Can I anodize stock YZ triple clamps

[Dan_187]

I want blue clamps on my 06 YZ 450, but i don't want aftermarket ones. Can I get that material anodized to that nice blue? Has anyone done that and where can I get it done?

[the1_roadrunner]

If the 06 clamps are like my 08 they are castings and have the raw cast finish. You can anodize a cast finish but it won't give you the same shiny look and color as machined billet (wrought) material. --RR

[thumpyz]

You could have them powder coated. That would look sweet.

[William1]

Anodizing a cast part often fails. You end up with a blotchy finish. This is due to the way the metals in the casting flow in the mold. A billet piece of metal has the same issues but the outer areas are machined away, providing a purer material.

[fundgh]

If you were to blast, sand, and polish it first; the anodizing might look pretty a bit better. I think it is still a risk.

[swatdoc]

powdercoating is the way to go. pc'ed the triple clamps on my DRZ and they came out great. I did them in a candy red that looks very close to red anodizing.

here's a pic of my yZ shock linkage i pc'ed in a translucent gold:

it does take some prep work if you're gonna do a tanslucent color right over the bare metal like i did with the gold - you need to file down all the casting seams first, then wet sand the whole thing with progressively finer sandpaper to about 1500 grit. easier is to do a 2 stage pc - layer of chrome pc, followed by the candy or translucent color. Still need to file the casting seams, but after that you can just sandblast it. that's what i did with the triple clamps

one more note - i do all my baking at 300 degrees. i have read some reports that the aluminum can become more brittle if subjected to heat of over 350 degrees or so. i, nor any powdercoaters i have spoke to have ever heard of a problem, and the professional pc'ers usually bake everything at about 400 to save time. But, i figure, why take a chance - just bake at a lower temp for a little longer.

now if you wanna do a blue anodized look, they also make a candy blue powdercoat. I did all the suspension pieces on my truck with the candy blue. note how similar the blue pc is to the anodized shock resevior clamps