Brake assembly grease, is it "special" ?

[Jeff in ND]

Got a brake job to do this weekend. Rotors and pads. Is there anything special about the grease I should put on some sliding parts on the calipers? Parts store I dropped by today didn't have any in stock. I have a few different greases around the garage: Wheel bearing, white lithium, Moly, and general purpose gun grease. Any reason I can't use one of those? Also have some fluid film.

 

[wore out]

Got a brake job to do this weekend. Rotors and pads. Is there anything special about the grease I should put on some sliding parts on the calipers? Parts store I dropped by today didn't have any in stock. I have a few different greases around the garage: Wheel bearing, white lithium, Moly, and general purpose gun grease. Any reason I can't use one of those? Also have some fluid film.

Have you looked in the box of brake pads, a little grease packet or two is sometimes included.

 

[Jeff in ND]

Have you looked in the box of brake pads, a little grease packet or two is sometimes included.

Yeah, nothing in there except some clips and a small diagram.

 

[Eman85]

I use Silglide from NAPA, have used silicon grease in the past.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7651351

 

[Hobo,NC]

Over the years I have replace brakes multiple times on 100’s of cars and trucks. I learned the hard way to use rubber safe lube I use CRC Sta lube. If it does not say rubber safe on the container run from it. For those that have permatex green are purple lube throw it away it’s the worst thing you can use on caliper pins.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Brake grease is intended for high temperatures. I wouldn't use anything else on disc brakes. You can buy a packet with enough for one brake job for a couple of bucks.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Brake grease is intended for high temperatures. I wouldn't use anything else on disc brakes. You can buy a packet with enough for one brake job for a couple of bucks.

Not all is equal if it’s not rubber safe and not stated on the package rubber safe it will lead to unsatisfactory results. Those packages you see on the parts counter my bet none are rubber safe. They will read metal to metal use only so find me a caliper pin that does not have a rubber seal.

A DIY guy will never realize the grease he used caused premature failure. For us that preform this task daily it’s a common mistake to see but that’s OK we get to sell a caliper and caliper mount: ). So keep buying those garbage packages of problems.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Not all is equal if it’s not rubber safe and not stated on the package rubber safe it will lead to unsatisfactory results. Those packages you see on the parts counter my bet none are rubber safe. They will read metal to metal use only so find me a caliper pin that does not have a rubber seal.

A DIY guy will never realize the grease he used caused premature failure. For us that preform this task daily it’s a common mistake to see but that’s OK we get to sell a caliper and caliper mount: ). So keep buying those garbage packages of problems.sisingl

Those packages you see on the parts counter my bet none are rubber safe.

I guess I don't understand why a lube in a single-use packet would be any different than the same lube in a jar or tube. At any rate, it wasn't difficult to find a single-use packet that's rubber safe.

AGS Sil-Glyde

 

[Hobo,NC]

Its your roll of the dice not mine.

 

[john in la]

I would use a grease especially made for disc brakes.
First off you are talking high temperature so any oil based grease is out due to fire hazard.
This is also a wet dirty location so you want something that will stand up to wet locations and dirt will not cling to.

 

[caterpillar guy]

I've never found a grease/oil that would do much there and another reason for keeping the old drum brakes on things never had so many brake problems with only one side wearing as with idiotic disc brakes. So what if they will stop quicker if they don't work well over time. I'm always changine just one pad and the other will look like new yet. I can't say what they should do with them on here.

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

If you are wearing one pad all the time you either have a sticking piston in the caliper or sticking pins.

 

[Jeff in ND]

Went to a different parts store yesterday morning and got a little tube of grease. They also had tiny packets as well as a small jar with brush on the lid. A much better stocked store compared to the one I stopped by on Friday!!

It did not appear this vehicle ever had any grease where the pads and clips fit together. Its not quite at 40k and original brakes. I bought it a few months ago and its now developed a pulsation when slowing from higher speeds. Wear-wise, the pads and rotors were fine but the rotors were glazed and some scoring. I am sure they could have been turned but the cost and inconvenience of that is a wash with new ones.

 

[Eman85]

I've never found a grease/oil that would do much there and another reason for keeping the old drum brakes on things never had so many brake problems with only one side wearing as with idiotic disc brakes. So what if they will stop quicker if they don't work well over time. I'm always changine just one pad and the other will look like new yet. I can't say what they should do with them on here.

Uneven wearing of pads is usually related to not cleaning and lubricating the attachment sliding hardware or using the improper lubricant.

 

[Eman85]

Went to a different parts store yesterday morning and got a little tube of grease. They also had tiny packets as well as a small jar with brush on the lid. A much better stocked store compared to the one I stopped by on Friday!!

It did not appear this vehicle ever had any grease where the pads and clips fit together. Its not quite at 40k and original brakes. I bought it a few months ago and its now developed a pulsation when slowing from higher speeds. Wear-wise, the pads and rotors were fine but the rotors were glazed and some scoring. I am sure they could have been turned but the cost and inconvenience of that is a wash with new ones.

It sounds like you have slide on type rotors that just go over the hub studs and are retained by the caliper and wheel. Be sure to clean the rust on the hub between the studs before installing the new rotors. The lube you purchased should be used on the caliper slides. Clips should be stainless and if lubricating there don't use much as it can get on the pads and rotors and isn't a factor of brake performance. Be sure to tighten the wheels in a cross pattern and use a torque wrench, spec is in the owners manual.

 

[Texasmark]

I usually use #2 red and recall a note on a tube once that it was recommended for disc brake/CV joint applications, being a high temp rated grease. I've been using it as my only grease for decades and never had a rubber problem with it.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

If you are wearing one pad all the time you either have a sticking piston in the caliper or sticking pins.

Probably from not using lube because you don't think it does anything...

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Went to a different parts store yesterday morning and got a little tube of grease. They also had tiny packets as well as a small jar with brush on the lid. A much better stocked store compared to the one I stopped by on Friday!!

It did not appear this vehicle ever had any grease where the pads and clips fit together. Its not quite at 40k and original brakes. I bought it a few months ago and its now developed a pulsation when slowing from higher speeds. Wear-wise, the pads and rotors were fine but the rotors were glazed and some scoring. I am sure they could have been turned but the cost and inconvenience of that is a wash with new ones.

I've never taken apart a caliper that has any evidence of lube, even ones that I KNOW I lubed when I put them together.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I usually use #2 red and recall a note on a tube once that it was recommended for disc brake/CV joint applications, being a high temp rated grease.

Hmm. I always thought that recommendation applied to wheel bearings on vehicles with disc brakes.

 

[Eman85]

I'm wondering what some are lubing and where they believe the lube goes.