Retainer clips/anti rattle clips

[Tomrun]

Hi

I have just recently painted my calipers graphite grey..see picture...

I am now on a job for a few weeks and have thought of the idea of polishing the retainer clip on the front calipers so that is has a polished finish then putting the s3 stick on.

My questions are..
Are they even metal and Polishable?
and
can I take them off without removing the caliper? if so how?

cheers

 

[fernando young]

yes they are metal i think you'll be able to polish it, and yes you can take the retainer clip without taking the caliper off.

 

[Tomrun]

The answers I was hoping for. Cheers

May be a silly question but how do you go about taking them off?

 

[fernando young]

a screwdriver, a rag to cover it while you pry it out (so it doesnt pop out and probably injuring you), and patience.
just do it carefully so you dont scratch your freshly painted calipers

 

[Tomrun]

okay thanks

Can I drive with them off?

 

[prt57]

They are painted metal and so if you strip them prior to polishing you will be left with something that will corrode afterwards.
The clips are there for a reason so I would not want to drive without them.
You would not believe that these clips are over £100 each.

 

[Tomrun]

I was planning to cover them with a heat resistant lacquer

just thought it would look nice

 

[Stakeknife]

The clip with S3 on? Thought they were for show. Anyway I took mine off when I gave the caliper a freshen up. Bit of a ball ache putting them back on.
To take them off I prized right in the middle since there's a lug there that holds it in place. Don't hit yourself in the eye when it shoots off.
To put them back on I put the bottom part of the clip where it needs to be and aligned the lug in the middle to where that needs to go. Then take some tension on the top part of the clip, then with the other hand push the lug behind the lip with a screwdriver. As that pushes into place you will be able to feed the clip in at the top. Defiantly use a cloth with the screwdriver but even the clip itself can mark the paint.