What lubes do brake manufacturers recommend?

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I'm getting ready to do my first front brake job on my Camry. I've been studying up on what lubes I need and it seems there's no general consensus on what you need, other than a silicone lubricant, high-temp brake grease and brake cleaner. Many say to use anti seize or anti squeal lubes, and others say you don't need them.

Which brake lubes are essential and which are specified by manufacturers of brake parts? Or which does AllData say you should use in their repair guide?

And what's the best value on all these essential lubes? It seems 3M stuff is quite spendy, while Permatex and CRC are much more reasonable.

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
I use this stuff. Not saying it's the best but it's all I use. $7.50 at AAP.

12024852_ags_bk4_pri_larg.jpg
 
I have the Canadian equivalent of Syl-Glyde and if I could do it over I would get the 3M. Higher silicone content, and I want to lube my slide pins with silicone, not fillers.

Copper anti-seize for the pad ears, my neighbors Sante Fe came like that from the factory. Trav suggested that red anti-squeal goop but I am not a pro mechanic.

This has been discussed....too many times. Sticky time!
 
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Just curious where this lube is used?

I've replaced a couple pads and rotors in my time. Was I supposed to lube something up?
 
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Most pads come with a packet of whatever you need. The exception is Akebono, which is kinda stingy with the brake grease. Akebono is the only time I felt like I didn't have enough grease to do the brake job.

The brake lube I bought is a tuber of Permatex Ultra caliper lube. It's green.
 
Originally Posted By: mcwilly
Just curious where this lube is used?

I've replaced a couple pads and rotors in my time. Was I supposed to lube something up?


Silicone lube on the caliper slide pins and anti-seize on the pad ears. Also clean the hub surface with a roloc or wire brush and possibly apply a thin layer of anti-seize (graphite based is fine) to the hub surface.
 
I'd suggest just getting the pure silicone grease. It's spendy, but if you're like me, you'll end up buying the real stuff after buying a bunch of other cheaper stuff. I hadn't touched my brakes for almost 2 years, the slide pins came out nice and greasy when I pulled them out. I also agree with putting on a thin smear of anti seize on the wheel/rotor surface and around the hub center while you have the wheel off. If you want to get ambitious, pull off the rotor and spread some anti seize between the rotor and hub as well.

I used silicone grease on the pins, copper anti seize on the pad ears (and wheel/rotor/hub surfaces), and a leftover Permatex caliper grease on the pad backs (the ceramic purple, to be exact).
 
Here are the products offered from Textar, one of the largest brake manufacturers in the world:

The yellow tube Cera TEC is for lubricating all areas that don't contain rubber. The black tube of Hydra TEC is for the slide pins and any area that has rubber (piston dust boot area as example). I use the Cera TEC but use Sil-Glyde for my slide pins due to availability.

 
Often overlooked part of a brake job is cleaning the rust off of the caliper. Im talking about where the hardware attaches to the caliper. Always best to remove the rust to the bare metal , then apply hi temp grease. The pads will fit better , wont stick in the caliper ears etc.
 
+1 for Sil-Glyde. Works well on back of the pads, ears and slide pins. I's also easy to clean off your hands and tools.
 
Toyota red rubber grease for sliding pins on Toyotas(duh) or Subarus, or Dow 111 for everything else. On the pad ears and hardware, Molykote M77 or the discontinued Permatex Ultra Brake Lube high-temp silicone formula.
 
Thanks for the recommendations, everyone! So it looks like most of you don't use a separate anti-seize lube.
 
DO NOT use any of the various colored Permatex goops because they will swell the lower pin bushing which is an elastomer of some kind. Use Sil-Glyde or one of the silicone brake greases like 3M. Stay away from that red,green,purple or any other colored goop.
 
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I use this stuff. Not saying it's the best but it's all I use. $7.50 at AAP.

12024852_ags_bk4_pri_larg.jpg



Do most of you who use Sil Glyde agree with what its package claims: "Sil-Glyde Brake Lubricant is a silicone-based brake lubricant recommended for the entire brake assembly"?

Is that the only brake lube you need if you buy that? Seems like it has quite a following.
 
I use sil glyde on anything that touches the rubber (slides, etc).

I use black high temp brake lube on the ears of the pads and back of the pads.

A tube of sil glyde will last you many years unless you are a pro who does brakes all the time.

Putting my ebay calahan brakes on the sonata this weekend.
 
Originally Posted By: Yah-Tah-Hey
DO NOT use any of the various colored Permatex goops because they will swell the lower pin bushing which is an elastomer of some kind. Stay away from that red,green,purple or any other colored goop.


uh oh...................
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I used the green on my pads
 
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Originally Posted By: Yah-Tah-Hey
DO NOT use any of the various colored Permatex goops because they will swell the lower pin bushing which is an elastomer of some kind. Stay away from that red,green,purple or any other colored goop.


uh oh...................
45.gif


I used the green on my pads



I've used it all in the past, sparingly, on rubber bits and never personally experienced any issues. That said, I try to only use Sil-Glyde on rubber bits and anything else (plastilube, permatex, sil-glyde, anti-sieze, red anti-squeal, etc...) on metal-metal interfaces.

Eric.O on YT uses the permatex stuff on EVERYTHING and says he's never experienced issues on thousands of brake job... YMMV.
 
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