Right lube for caliper slide pins on '96?

[tcbarney]

Here's the simple question:
What is the right lube to use on the caliper slide pins on my '96 XLT?

My Haynes manual says something like "at the time of printing, there wasn't a replacement for this stuff, so don't wipe it off..." I THOUGHT it was referring to the caliper pins, but may be mistaken.

I've got a tub of hi-temp disc brake wheel bearing grease (Coastal brand, gold colored) that I've been using on my Miata for years to lube the pins, and just used to pack my bearings on the Ex. Will that work fine on the Ex?

I'm having to replace the driver's front caliper bracket. When I removed it to change the bearings, the top bolt stripped out the threads for some reason. I got a replacement bracket at the junkyard, but will need to clean out the holes for the caliper pins and make them all slidey again, as they are a little stiff and one has a bit of rust.

Any tips for cleaning out those holes? I planned to swab them out with brake cleaner, and maybe buff the inside with a polishing pad on my Dremel to get rid of the rust.

Thanks.

 

[Rick]

Napa sells caliper slide pin lube.

 

[dogfriend]

its a silicone based grease

The new style caliper pins use a special silicone grease which is the stuff they say is not available in the Haynes manual.

It is available now from Ford and it is about $7 or so (I can't remember exactly)

I can give you the part number later, but Im at work right now so I don't have it. It doubles as dielectric grease and caliper pin grease.

Definately, you want to add some grease to the pins. I tried to do it like they recommend in the Haynes manual and wore the pads unevenly on the back because the calipers were sticking. Pay close attention to cleaning the little stainless slider pads that snap onto the caliper bracket. I think that Ford recommends replacing them when you change pads, but I just cleaned them carefully since the dealer was closed when I needed to do this.

The newer caliper pins on the IFS brakes and rear disc brakes are completely different than the older caliper pins. On the old system on my Ranger, I used white lithium grease on the caliper pins.

 

[tcbarney]

So any silicone caliper grease, like Rick shows? Or only the Ford part? (I'm guessing any...)

Thanks for the tip on the slider pads. Mine looked to be in decent shape, but I wasn't doing a brake job, so I didn't do more than give them a cursory glance. I'll check 'em closer when I pull things apart again.

 

[dogfriend]

its a clear silicone grease

I think its different than the grease shown in the picture. If you have ever used dielectric grease on spark plug boots, it looks the same. The stuff that Ford sells even says that it is used both as caliper pin grease and as dielectric grease.

They might sell a similar grease at Napa, but I haven't seen it.

I will post the Ford part no. when I get home (~4 hrs)

 

[mrboyle]

You don't have to use the "special" Ford grease, any caliper lube will work. The product Rick recomendes is an excellent choice, another product that I have used and recomend is called Sil-Glide (it is silicone based, but can be hard to find). If either of these products are unavailabel there is a third choice, a product I use on an almost daily basis, Anti-Seize compound! Works excellent, if you can find the copper anti-seize, it is designed specifically for barkes, but the standard nickel works just as well.

 

[dogfriend]

official ford product

The tube of grease that I bought at the dealer

Motorcraft Silicone Brake Caliper Grease and Dielectric Compound

Meets Ford Material Spec ESB-M1C171-B

Part Number XG-3


It looks a lot like Sil-Glide, which is also an excellent grease

 

[tcbarney]

Thanks a bunch!