pidgeont

Does anyone know if it is feasible to fit Brembo calipers on a 2016 RDX (Plus/Tech/AWD)? The stock calipers/wheels are boring and I think the red caliper would look really nice. I frankly don't know enough about cars to understand if this is possible/easy/hard/etc. Ideally I would like to do this for both the front and rear wheels. Thanks!

RDX10

If I am understanding correctly, you simply want the red color vs actually upgrading your brakes to brembos (which really wouldn't make sense on a RDX). You can buy caliper covers off ebay and they just go on top of your existing calipers, conversely you can get your calipers painted red with a high heat enamel caliper paint.

pidgeont

You are correct. The red color is really what I am going for. I have looked into painting them; however, I have read a lot of mixed reviews on this online. Some people seem to feel very strongly that this is a bad idea. I am not really sure why. Maybe caliper covers is the way to go. I was having trouble finding ones that fit the 2016 RDX. I know that the 2015 RDX comes with black caliper covers. I wonder if those will fit the 2016 model. Any reason why the Brembos don't make sense on an RDX?

carbonTSEX

The only downside to upgrading to brembos is they aren't a direct swap, they will take some customizing to fit property. In addition to caliper color, they come with drilled or slotted rotors to help with cooling, steel braided brake lines to keep brake feel constant and not soft under excessive braking, and they tend to be lighter in weight. This all comes at a cost though. I have front and rear Stoptech big brakes on my 2014 TL SHawd and they fist me $3,500.

As for caliper covers, the brakes are different between the 2012-2015 and the 2016+.

There is nothing wrong with painting the calipers. It just looks cheap to some people but others opinions don't matter when it's your own vehicle. You just want to make sure you mask off all the areas not being painted. Also the paint can tend to wear out over time so you may need to recoat in the future. You may be able to remover the calipers and have them powercoated for more durability.

Good Luck!

TacoBello

Lol, painting them is fine. LOTS of members on AZ have painted calipers... You just gotta take your time and do it right. However, just judging by what you're saying, I'm a little nervous of your capabilities. Conversely, you could likely pay a shop to do it for you.

RDX10

From a pure cost-use-value perspective it makes no sense. What I mean by that is that as mentioned above, true brembo brake conversions are not cheap and I really doubt you are going to be driving the RDX in a way warranting the need for true brembo brake performance.

There is nothing actually "wrong" with doing the conversion, but it isn't really going to be put to good use on an RDX. I suggest what taco said and ask a paint shop to do it for you. They should be able to coat it in thick enamel paint and then bake it for a finish that will last years.

joeshmoe

I was planning on painting mine as well. But It won't really show them off with the stock advance wheels. If you have aftermarket wheel that show them off more, go for it. You may have to do it another time or two depending on how long you keep the RDX, but it's easy enough to do.

pidgeont

Thanks I agree with you. I don't need the extra performance so it sounds like the upgrade is way to big a job and too big an expensive just for a color change. I will probably paint them or hire someone to paint them. Thanks again.

pidgeont

Thanks I couldn't really wrap my mind around why some people seemed so against in. I'm not showing the car. I just want it to look cool. Your concerns are warranted; I am by no means a mechanic. I have researched how to paint them and I am pretty sure I can handle that job. Probably not as well as some of you; however, if I take my time I think I can get it done. Thanks for your reply.

pidgeont

Thank you this is very helpful. It sounds like it is way too expensive of a job just to change the color of the calipers. I don't need that kind of performance in my Dad-mobile. I will probably end up painting them in this case. Thanks again!

pidgeont

Thanks. Yeah I might give it a shot. I have the tech/plus which does not have the upgraded wheels. I have the standard "pin-wheel" wheels which I, frankly, hate. I have considered upgraded them. I think that a slightly bigger wheel would actually look the best (like a 20") but that means new wheels and tires. I can't decide if it's worth it.

RDX10

Yeah this is what I meant by not really needed for an RDX especially since it isn't cheap. Anyone could use some really good stopping power, but it's always a balance of
cost right.

We don't mean to say you can't do the Job yourself, watch a bunch of youtube videos and they will tell you what to do and what not to do. Just beware that some videos are made by people who should never even touch a car haha. It's one of the easier things to do on a car though, the only tricky part is the careful setup so that you don't paint over the bleeder valve (easily taped over to prevent this) and if you are taking the caliper off you will tape over the pistons and piston rings, if not you just have to tape over the rotors...etc.

pidgeont

Perfect I get it now. I did not realize how expensive the upgrade was. You are correct that for my purposes it is totally unnecessary.

Oh don't worry I am not offended. I am fairly handy; however, I know my limits. I will definitely do some research before I do it and will end up just paying a shop to do it if I feel over my head.

Thanks!

RDX10

Haha all good man, good luck with it and let us know how it goes and share some pics if/when it's done.