2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Need some front brake advise.

[tmacc]

My truck's front brake have been a pain since about 50k. It now has 118K. Even though I lub the slide pins w/ syn. brake grease, the calipers don't slide very well and I get un-even pad wear. Not to mention unbelievably short pad life. I did the brakes last week and bought new slide pins and slide pin boots, lube the heck out of them and still seem to have the same problem. One of the caliper seems to have hung up and has now warped the rotor. Any tips? This is getting old.

TIA

Tom

 

[No Neck]

You also need to lube the upper and lower surfaces of the caliper and caliper mounting brackets. These surfaces in conjunction with the slide pins hold the caliper in place.



Clean the machined surfaces of both and then apply the lube. Make sure you are using a good quality disk brake grease. If you are using a regular grease it will not hold up to the heat generated by the brakes.



This is what I did to mine and it cured my brake pull problems.



Hope that helps.

 

[Big E]

I believe it was discussed here before that the grease used should be of a formula that won't swell rubber, like silicone.



I used regular synthetic caliper grease on the first brake job I did. Within a month the rubber had sucked all the oil out of the grease leaving only a thick sticky goo. I had to hammer the pins out of the calipers.



I searched all over for a silicone brake grease at the local parts places. They all looked at me like I was smokin Drain-o, and then tried to sell me the same stuff I used before.



I used a OMC marine product that I had on hand that supposedly was high temp and would not swell rubber. I haven't had problems since.



I have since bought some of the lube that EGR sells. I will probably try that next.



Anyhow, that's been my experience.

 

[BillGotthelf]

No Neck has it right. You need to polish the slide or mounting area the caliper rides on. Either use some emery cloth or I bought some 2 or 3" 3m pads that look like brown brillo and use them in a drill. They clean metal very well. I use a little bit of anti seize after I clean them up. I get longer brake life and no pull.

 

[tmacc]

Well, the grease I used is Permatex synthedic brake caliper grease. I forgot to mention that I also greased the bracket that the pads slide on. DC changed calipers since you guys bought your trucks. There is a stainless steel piece that wraps the caliper bracket that I have replaced once w/ an after market part. (the calipers are also twin piston now) I did notice that it was made from thinner material than the OEM part and has a few depressions in it, so the pads may be hanging up on that. I'll try to get some new ones from the dealer on Fri. Could be some tight tolerances between different manufactures too. Big E, I'll check into the lube from EGR. I've also got plenty of anti-sieze around here. Thanks again guys.

Tom

 

[dram99]

had the same problem... ... 2 things. . first take off the calliper and file,,, yes file the mating surfaces smooth like you bumper... . the fact is that the fit is too tight. i use a compound called no-ox. . a form of petroleum jelly. you could also use, and i would to silicone grease. lightly... ... . lightly coat the mating surfaces... just enough to feel the grease but not to have it come off with your finger when you touch it. key is to keep the rust down not to add dirt to the grease. replace the calipers and happy motoring... .



second... when you feal a slight pull to one side when braking a caliper is sticking. . my fix between brake jobs is to ... . get this... drive 15+ mph with no one behind you and just jam the brakes (that's right, lock em up). loosens the caliper right now...

 

[tmacc]

Duane,

Thanks for the input, but I'm a little confused. I'm not sure we have the same calipers. Does your truck have twin piston calipers? What exactly is the mating surface that you're referring to? The calipers on my truck bolt onto what the manual calls an adapter which has these stainless steel rattle springs that pads slide on. The actual caliper itself is bolted to the adapter and slides on bushings that are in a dust boot. Clear as Mud? Anyway, like Big E suggested, I think I need a better grease for the rubber boots and either the same grease or anti-sieze for the anti-rattle springs that the pads slide on. Now, that said, there could be a tolerance problem between the A/R springs and the pads. Truthfully, the best milage I got on front pads were the OEM. They cost about $30 more than after market, but w/ all of the time I've wasted, I'll probably go back to them next time. I may break down and rebuild the calipers, too. Since at least one of the rotors need turning, might as well try to get everything right at one time. One thing the PSD had over the CTD is that the brakes and the front end never had the kind of problems I've experienced w/ this truck. It had it's share of problems in other area, but... .....

Thanks again,

Tom