Caliper Covers VS Painted Calipers VS Powder Coated Calipers
Tesla Model 3 / Y Caliper Covers
Are caliper covers tacky?
This is a very polarised debate within the Tesla owners community. In the heated discussions of the most popular Tesla forums like TOO and TMC, you will see that some people only swear by paint jobs while others are thrilled with their covers. And usually, people who hate covers didn’t even try them or even paint their calipers. People commenting on covers though, speak from experience.
It is a personal choice. To help you make your own opinion on the matter, let’s review together with the options available out there.
What are the key benefits of the Tesla caliper covers?
Price: As a rule, more than half the cost of a paint job
Installation: Easy, it takes 30 to 45min to install. You can do it by yourself or easily find someone to help you. Read our quick and detailed installation guides below for more insights.
Removable: Caliper covers are nonpermanent: You can take them off and replace them. This is a great way to test if you are comfortable with them and your color choice. This is also a great option if your car is on lease.
What are the downsides that most people comment about?
- Heat up your brakes and affect braking performance
- Increase dust accumulation
- Damage your warranty
- Fall off on high speed
- Copying the Model 3 performance
These downsides are actually a bit of a misconception. Thanks to their lightweight aerospace aluminum bodies and design, our caliper covers help to dissipate the heat and therefore maintain great braking performance. If you want to learn more about this process, we have developed more on the subject in the heat dissipation section.
Another myth that we can often encounter in discussions around this topic is that adding covers on your caliper could be an issue for your warranty and braking performance. It wouldn't affect the serviceability of the vehicle or affect the vehicle warranty unless it was not installed properly and created some damage. Your caliper covers won’t be an issue for the service center.
The fairy tale about covers felling off at high speed probably comes from the fact that back in the day, some standard caliper covers solution were made to fit different types of vehicles. Our covers are designed for the Tesla Model 3 / Y only, their snug fit will make them hold on tight to your calipers even at 120mph on the highway.
Another thought that some owners have shared with us before is that they somehow feel uncomfortable upgrading their calipers because it feels like they are trying to mimic the Model 3 Performance.
So are you uncomfortable and feel like you are copying the Model 3 Performance?
You might feel uncomfortable getting red caliper covers as it could convey the fact that you are pretending to own an M3P.
The reality is, that red is a traditional color for calipers and there is a good reason for that. It fits nicely with a wide range of vehicles color from Black to White.
But if you are looking for something different we went out of our way to offer you 3 additional color options: Green, yellow, and blue.
Painted Calipers
What are the benefits of painted calipers?
- Fully customized, you can choose the color and paint that you want
- You can keep the original shape of your model 3 calipers
- If you do it on your own it will be cheaper or as expensive as caliper covers
What are the common downsides of this solution?
- The process: It takes much more time to make, you will need time to prepare the car, apply one paint layer, wait for the paint to dry, apply another layer, and so on
- Even more tedious (and expensive) if you want to maintain the Tesla logo
- Require some solid DIY skills if you want to do it on your own
- More expensive / more labor-intensive if you need professional help. In some areas like California or Washington DC, getting a customed paint job on your 4 calipers will be at least USD500.
- The risk of getting paint on some parts that you don’t want to
- Brakes' heating and cooling cycles increase the chance for your caliper paint to crack and peel off.
How to paint your calipers?
What do you need to start? You will need paint, a paintbrush, painter's tape (to cover the areas that you don't want to paint), and a floor jack.
Step 1: Elevate your car using your floor jack.
Step 2: Get rid of the wheels
Step 3: Clean your brakes
Step 4: Mask off the parts around the calipers that you don't want to paint using 3M tape.
Step 5: Add some chemical reactor with your paint
Step 6: Apply the first layer of paint. As you will need to apply several layers and make them light, to avoid the paint to become gummy. Repeat the process for all calipers.
Step 7: Let's dry for a few hours and apply the second layer.
Step 8: If you want to keep the Tesla branding on your calipers, you can apply a Tesla logo decal.
Powder Coated Calipers
To summarize, the process will be as labor-intensive as the painted solution but it will add a layer of complexity since you will need to remove the calipers from the wheel.
Here is our take. If you are convinced that you will never need your original caliper's color back, that you have the budget or the time and skills to perform a paint job, go for it. You will be, for sure, pleased with the results. But if you are looking for an easy do it yourself solution, be able to change your mind or caliper style easily, our caliper covers are a perfect fit for you. You won't regret it.
Some people might think caliper covers are not as authentic as a paint job. So what?
Truth is, they are incredibly bright and even larger than the original caliper, giving them a nice racing-ready look. You’ll love them!
All three methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but the caliper cover is certainly the most convenient and labor-saving option in comparison. With the above, I am sure you already have a good understanding of caliper covers, and Tesevo is able to provide you with the Tesla model 3 / Y caliper cover, including red, green, yellow, and blue, which you can pick according to your preference for your Tesla.
