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Caliper slide pin grease
number-1 - 23/11/23 at 06:28 PM

Can anyone point me to the correct grease for caliper slide pins?

Cheers

N1


Slimy38 - 23/11/23 at 08:15 PM

I've always used red rubber grease, mainly because the covers are usually rubber and most other greases can react with rubber. I've no idea whether that is the best choice though.


Mr Whippy - 24/11/23 at 12:40 PM

I normally use copper slip and have never seen any detrimental effects of the rubber, if that's was it is. I did use the silicone grease supplied with the volvo's new calipers buy can't say I was won over. Just google - silicone brake caliper grease. Just keep it well away from the pads or they'll be wreaked.

[Edited on 24/11/23 by Mr Whippy]


jps - 24/11/23 at 01:20 PM

I’ve used CV grease on the basis it is OK with CV boot rubber so will be ok with slider pin rubber


gremlin1234 - 24/11/23 at 04:26 PM

there is a school of thought that says they should be installed 'dry' with no grease whatsoever.
the grease will just hold all the dust and dirt, and turn to a black jam.

I suspect this will work better on loose fitting pins with no rubbers at all.


mcerd1 - 24/11/23 at 11:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I've always used red rubber grease, mainly because the covers are usually rubber and most other greases can react with rubber. I've no idea whether that is the best choice though.


^^^ I've always used rubber grease - a small tin around £10 by the looks of it now
(i'm still using a tin my dad had that his uncle gave him - its probably a least 10 years older than me and half full still )
https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/millers-red-rubber-grease-500grms-mill-5196
https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-RX1794--SelectedCurrency-1?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAsIGrBhAAEiwAEzMlCzwH63yn8UFxmrR69LG_FqicZx07FTEJK4LjuvfHyle65 19dZeJIDxoCkNwQAvD_BwE



or you could get this stuff - for all you'll need, but they are only a few £ less for a one use size....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Grease-Sachets-Caliper-Slider/dp/B07QHG8XRL/ref=sr_1_4?m=A1E6V8KLGLYORO&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&qid=170 0866111&s=merchant-items&sr=1-4


mcerd1 - 24/11/23 at 11:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gremlin1234
there is a school of thought that says they should be installed 'dry' with no grease whatsoever.
the grease will just hold all the dust and dirt, and turn to a black jam.

I suspect this will work better on loose fitting pins with no rubbers at all.

the pins that have the rubber boots on defiantly need greased



the other metal on metal contact area's i've tried with and without grease over the years - my current thinking is with a very small amount of copper grease painted on the contact areas only.
(i.e. just enough to lightly coat the contact surface, but not enough for any build-up / squeeze out if that makes sense)


craig1410 - 26/11/23 at 09:50 AM

I used to use copper grease like many folks but a few years ago I read an article that pointed out it wasn’t actually “grease” and was quite hostile to rubber components. The copper in it can also interfere with ABS sensors apparently so don’t use it when installing sensors. I don’t really use copper grease anywhere now other than a light smear on glow plug threads when installing.

The article recommended “brake grease” which it turns out is mostly just silicone grease. So I now just use a tiny smear of this stuff.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M9GVQ8F

I use different stuff for brake pad sliding surfaces. It’s Textar Cera Tec which I think I got at ECP

https://textar.com/en/service-products/#ceratec

HTH


number-1 - 26/11/23 at 04:52 PM

Cheers all. I opted for the red rubber grease


adithorp - 26/11/23 at 06:40 PM

Depends on the slide pins. If they're steel pins in steel holes the copper grease or high temp grease. If the pins have a rubber sleeve on the pin or go through rubber bushes then red rubber grease. Any mineral grease will cause the fibber to swell and I regularly have to deal with customers sticking brakes where that's the issue either from DIY or other garages.


Mr Whippy - 27/11/23 at 12:48 PM

I just never seen any deterioration to the seals with copper grease. I actually reused some of them on the volvo when changing the calipers (it was hit or miss if they were included) and after a bit of a clean in petrol it was pretty much impossible to tell new from old and they were 19 years old. You can't not put anything on them as they will just bind.


craig1410 - 30/11/23 at 03:41 PM

Yeah I can't say I've seen obvious rubber deterioration due to copper grease either but having used silicone grease for a few years now I would never go back to using copper grease.

The silicone grease is very high temperature grease so there is no risk of it losing viscosity and ending up in places it wasn't intended to go, and it's much much cleaner than copper grease when you come back to it months or years later. I use it around the centre hub of my alloy wheels where they mount to the flange on the discs and it never fails to prevent seizure. I also use it when I insert ABS sensors as it has no copper to interfere with the sensor magnetic flux. I also put a smear around my brake pipes where the plastic coating ends and the connection starts.

FYI, I don't use any grease on my wheel bolts these days as they are generally meant to be kept dry.


adithorp - 30/11/23 at 07:05 PM

The ones where copper-slip is an issue are generally the ones with pins into blind holes and one pin has a recesse on it with rubber sleeve in it (anti-rattle). Mostly Jap/Korean cars. It only needs to swell slightly to stick.


mgb281 - 28/12/23 at 04:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by craig1410
Yeah I can't say I've seen obvious rubber deterioration due to copper grease either but having used silicone grease for a few years now I would never go back to using copper grease.

The silicone grease is very high temperature grease so there is no risk of it losing viscosity and ending up in places it wasn't intended to go, and it's much much cleaner than copper grease when you come back to it months or years later. I use it around the centre hub of my alloy wheels where they mount to the flange on the discs and it never fails to prevent seizure. I also use it when I insert ABS sensors as it has no copper to interfere with the sensor magnetic flux. I also put a smear around my brake pipes where the plastic coating ends and the connection starts.

FYI, I don't use any grease on my wheel bolts these days as they are generally meant to be kept dry.


AS Craig1410 says, silicone grease is the correct one to use. If you buy calliper rebuild kits they normally contain a tube of vegetable oil based "red rubber" grease and a tube of silicone grease for the pins. The red rubber grease doesn't affect the calliper seals and provides lubrication on assembly and dissolves harmlessly into the brake fluid. The silicone grease is used for the pins because it is waterproof and doesn't affect the "anti chatter" rubber sleeves that are normally fitted to one of the pins