Caliper slide grease

[Suzam]

I gonna be working on my 97 Legacy wagons's disk brakes this weekend. I've seen plenty of posts on greasing the slide pins and was wondering what type of grease to use, at which specific locations and the quantity to use.

 

I don't wanna do it wrong and have slick pads and rotors, because I hear they don't work as well. Although they'd last longer.

[aircraft engineer]

silicone grease (auto parts store in those tiny disposable packets) - put on a light coat. "heavy" won't make any difference - what comes out when you put the sliders together, wipe off.

[Olnick]

I hear they don't work as well. Although they'd last longer.

 

Hmmm, interesting. Hadn't thought of it that way!

 

All I know is that it's a special "high-temperature" grease specifically for use in brakes. Got mine at NAPA--auto stores usually have it in small plastic squeeze tubes, enough for doing all 4 wheels if I remember correctly.

 

Good luck.

[hohieu]

Often times, brake pads will come with a packet of grease, but I've had good luck with the permatex synthetic grease. It's available in little packets, and my local autozone also sells it in 8 oz. bottles (#24110) with brush applicator cap. The grease is a translucent green.

 

I like because it does not dry out, will not react with rubber like petroleum based greases, and is even compatible with brake fluid. Hence you can even use it to lubricate the caliper pistons when rebuilding your calipers.

 

Make sure to clean out all the old grease off your guide and lock pins as well as the bores into which they go. You don't need much at all, about 5-7 grams is more than enough per axle. When you remove the caliper pins, take note of the orientation of the lock pin (yellow with a runner ring around the tip) and guide pin (green) and reassemble them accordingly. If you get them mixed up, just remember that the brake hose will allow the caliper to pivot up around the guide pin.

 

I use a cheaper tub of petroleum based disc brake grease for the back of and contact surfaces of the pads. If your pads came with grease, you could use that here. Just a thin layer here is all you need. If you're reusing the old brake hardware, clean off the old grease and corrosion with a little wire brush.

 

And, of course, avoid getting grease on the rotors and friction side of the brake pads.

 

I replaced the pads & rotors and rebuilt the calipers on my '99 forester at 131K. Depending on the mileage of and how long you plan to keep your car, I would rebuild the calipers. There's no sense in having a stuck caliper piston ruin a new set of pads and rotors. Complete caliper rebuild kits by Beck/Arnley are available from rockauto.

[idosubaru]

automotive stores all sell brake caliper grease. grease the slides and all under the rubber boots. work the pins in and around, wipe off any extra grease that comes out - they have a "relief valve" of sorts that will allow extra grease to come out or it'll just push out around the boots. wipe it away.

 

i recommend springing for the bottle, it's annoying buying the packs every time you think you might need them. those little packs don't go very far and the bottles are cheap and come with an applicator under the lid (at least the ones i've bought - permatex brand from memory??).