Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: Andy636
If you ask me using any kind of grease on the caliper/pad contact points is just asking for trouble. All that brake pad dust and grease will turn into a solid mess impeding the free movement of the pad.
Why not clean the mating surfaces properly and leave it alone?
Because its metal on metal contact, and the pads will rust to the brackets, which is not good for break performance. Also, the piston rotates on several types of brake systems to account for brake pad wear. You dont want the piston to seize itself to the back of the pad.
The grease is there to combat rust and to fight squealing.
Thanks for the explanation.
I don't know how it is state side, but all the pads that I ever purchased in the last 20 years have had a backing plate that was either coated in heat resistant polymer or heat resistant paint, so no rust in between the pad and the piston and no squealing either.
Never had problems with the pad mounts on the calipers either since I scrub the living daylights out of them with a small wire brush and if necessary a Scotch&Brite abrasive pad.
But again...not once a family car that we owned went past the 20 K miles without requiring new pads due to the nature of our traffic, and that's probably why I have never had a seized/rusted pad or piston.