I'm helping a friend with one of this VW Vanagons - doing a complete brake job. New Zimmermann rotors, bearings whose name I can't say here but made in Hungary(and Trav-approved), ATE pads and Conti-made lines in a Meyle package.
The new pads are not shimmed and while VW did call out for shims, they are NLA and it seems like the Germans back in the 1970s-1980s with fixed calipers didn't shim their pads as I kinda remember from an old Mercedes the parents owned. Mercedes called out for their own brake pad paste to be used but I've seen mechanics glop on disc brake quiet to try to stop brake noise on those.
I have both the Permatex silicone brake lubes - the old moly and new ceramic formulae and The Critic said he does have a tube of ATE Plastilube I can have. I would imagine the Permatex stuff has an edge with the solid lubricants but the ATE stuff should work too but without the moly or ceramic of the Permatex stuff it might not dampen noise that well. The pistons have a step on them to "toe" the pads to help reduce noise. So, what should I use? If I were to do as Trav or The Critic, Plastilube - but a part of me wants to use the Permatex high-temp silicone just for the moly content on the pad backs.
The new pads are not shimmed and while VW did call out for shims, they are NLA and it seems like the Germans back in the 1970s-1980s with fixed calipers didn't shim their pads as I kinda remember from an old Mercedes the parents owned. Mercedes called out for their own brake pad paste to be used but I've seen mechanics glop on disc brake quiet to try to stop brake noise on those.
I have both the Permatex silicone brake lubes - the old moly and new ceramic formulae and The Critic said he does have a tube of ATE Plastilube I can have. I would imagine the Permatex stuff has an edge with the solid lubricants but the ATE stuff should work too but without the moly or ceramic of the Permatex stuff it might not dampen noise that well. The pistons have a step on them to "toe" the pads to help reduce noise. So, what should I use? If I were to do as Trav or The Critic, Plastilube - but a part of me wants to use the Permatex high-temp silicone just for the moly content on the pad backs.