I tried to search but to no avail ....


So, I noticed that on my fronts, the Brembo logo sticker on the calipers have turned a darkish brown/black color. As we all know, they are originally a nice red. Anyone know what is going on, or if this is normal/expected?

I track the car, so I wonder if high-temps have anything to do with it.

 

Track and high temps have everything to do with it. The factory Brembos will tend to turn a type of dark brown as they get hot and it happens on all of the popular apps like the 350Z, EVO and STi. You know you are really pushing when they end up like these:



Heres another pic thats not nearly as dramatic, but you get the idea what will happen when they see track temps:



Both of these pics are on STi's but the paint on the 350Z calipers will do the exact same thing

 

Wow, impressive. I assume the caliper changing hue like that does not impact performance or longevity of the caliper? And once they change colors, do they ever come back...?

In that pic from the link, those rotors are cracking like crazy!

 

It does not affect performance but keep an eye on the dust boots as they tend to break down and crack with repeated high temp exposure. The color will not come back so you pretty much have to live with it.

The rotors in the link are just getting to the point where they need to be replaced but they arent really considered cracked. They are mostly heat checked which all iron rotors will tend to do when they see track temperatures. I'm willing to bet that your rotors have started to show some signs of heat checking if you got the calipers hot enough to noticeably darken.

 

Thx for the great info.

Indeed, my front rotors have signs of cracking in the middle. As I understand it, it is still useable as long as the cracks don't go all the way to the edges..? Or when do you consider a rotor cracked, and unsafe?

Also, like you said, my dust boots are gone. I will probably need a caliper rebuild soon. I guess this is the price we pay for top-notch brakes.