It's not the main piston, but the slide pins that allow the pads to release from the rotor. The local parts store sold me some white lithium grease and says he does that to fix the cars in his shop. I purchased it anyway since I've been needing it for my bike applications, but was wondering if I should use red valvoline wheel bearing grease or black synthetic lithium grease instead of the white?
Or is the white good enough for the application.
Thanks
is white lithium grease ok for caliper slide pins?
- Thread starter Thomas Pyrek
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It's not the main piston, but the slide pins that allow the pads to release from the rotor. The local parts store sold me some white lithium grease and says he does that to fix the cars in his shop. I purchased it anyway since I've been needing it for my bike applications, but was wondering if I should use red valvoline wheel bearing grease or black synthetic lithium grease instead of the white?
Or is the white good enough for the application.
Thanks
The brake caliper grease tube that you have pictured is the correct grease for the application.
You need to be using a silicone, synthetic or ceramic based grease that is designed SPECIFICALLY for brake applications.
Nope. Never use petrolium-based (lithium or not doesn't matter) grease in caliper sliding pins. Always use synthetic grease made specifically for brake caliper sliding pins and rubber boots such as sylglide, CRC brake caliper synthetic grease, Gunk syn brake grease with added molybdium, or Permatex syn lube.
Failure in observing proper practice RE: use the correct lube for the correct parts will lead you to disasterous outcome (e.g. rubber seal/moisture/dust boots on caliper sliding pins may swell and deterioriate to the point where water and dirt creeps in, seize up your caliper and you'll be sorry by that time when you need to rely on your caliper(s) for panic braking.)
Q.
BTW: I personally knew at least 4 different old-tyme (or bkyard) mechanics, all certified, to use ordinary bearing grease on caliper sliding pins. When questioned them why, they either give you that lifeless stare and give stoopid remarks like "...been using bearing grease on everything even before you were born so what difference does that make...." to "it will fail sooner than expected and when the customer comes back complaining about brake lockups, I can sell him a remain caliper/brake job..."
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Anyone know where online I can get that kind of grease?
I've looked around a couple different places and I've found nothing. That's why I ventured to my local parts store to purchase the incorrect grease.
Thanks for all of your quality responses.
Originally Posted By: Thomas Pyrek
Anyone know where online I can get that kind of grease?
I've looked around a couple different places and I've found nothing. That's why I ventured to my local parts store to purchase the incorrect grease.
Thanks for all of your quality responses.
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I do not have the correct grease. I borrowed that picture. I made a list of all the greases that I have. That is not one of them.
I've always used Permatex Ultra Caliper Lube.
Available at most auto parts stores. Throughly clean out the old grease first, then apply a generous amount of new lube on the pins, and in the boots. Slide the calipers back and forth a few times to work it through.
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=PTX&MfrPartNumber=24110&CategoryCode=3223
or the smaller size:
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=PTX&MfrPartNumber=20356&CategoryCode=3223
Originally Posted By: Thomas Pyrek
I do not have the correct grease. I borrowed that picture. I made a list of all the greases that I have. That is not one of them.
Pep Boys should have the CRC product. Advanced Auto should have one of the two Permatex products.
What brake pads are you installing? I ask as you might need a different product for that.Yup, that's the planned proceedure once I get the grease.
eh, the nearest parts America store is 64 miles away and they won't ship that stuff. I'll have to check my other "local" Napa which is only 30 miles away.
Yay for living in the middle of nowhere!
Mintex semi metallic (red box). I have the antisqueal compound. I know how to do the stuff, I just get a funny feeling when someone tells me to use the white lithium grease for a use that seems to me to be outside the realm of its useful range.
Originally Posted By: Thomas Pyrek
Mintex semi metallic (red box). I have the antisqueal compound.
You can buy the product here:
Permatex Ceramic Extreme Brake Grease
With shipping, it's $20.60.
"the middle of no where"?????? Chicago?????
The CRC stuff is also marketed as Sta Lube. They are one and the same. NAPA should have this as well as Sil Glyde packaged in their NAPA brand.
Finally, your "funny feeling" is warranted. Auto parts counter guys and gals sometimes give out the worst advice. Back in the olden days of independent shops there was sometimes knowledgeable people.
If you google any of the above products, you should be able to find lots of mail order places. Also, you can get most of them in nice sized tubes that won't cost so much.
I should update my profile. I no longer live in Chicago. Now, if I didn't have a bum shoulder or could throw lefty, I could throw a rock into the Upper Peninsula from where I am sitting. In order to get to Rhinelander, WI I have to drive south an hour.
Also, this isn't just a parts counter guy, he's the owner and mechanic of the Napa Autocare Center. They do not stock any of those items. I spent 5 minutes looking around the store to find nothing, then I finally caught his attention and found that. The only greases he had were wheel bearing grease, white lithium greas and black synthetic lithium grease. No other grease except maybe some chicken or bacon grease back in the break room.
I found a couple of the products using google, but I've got some time Monday morning, so I'm going to drive to the real Napa store (yay for an hour of driving!) using a friend's car.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: Thomas Pyrek
Mintex semi metallic (red box). I have the antisqueal compound.
I went to the other "local" Napa today. Found some CRC sythetic lube (the one pictured in the first post). When I took it up to the counter one of the guys working there said to me, "That is some great stuff. I use it on all my brake jobs." I sort of laughed and said, "Yeah, I went to LOL Napa and they gave me white lithium grease instead." The guy gives me a shocked look and says, "Hal did that? The guy with the beard? I have to call him now. Thanks for telling me. I'm the district manager and he shouldn't be telling people that."
Brake job is now done except for bedding the pads.
Glad to hear everything worked out.
Ya know, Pasty grease is certified to work on anything. You could have saved us a lot of trouble by just using that on your brakes.
Yeah... I knew I lived too far north when I could drive south for 25 miles and find a place that sold pasties.
Anybody use the Raybestos Silicone brake lube? Its a thick ghostly white grease, I use it on every brake job at work and it seems to be good stuff. It is the same stuff they give you in the little tubes, just in a normal container. Thoughts?
Jim
Kestas
Staff member
Yes - anything that is silicone-based. Fluorosilicones are even better.
Some people on this thread seem to be stuck on the word "synthetic" for caliper grease. That is not the operative word here.
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