I posted this up on FABO, so for those who share accounts over there as well, I apologize in advance for a double read. I'm a big believer in this and want the word to spread. In my opinion cars must do three things: go like hell, corner on the head of a pin, and stop on a dime. This is one of the cheapest ways I know of to help the third one, even with stock brakes.
I'm gonna post this, simply because it boggles the mind how many people don't know this stuff exists.
Gonna go on a little rant first. I recently had one of my wife's co-worker's bring his car to me for a starting issue. I couldn't fix that, is it seems the car couldn't bring itself to have any issues while I had it. Cranked every time I hit the key. While it was here he wanted me to check the brakes, too. The brakes were worked on not long ago by one of those "professional" brake and exhaust chain stores popular here in the Northeast. The pedal was spongy as all get out. Could tell from the initial test drive that nothing was moving properly.
Got the tires off and sure enough, rotors and pads weren't too old, but caliper pins were stuck in the front so bad I to replace the calipers. The previous guy ripped the boots off the pins, never lubed them and put 'em back together. To make matters worse, the previous guy never cleaned the anchors of rust and just threw everything back together.
The rears were the same way, but the calipers were in good shape. The rear anchors were so rusted that the inside pad wasn't moving, just the outside pad. As a result the inside facing of the rotor was starting to show rust.
I know some guys who use Never Sieze or white lithium grease. I guess if you nothing else on hand, then that's okay, but these chemicals aren't designed to take the heat of braking like brake silicone. They will also wash away after time, whereas brake silicone is...well...silicone gel. This stuff usually only comes off with brake cleaner. I also know guys who use the "anti-squeal" stuff, but that's nothing more than RTV and what good is gluing everything together when everything is supposed to move?
Not to offend anyone by pointing out the basics, but disk brakes (typical disk brakes that is) work by the piston pushing the inside pad while the caliper pulls the outside pad and together they squeeze the rotor. In order to achieve maximum wear and maximum braking everything has to move along that anchor. This means the anchor has to be clean of rust and kept clean. Brake silicone will keep rust from forming. If you have four piston brakes take look inside the caliper. Those little notches in there are where the pads ride with the pins holding them in place. Silicone the notches, silicone the pins.
Drum brakes need to move, too, with the shoes moving out against the drum. Take a look at the backing plate, you'll see little raised pads. Those are shoe lands. Wipe these down with a little silicone. Lube the threads on the adjusters. If it's supposed to move, lube it. The e-brake arm on the shoe? Lube it. It doesn't take much silicone, just a film and I guarantee, if you use the right stuff, that it will still be there the next time you need pads or shoes.
I buy mine from the local Ford dealership. Motorcraft part number XG-A-3. Being an old Ford tech and former employee I get a discount on it and a tube lasts a long while. It's also a dielectric grease, which kills two birds with one stone, as I do a lot of electrical repairs, too. NAPA has tubs of black synthetic brake grease, which is okay I guess, though it doesn't stick well and tends to wipe off and Auto Zone, Checker, Advance, etc. sells little packets of the stuff at the counter.
Yeah, I know, this reads like the old VD films you used to watch in high school, but you'll be surprised at how much better pedal feel you'll get from using this stuff throughout the life of your brakes, as well as how long your brakes will last. I'm posting this up simply because it amazes me how many pro's out there don't use it. Usually at .99 cents a packet for it at most parts stores it's cheap insurance!
I'm posting a pic of the rear anchor on my wife's co-worker's car, all cleaned and lubed, ready to go back together, just for reference. It's the left rear of an '02 Intrepid, but pretty typical for any brake anchor:
I'm gonna post this, simply because it boggles the mind how many people don't know this stuff exists.
Gonna go on a little rant first. I recently had one of my wife's co-worker's bring his car to me for a starting issue. I couldn't fix that, is it seems the car couldn't bring itself to have any issues while I had it. Cranked every time I hit the key. While it was here he wanted me to check the brakes, too. The brakes were worked on not long ago by one of those "professional" brake and exhaust chain stores popular here in the Northeast. The pedal was spongy as all get out. Could tell from the initial test drive that nothing was moving properly.
Got the tires off and sure enough, rotors and pads weren't too old, but caliper pins were stuck in the front so bad I to replace the calipers. The previous guy ripped the boots off the pins, never lubed them and put 'em back together. To make matters worse, the previous guy never cleaned the anchors of rust and just threw everything back together.
The rears were the same way, but the calipers were in good shape. The rear anchors were so rusted that the inside pad wasn't moving, just the outside pad. As a result the inside facing of the rotor was starting to show rust.
I know some guys who use Never Sieze or white lithium grease. I guess if you nothing else on hand, then that's okay, but these chemicals aren't designed to take the heat of braking like brake silicone. They will also wash away after time, whereas brake silicone is...well...silicone gel. This stuff usually only comes off with brake cleaner. I also know guys who use the "anti-squeal" stuff, but that's nothing more than RTV and what good is gluing everything together when everything is supposed to move?
Not to offend anyone by pointing out the basics, but disk brakes (typical disk brakes that is) work by the piston pushing the inside pad while the caliper pulls the outside pad and together they squeeze the rotor. In order to achieve maximum wear and maximum braking everything has to move along that anchor. This means the anchor has to be clean of rust and kept clean. Brake silicone will keep rust from forming. If you have four piston brakes take look inside the caliper. Those little notches in there are where the pads ride with the pins holding them in place. Silicone the notches, silicone the pins.
Drum brakes need to move, too, with the shoes moving out against the drum. Take a look at the backing plate, you'll see little raised pads. Those are shoe lands. Wipe these down with a little silicone. Lube the threads on the adjusters. If it's supposed to move, lube it. The e-brake arm on the shoe? Lube it. It doesn't take much silicone, just a film and I guarantee, if you use the right stuff, that it will still be there the next time you need pads or shoes.
I buy mine from the local Ford dealership. Motorcraft part number XG-A-3. Being an old Ford tech and former employee I get a discount on it and a tube lasts a long while. It's also a dielectric grease, which kills two birds with one stone, as I do a lot of electrical repairs, too. NAPA has tubs of black synthetic brake grease, which is okay I guess, though it doesn't stick well and tends to wipe off and Auto Zone, Checker, Advance, etc. sells little packets of the stuff at the counter.
Yeah, I know, this reads like the old VD films you used to watch in high school, but you'll be surprised at how much better pedal feel you'll get from using this stuff throughout the life of your brakes, as well as how long your brakes will last. I'm posting this up simply because it amazes me how many pro's out there don't use it. Usually at .99 cents a packet for it at most parts stores it's cheap insurance!
I'm posting a pic of the rear anchor on my wife's co-worker's car, all cleaned and lubed, ready to go back together, just for reference. It's the left rear of an '02 Intrepid, but pretty typical for any brake anchor:
