bike project.
I see that some companies do black coloured discs, but my understanding is that it's just a coating that scrubs off within a few miles use.
Can anyone point me in the direction of a suitable material that stays black till the death (of the disc!).
Cheers! 
Carbon fibre ?
I cant see this being possible... atall.....Any suitable metal will be shiny and silver... Only option is going to be carbon ceramic...
Or a cheaper option would be to fit floating rotors on an annodised alloy spider...like these
quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
I cant see this being possible... atall.....Any suitable metal will be shiny and silver... Only option is going to be carbon ceramic...
Or a cheaper option would be to fit floating rotors on an annodised alloy spider...like these
I looked heavily into the chemical black process and they advertise its good for disks, gears and any mechanical metal part. Its not!
I tested it by kicking it across my workshop floor, didnt last one length!
We are very precise with testing at my work, especially when my boot is involved!!
I have EBC Ultimax disks on my car. They start off all black, then friction from normal use rubs the colour off the area covered by the pads, leaving
the grooves and edge of the disk black.
much better than standard disks that rust on the edge.
You mention 'bike project', does that mean you're looking for bike discs rather than car discs? If so, I think this is what Tegwin is
talking about, have a look at the brake discs in this auction;
Front Rear Brake Disc Rotor Set Suzuki TL1000 S R 1997 1998 1999 2001 2002 2003 | eBay
ZC906-2-ZC848
As you can see most of the disc is black, only the thin rotor is silver. Depending on your application, you might be able to find an even thinner
friction material on a bigger spider.
(By the way, don't buy those actual discs, they are probably the worst discs I've ever seen on Ebay!)
quote:
Originally posted by FazerBob
I have EBC Ultimax disks on my car. They start off all black, then friction from normal use rubs the colour off the area covered by the pads, leaving the grooves and edge of the disk black.
much better than standard disks that rust on the edge.
Chemical blacking by Phosphating is very good for new camshafts because in retains an oil film better than bare metal during the initial running in period but it quickly wears off.
What bike project is it??
Been taking a break from the trike through sheer indecision and been playing instead with a 1200 Beemer drive-train / swingarm, R80 frame and KTM
superduke front end.
This bobber was my original inspiration...
Since found these (but I suspect getting the tank right would be a PITA)...
Even being turned onto the cafe racer look (doubt my back would cope with much time sat in the saddle of one of those though)...
Very nice, you sir have too much spare time/cash
I wish!
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Chemical blacking by Phosphating is very good for new camshafts because in retains an oil film better than bare metal during the initial running in period but it quickly wears off.
Looks like a pretty cool project
I used EBC race pads on my race bike and they seem to blacken the discs - they're not burnt, it's just the residue. I can get the exact pad
compound this weekend if you're interested.
Have a look here . . . Honda CBR600 FY Front wheel with disks and low wear Dunlop Qualifier RR tyres
Sorry to shamelessly plug my items for sale but they're the only pictures of my front disks that show what I mean.
[Edited on 15/1/13 by sickbag]
It won't do black but only braking really hard may keep them blue.
Metal is silvery, pretty much universally. Best you can hope for is pads that stain the surface as they bed.
Triple leading shoe and powder coat