Some questions

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

So tonight I planned on changing the front passenger side hub assembly as it has quite a bit of play. Pretty easy straight forward job especially since all the brake parts aren’t even a year old. Well, that’s what I thought anyway. The lower caliper guide pin was froze and ruined the pads and rotor. I put heat to the caliper bracket to try and free up the pin. No luck. I ended up cracking the bracket. Went to remove the rotor from the hub and it wouldn’t budge. Tapped all around it with a hammer, no luck. Pounded harder and still nothing. Put a piece of wood on the back side of the rotor and really got western with it. Nothing. I ended up pulling the hub and rotor as one unit. I put it in my 20 ton press to get it apart. When the hub freed itself from the rotor it sounded like a gun going off. Never seen anything like that before.

Now, for those of you who live in the rust belt and do your own maintenance, I’ve got some questions.
How often do you grease your caliper guide pins?
How much grease do you put in them?
Why would these pins keep freezing up? This is the fourth time it’s happened. Seven of the eight original pins were completely froze around 30K miles. I replaced those and five of the eight froze up again around 100K miles. Replaced all of them again and now I found this one tonight. I was cleaning and regreasing them every six months, but they were looking like brand new so this last time I went twelve months. I’m at a loss for why this keeps happening.

 

[JR]

The best thing I've found that works is nickel based anti seize. It resists water wash off and corrosion better than any grease I've been able to find. Not to mention it will handle any heat your brakes will ever produce and then some.

I specifically use the Chesterton 725 brand. I've used others and didn't like the viscosity as well as the Chesterton brand. It stays much more "pliable" in cold weather compared to other brands that end up like peanut butter. I use it on hub facings, wheels, wheel studs, caliper pins, etc. Whatever you use, if you go this route, do know some anti seize types and brands have a coefficient when it comes to torquing fasteners. That's the other thing I like about the Chesterton, it has a zero coefficient meaning the fastener torque does not change when using it. Some copper based seizes have a significant coefficient.

I do it annually on all my vehicles coinciding with a tire rotation. At a year there is still evidence of the anti seize and pins still free but I wouldn't want to push it much further.

 

[Randomrunner12]

I guess I've always just been lucky and never had an issue with a pin getting stuck. I had one that was bent some how but the bracket was fine so I replaced all 4 rear pins and used oreillys high heat red grease and a far amount of it. I pretty much filled the hole inserted the pin and then wiped off the excess and reassembled everything.

Sorry to hear about all your issues with your install and hub replacement. I am not looking forward to the hub swap on my 2wd, I know its not as involved and only 4 bolts that have to be removed that hold the hub to the spindle but those bolts have 275ft lbs of tightening and since they haven't been touched since the factory I imagine its going to suck lol.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I specifically use the Chesterton 725 brand.

I’ve got about four different brands of anti seize that I use on everything, but not Chesterton. Actually never heard of it, but I ordered some this morning. I will definitely try it on the pins, thanks!

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I guess I've always just been lucky and never had an issue with a pin getting stuck. I pretty much filled the hole inserted the pin and then wiped off the excess and reassembled everything.

Sorry to hear about all your issues with your install and hub replacement. I am not looking forward to the hub swap on my 2wd, I know its not as involved and only 4 bolts that have to be removed that hold the hub to the spindle but those bolts have 275ft lbs of tightening and since they haven't been touched since the factory I imagine its going to suck lol.

This is the first vehicle I’ve ever had that’s had so many brake issues. Well, I should have said it’s the first vehicle I’ve had that’s been nothing but issues. I pretty much fill the pin hole also, but you’d never know it.

You know, I’m kinda getting used to having so many problems with this truck. It really keeps a guy on his toes not knowing what the next day will bring. Plus, my wife has learned quite a few new swear words because if it and my son is learning how to constantly fix things. It’s kind of an added bonus I guess!? The hub itself came off no problem. The four bolts were tight, I just used a cheater pipe on a breaker bar to free them up then switched to a ratchet. I’ve got 130K miles on the truck and those bolts had never been out. There was a little corrosion on the ends of the bolts where they’re exposed, but I just cleaned them up with a wire wheel and they looked like new again.

 

[EDankievitch]

I’ve had issues with both the pins freezing up and rust building up underneath those Stainless anti rattle clips. The brake pads will Jan in place and not allow them to fully release. Last go around I removed the caliper mounting brackets ground off the rust and opened them up a few thousands then packed them with grease before installing the anti rattle clips. So far a year later and all is good. My truck is down by the bay all the time. Salt is the normal year round.

 

[Wayne M.]

This is what I deal with everyday. My main gig in summer is getting NYC’s F550’s mini salt spreaders ready For next winter. A LARGE part of that is going through the brakes.
The pre ‘17’s have a bolt in pin in boot, Similar setup. The big thing is water intrusion, and rust jacking around the boot, squeezing the sleeve- as well as rust jacking the shims and seizing the pads, as EDank said.
For a coating, believe it or not, the second best thing I’ve come up with, is dielectric tuneup grease. That stuff just repels water, and doesn’t really dry out like anti seize compound can. The first best stuff is a special lithium based grease that Meritor supplies with their air brake S cam service kits. This stuff is incredible. You can’t grab a tool if this stuff is on your hands. Problem is, it’s unobtainable separately. A while back I got Mike Wilson involved to try and source it, but I don’t recall even him being able to find it outside of the kit. The other big thing is to seat the boots properly, and don’t rip them.
Far as dealing with our hubs, you can’t beat the long socket on the bolt, steered against the axle, using the power steering method.
Rotors seizing on hubs? Always a coat of anti seize on the snout of the hub/ rotor whenever the wheels come off. It works in there. Trust me!

 

[mwilson]

I did find the Meritor grease.

Wayne, you don’t remember me *****in about the price??

Around $28.00 per tube but it does seem to work pretty good!! Plus it will last a long time..

 

[mwilson]

Meritor Part # 2297X7304

 

[Wayne M.]

Yup. I was fuzzy on that.

Anyway I started another one today. This is a ‘17 F550 and on these, they went to a pin in hole in the bracket deal like we see on passenger cars. It’s even worse. This has been together for one year and the boots are intact and seated. I ripped out one boot to show the carnage. I wasn’t the one who did it last year so I don’t know what lube was used, but both these pins are seized. Off comes the bracket and to the torch.
It’ll go back together with that Meritor grease.

 

[BigPapa]

That's CRAZY....

 

[Wayne M.]

That's CRAZY....

That’s a salt truck.

 

[JR]

I'm surprised they don't spray some type of undercoating on those rigs in the off season. I'm pretty sure they do on the ODOT trucks around here.

 

[Wayne M.]

Other than spotting with 3M spray undercoat in cans, Nope. They tried POR15 for new fuel tanks, tubes and tin but that didn’t last long. Some kind of oil bath spray was shot down for fear of leaving rainbow streaks. They just try to get 8-10 out of them. The cabs and chassis hold up remarkably well.

 

[JR]

What about Fluid Film? While I feel there are superior brands on the market Fluid Film is not petroleum based.

 

[JR]

Tramp, let us know what you think about the Chesterton seize good bad or indifferent. I was initially turned onto it by a machine shop that handles our high hp Lawrence pump parts. Lots of different alloys being mated together in extreme environments. It's some really high grade stuff.

 

[Wayne M.]

JR, the only test will be the test of time with those caliper pins.
We get Loctite brand copper antiseize. I think that stuff is too dry, so I’ll add a couple ounces of 90w to the jar and that really makes a difference. I cut the top off the jar, and with a 1.5” paint brush I lay it on thick on the rear hub pilots on these 550’s. The wheels really stick on these, but my method really keeps them free.

 

[HPSimpson]

I have used Chesterton 725 Nickel Anti-Seize compound on boat trailer disc-brakes for last five years with very good results. I would compare this to your salt trucks, trailer should get rinse off each time, but since I used trailer up north an live in Southern Ca. doesn't happen all the time.

 

[JR]

JR, the only test will be the test of time with those caliper pins.
We get Loctite brand copper antiseize. I think that stuff is too dry, so I’ll add a couple ounces of 90w to the jar and that really makes a difference. I cut the top off the jar, and with a 1.5” paint brush I lay it on thick on the rear hub pilots on these 550’s. The wheels really stick on these, but my method really keeps them free.

I'm not a fan of copper based seize at all. It has its place but as you mentioned it's too dry and in the winter it turns into peanut butter. We use a ton of it at work. In that environment everything gets coated on assembly unless it's a tolerance or sweat fit. After years of cutting it down like you we finally got management to switch over to nickel based. It's a Bostik brand and not as good a consistency - or quality - as the Chesterton but it's alot better than the copper base stuff.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Tramp, let us know what you think about the Chesterton seize good bad or indifferent. I was initially turned onto it by a machine shop that handles our high hp Lawrence pump parts. Lots of different alloys being mated together in extreme environments. It's some really high grade stuff.

I will when I get it. Just got notification it’s back ordered.