How often do you lube brakes?

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Just seeing how often you guys lube your brakes during the life of the pads/rotors. I usually never relube them but am rethinking I should every couple years or so. I live in a salt laden area and like to power wash the wheels during the winter when it gets warm enough to do so.
 
If you have more than one set of tires you swap then why wouldn't you take a look at them once per year? My car has two bolts per wheel to reveal the pins and pads.

I live in Toronto where there is tons of snow and salt to wash away lube. Not so much the slide pins but the calipers for sure. Before I realized copper anti sieze is the correct choice for pad ears I used sylgide on them and that stuff was gone after a single winter.
 
I'm tempted. Also pop the pads out of their clips and make sure they haven't grown bigger due to rust in such a way that they bind. And make sure the rotor floats on the spindle if it's supposed to, vs being seized to the hub.
 
When I replace them. So far so good, since the mid 70's when I first learned how to do a brake job.
 
Front discs, when I replace the pads. No problems over the 17 years on that old 2000 Ford Taurus. Rear discs; should have freshened up each spring. I screwed up a few sets of rotors and pads because the calipers seized up after a salt filled winter. I wash them down every time i wash my car then lube up the calipers when I remove the winter tires.

On my Suburban with rear discs. Just when I do the pads. No problems in 10 years. That Burb has 150,000 miles and only needed pads and rotors once.
 
Originally Posted By: pda1122
Just seeing how often you guys lube your brakes during the life of the pads/rotors. I usually never relube them but am rethinking I should every couple years or so. I live in a salt laden area and like to power wash the wheels during the winter when it gets warm enough to do so.


I have my brakes serviced every year in late spring to get rid of all the salt, I imagine the mechanic does lube them then, lubrication will keep the calipers from sticking and ruining you pads & rotors.
 
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If your in rust belt, yearly is best.

I also think it depends upon vehicle. Subaru yearly, Ford F250 not until brake pad replacement.
 
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If I suspect there is a sticky pin or dragging pad I will, but in the absence of symptoms they only get services when I am changing brakes.
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
That Burb has 150,000 miles and only needed pads and rotors once.


I generally relube everything when changing pads and/or rotors. My 2011 Fusion just cleared 120k and is still on the factory-original front pads and rotors, and burned thru the factory rear pads and rotors at 46k because of a sticky pin that caused severely uneven wear on the passenger rear rotor. The front pads still have over 25% of the original thickness left, and there is no grooving in the rotors. I'm kind of amazed at their performance, no need to drop extra dough on cryo-treated rotors on this car!
 
Originally Posted By: pda1122
Just seeing how often you guys lube your brakes during the life of the pads/rotors. I usually never relube them but am rethinking I should every couple years or so. I live in a salt laden area and like to power wash the wheels during the winter when it gets warm enough to do so.


I live in the region with the highest salt use in the world. If the brakes are not taken apart and cleaned/lubed at least once a year, you are going to have serious issues. I service the brakes on my Civic at least twice a year. BMW has fixed calipers fr and rr and it is not winter driven, so they only get done every couple of years.
 
Only needed when you replace the pads and install new ones
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: pda1122
Just seeing how often you guys lube your brakes during the life of the pads/rotors. I usually never relube them but am rethinking I should every couple years or so. I live in a salt laden area and like to power wash the wheels during the winter when it gets warm enough to do so.


I live in the region with the highest salt use in the world. If the brakes are not taken apart and cleaned/lubed at least once a year, you are going to have serious issues. I service the brakes on my Civic at least twice a year. BMW has fixed calipers fr and rr and it is not winter driven, so they only get done every couple of years.

+1. In areas with road salt usage, annual servicing is a good practice.

Out here? Never...until the brakes are replaced.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I'm tempted. Also pop the pads out of their clips and make sure they haven't grown bigger due to rust in such a way that they bind. And make sure the rotor floats on the spindle if it's supposed to, vs being seized to the hub.


I don't understand. If a rotor isn't locked to a hub, either as a part of it, or locked on by the road wheels, how does it work?.

Claud.
 
Whenever I rotate the tires pre and post winter. It's just an extra pin or one more bolt to do. Wipe and reapply the purple lube and silicone paste.

Lets me know if winter salt and debris caused any damage. And personal time in the garage.
 
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