I am replacing slide pin boots on every brake pad change

Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
9,513
I noticed I had a torn boot today while I was working on my brakes had really uneven pad wear. One of the slide pins was seized causing the very corner of the pad to hit the backing plate, while the rest of the pad had a good amount of life left. Caught it just in time, literally. So here I am got the new boot installed greased up etc. Then I'm like omg, it's the boot that's swollen up over time causing these pins to bind. I can easily move the slide pin back and forth with my pinky now. Went ahead and put a new boot on the other slide pin too. Best $8 I ever spent
 
I clean and re-grease the slide pins at least 2x a year on all the cars. Do it while rotating the tires.

It is essential if you live in areas with snow and salt.
The last guy who touched it put gobs of anti seize on the caliper mounting boats, but not a drop of brake grease inside the boots. Either that or he put anti seize inside the boots and that's what caused them to swell, but it didn't look like it.
 
I used to have issues with pins binding and boots swelling that attributed to the CRC grease I was using. Many posts on forums showing that.

I now use just plain silicone paste, 3M currently, and then whichever was available on Amazon from @Trav recommendation. I usually even give inside of the boots a light coat. I haven’t had any issues since doing that.

Tab and other metal contact areas now get Honda M77 or one of the other synthetic greases, maybe some anti seize.
 
Are we talking about pin bushings? To me the "boot" is the bellows part that keeps the elements out of the pin bore.

You can run without the rubber pin bushing. They're more of a noise reduction device.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wlk
any parts store
Not exactly true. Go out to purchase some and you'll get a lot of "we don't have that one."
Behind the counter of a competent parts shop was a wall of brake pin boots....easily 40 styles to choose from.
Many are similar. I can see a customer (The Critic, for one) getting an ill-fitting set that's close.

Also, I tried to buy these boots for a Jeep GC and 3 dealerships didn't have them.
As a personal thing, I wasn't surprised as Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, RAM, Stellantis dealerships have always been steps below average.
 
I clean and re-grease the slide pins at least 2x a year on all the cars. Do it while rotating the tires.

It is essential if you live in areas with snow and salt.

Are we talking about pin bushings? To me the "boot" is the bellows part that keeps the elements out of the pin bore.

You can run without the rubber pin bushing. They're more of a noise reduction device.
The pins have little indentatons on each end to hold the boot in place and keep the grease inside.
 
When using a silicone grease, i've never really had a problem with slide pin boots. And i usually keep my cars a while.
I bought a tube of sil glide silicone grease. These boots are 18 years old now. I've only gotten a year or so out of a set of pads the last couple times though. Guess the boots finally kicked the bucket
 
Back
Top Bottom