Does lube actually stick to brake pad contact points?

[The Critic]

I’m going to say no.

These pads were removed from my personal car after 17 months and 8000 miles. CA climate. No snow, minimal rain.

Car is washed 1-2x/month by hand. Wheels are cleaned each time using an acid-based wheel cleaner (hydrofluoric acid).

I don’t see any traces of the Permatex orange lube remaining.

 

[Capt W]

Where did you exactly apply brake lube? To the pads' mounting ears? To the caliper piston contact area on the inboard pad? In either case, lube is totally unnecessary -- especially in a clean, dry climate. Excess lube will only tend to collect gunk and debris, and lubing the pad's backing plate is extraneous because your pads have shims.

Did you pull everything apart just to check for brake grease?

Ensure your caliper pins (for sliding calipers) are lightly lubed and the boots are in good condition to keep water and debris out. Check annually.

 

[ctechbob]

I've never used any sort of lube anywhere but on the slider pins. Course, southern, no rust, no ocean, etc.

 

[The Critic]

Where did you exactly apply brake lube? To the pads' mounting ears? To the caliper piston contact area on the inboard pad?

Pad mounting ears, entire inboard pad shim and the contact points on the outer pad shim. I am aware it is unnecessary, I only did it as an experiment.

 

[Jetronic]

Some lube does, some doesn't. But I don't use the acid wheel cleaners, acids remove grease really well.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Whenever I check my brakes such as when putting the winter tires on, there is absolutely no lubricant left on the pad ears. Having said that I currently have a low speed squeak going on and will lube them when I put the winters on this fall.

 

[Bailes1992]

The wheel cleaner will be your issue.

I ceramic coat our wheels and they never need more than shampoo usually. The grease is usually present for quite a long time.

 

[demarpaint]

Most brake lubes stick fine, the question is how long does it remain?

 

[CharlieBauer]

I thought the grease component is just the carrier for the solids. A thin layer will apparently disappear but the solids remain for longer.

 

[shortyb]

I use a high solids moly paste IF I have to lube anything other than slider pins. Usually its for someone's car I work on where I put some on the mounting ears and both sides of the shims. It washes off eventually and if he/she still expeiences harmonic squeaks, I'll put a little more back on at tire rotation time. For stubborn noise, I'll use an RTV type brake quiet between the shims and backing plates that sets up and won't wash off. I DO NOT use anything like that on the pad ears, they have to move. My cars, I use none. Do pad re-beds often and never have noise. Adherent friction FTW .

 

[JoelB]

Interesting you use an acid based cleaner every wheel cleaning. My understanding is that they are for heavily soiled wheels.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I thought the grease component is just the carrier for the solids. A thin layer will apparently disappear but the solids remain for longer.

It’s actually the other way around. The solids keep the lubricant in suspension. It’s the liquid that does the lubricating. Dried out grease is crumbly and useless for lubricating.

 

[doitmyself]

I thought the grease component is just the carrier for the solids. A thin layer will apparently disappear but the solids remain for longer.

My thoughts also regarding high solids paste. After the majority of the liquid lubricant wears away, the solid "marbles" (moly, teflon, ceramic, etc.) persist. I had decent longevity with a high solids moly product called Paste Lube made in Switzerland by IngraLube, an industrial supplier. They changed the formulation and the new stuff just isn't as good.

Back to The Critic's observations, I too question the usefulness of these applications. In the rust belt, I hope that it slows down corrosion so I continue to do it on pad ears, under the stainless doo dads, etc..

 

[Torrid]

I never had much luck with it staying put either. The only thing that worked for me for brake chatter if this was an issue was anti chatter spray for the back of the pad. I would assume it basically added grip to the pad to keep it from skipping around, but the only car I ever had trouble with this on was a 2004 GTO.

 

[supton]

Yep, mirrors my experience, except I rarely wash the car and never the wheels (maybe I rinse them off). I try to grease the pads every spring, after the long winter with its rust conditions; if I check in the fall there will be a bit of grease left. If I go a full year they will be fully dry. If I go two years the works will be frozen up and the odds are good that I lost a brake pad.

We're light brakers and tend to go >100k on pads. But I suspect there is enough heat generated in light usage, plus the occasional hard braking, that the grease somehow cooks off. Bit of water splash too.

I've been using Honda M77 moly for a few years now. It lasts the longest.

Made the mistake of putting grease on the shims that go onto the pads, whatever they are. Squealed like a pig for 3 or 6 months, until it washed off. Never again.

 

[Hall]

These pads were removed from my personal car after 17 months

Well, I know what the problem is.... You didn't re-lube them every 6 months. Cancel your BITOG membership immediately !

But I suspect there is enough heat generated in light usage

I use Permatex's purple ceramic stuff and it's rates for up to 1600º F. I'd guess most brake lubes are rated for at least half that and higher.

 

[camrydriver111]

Well, I know what the problem is.... You didn't re-lube them every 6 months. Cancel your BITOG membership immediately !

For real.

In Canada, Honda, Toyota, Mazda have a factory recommended service where they re-apply the lube.

It is Honda maintenance code 9.

I use Permatex green and I still see if after a few months, which is even less robust because I don't believe it has ceramic solids, but I don't clean my wheels with hydrofluoric acid 2x a month.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I clean and lube the brake components of our higher use cars every couple of years. Unnecessary? Some would say so. At least it allows for periodic inspection. And placebo effect better brake operation!

FYI As we know, Tesla brake components get far less use due to motor regenerative braking. Routine maintenance includes a clean and lube procedure in the inclement geographies.

I do like servicing the slider pin and bores on floating calipers.

 

[Torrid]

I clean and lube the brake components of our higher use cars every couple of years. Unnecessary? Some would say so. At least it allows for periodic inspection. And placebo effect better brake operation!

FYI As we know, Tesla brake components get far less use due to motor regenerative braking. Routine maintenance includes a clean and lube procedure in the inclement geographies.

I do like servicing the slider pin and bores on floating calipers.

It's a must here. They'll seize easily with winter salt. The 2004 Lincoln LS we had sat for 6 months in Wisconsin before we took it to Las Vegas when we were still living there. The brakes felt weak, so I decided to replace all of the components. The rear brakes were completely seized. New pads, rotors, and fluid had everything back to normal and luckily the calipers themselves didn't suffer any damage in the process.

 

[KrisZ]

These look like grease marks to me.

There is never going to be the same amount and color of grease as you put it. It gets worked around and squeezed out and of course it will attract brake dust and look like dirt in the end.