pretty much all the same, i'd just go with the autozone stuff.

 

For that matter, I generally use a nice soft shop brush or compressed air. Most of those cleaners contain acetone, and prolonged contact with rubber will cause the rubber to deteriorate. There should be warnings on the back of the cans that tell this.

 

dude, shop air + brake dust = BAD.[whip]

 

they also have this stuff called purple stuff. That would clean the dark off of flavor flav
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Well, any dust is "bad" - but at least there hasn't been asbestos in brakes for a long time now...

Guess us "old farts" assume too much, like you don't blow it at yourself and if you get a bigger cloud than expected you just stop breathing for a sec and move away 'till it settles.... used to be considered "common sense"....

And while on the soapbox, "caliper cleaner" is a new product that has no functional use - rotors and pads need to be clean, calipers only need clean contact points (usually a matter of filing rust away....)

As whynot mentioned, chemicals can attack rubber components, so any used on assembled calipers should be kept away from the rubber parts - as in wipe with a dampened rag, don't "wash" with a spray can....

Making things pretty can be fun, many enjoy it more than "functional" work - however, you can easily cause yourself problems when not done "just right". Think of brake painting as if you were painting internal engine components (wow, look at that cool cam....) getting paint on functional areas is a BAD thing, paint flaking and getting where it doesn't belong doesn't help either! Chemicals or paint damaging rubber seals leads to damage and early repair/replacement - so be careful!

I once painted a set of complex ATE brand calipers when disassembled for rebuild with a proper ceramic paint caliper paint kit. masking/greasing areas not to be painted, cleaning them after painting, reassembling without paint damage along with careful installation on the car - looked good when done but too much work for the result. And when they needed to be replaced anyways a year later due to overall age & wear it really felt like a wasted project....

 

Well, any dust is "bad" - but at least there hasn't been asbestos in brakes for a long time now...

Guess us "old farts" assume too much, like you don't blow it at yourself and if you get a bigger cloud than expected you just stop breathing for a sec and move away 'till it settles.... used to be considered "common sense"....

yes but is semi metallic partials in your lungs any better then asbestos. i am not a safety freak dust happens. just don't purposely blast it in to the air.

 

use the cheap stuff and a brush to scrub away the tuff stuff. Simple has that. Of course don't paint the areas that shouldn't have paint on them. Don't drench the whole thing in cleaner. Just spray a little, scrub, spray, scrub and so on till you feel it's clean enough. Now remember on really old parts can still look dirty but alot of times that's has clean as it will get. Unless you really feel like scrubbing. The cleaner should dry on it's own quickly unless you drench it then it will take a few mins.

 

To be honest, whenever I work on brake drums or calipers I use hot soapy washing up liquid solution. Environmentally friendly, kind to my hands and the car!

 

Hard to beat soap & water...

 

I use spray start for just about all cleaning work. Dissolves grease, evaporates fast, and is a buck a can. always keep some in reserve. I keep suspension, trans, and engine lower surfaces clean when I change oil, so I can spot new leaks

 

Wow PDQ, is it for the "Cheap High" ???

Pure Ether was the original anesthetic to put people under for surgery, stocked as recently as the Vietnam era for emergency use... Hell of a headache as a result I'm told....

And it's downright explosively flammable, can do damage as a "starting fluid" so be careful....