Looking for a good brake grease

[Wayne Sihler]

Yesterday I cleaned and lubed the rubber boots and pins with a spray on "dry lube with moly". It has a liquid carrier. My first impression is not good. However, I tore the last boot in two while installing it in the hole in the mounting bracket, if that is what it's called. So today I go to Autozone and buy a new set of boots and it looks like my originals have swelled up to at least 50% oversize. Is this normal? It's no wonder they won't keep dust out, the holes in the ends are way to big to seal around the little groove in the pin. Now, after reading another thread here that stated the boots should be replaced on every other brake change, I may be way over due as these may be the originals and I am on brake set number 13 or somewhere thereabouts. So what caused my boots to swell up way bigger than normal. Could it have been my cleaning them with brake cleaner or gasoline?

YES,the rubber or whatever they are made of will not stand up to those solvents.
You need to use a Silicon Grease,not a lithium/moly or chassie lube grease even anti-sieze is not good for the pins and boots.
GM/ AC-Delco makes a lube for this,I don,t know if it is available outside a GM dealer parts dept.It comes in a rather large size can,similar to the anti-sieze can
Wayne

 

[Banditt007]

The reason the boots are SWELLING UP is b/c of the use of improper greases. I personally used a high temp wheel bearing grease on caliper slide pins on my GTI. In a few thousand miles the boots swelled up and turned soft. THis was clearly due to using 'regular' chassis/wheel bearing type grease. I now use specifically labeled "caliper slide pin lube" or "Brake caliper grease" ect ect. BTW here is a really good idea i came up with and works really well and is easy. Buy some plastic syringes. Kind of like a small version of those 'turkey flavor injectors' And fill it w/ caliper lube. When i do a brake job on all cars, i clean off the rubber boot w/ a rag and then pinch and pull up on the slide pin boot. THen you take the plastic end of the syringe, and slide it under and inside the boot, give it a shot of grease and slide it right out. No mess takes 3 seconds per boot and keeps everything fresh and lubed! here is the stuff i use.

 

[bchulett]

I've always used Bendix.... good stuff

http://www.bendixbrakes.com/products/otherPremium.php

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[bchulett]

The reason the boots are SWELLING UP is b/c of the use of improper greases. <SNIP>

ummm... good info, but this post is from 2005.

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[96 Cherokee]

ummm... good info, but this post is from 2005.

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Yea, I was shocked that it was revived, but I agree with you, excellent info.

 

[Banditt007]

Thats weird, b/c i am pretty sure it was on page 10 or so of the OEM tech discussion!?. Weird, more likely i replied to it from a search. I never seem to check the dates on things haha

 

[winterbeater]

Hey, it's still good info. I always use an old can of Wolf's Head wheel bearing grease from the '60s for brake slide points and antisieze applications like wheel nuts. And like the famous last words: "It always worked good for me." LOL