Brake Caliper Slider Pin Grease - Which is Best ?

Which type of grease is the best for brake caliper slider pins ? (also called slide pins or guide pins). Most greases will work in the short term for slider pin lubrication but, over time, petroleum based greases can swell up or destroy any rubber components. If the rubber dust boots break down, dirt and debris can contaminate the grease and cause the pin to seize up. Some caliper slider pins have rubber sleeves which can swell up and cause the pin to seize in the bore. Other greases are safe with rubber components but do not have a high enough temperature rating. Because the brakes can generate a lot of heat, you need a grease that will remain fluid in extreme heat but will not dry up. In this video I only mention a few of the greases that are available and I know there will be disagreements about which ones are suitable for slider pins. I'm not claiming to be an authority on the subject, but there are certain brake greases available that are specifically designed for use with caliper slider pins, and the general consensus I find is that high temperature silicone-based greases are more suited to the job than petroleum-based ones. If you have any questions about using any particular grease on your brakes, you should contact your local garage or mechanic and confirm it with them. Thanks for watching. Please comment, like and subscribe !.

~~~~ Part Links ~~~~
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

All of my uploaded material is protected under copyright law. None of my videos may be re-uploaded, reproduced or transmitted, in part or in full, in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Read important information below:

Disclaimer:

My videos are a guide to making repairs and also to provide helpful information.
Do not attempt to make any repairs unless you’re sure you know what you’re doing. For more detailed information, if something is not clear to you, or you don't understand something, have the repair carried out by a qualified mechanic or at your local car dealer. Any repair you carry out on your car you do at your own risk.

Under no circumstances will Screwsnutsandbolts be responsible or liable in any way for any content, including but not limited to, any errors or omissions in the content, or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of any content communicated in this video, whether by Screwsnutsandbolts or a third party. In no event shall Screwsnutsandbolts be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits arising out of or in connection with the availability, use or performance of any information communicated in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Screwsnutsandbolts, it cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Screwsnutsandbolts assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Screwsnutsandbolts recommends safe practices when performing any do it yourself repairs and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Screwsnutsandbolts, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Screwsnutsandbolts.

Caliper Slide Pin Grease
Lithium Grease
Red Rubber Grease
Silicone Grease
Copper Grease
Silicone Ceramic Grease

[Pete-bu]

At last a definitive guide to slider pin lubrication. So many people give the wrong advice regarding the most suitable lube. Thanks for taking the time to film. All the best Pete 👍

[mayurmalwatkar]

1. 0:13 Copper grease ❌
2. 1:24 Silicon grease ✅
3. 2:28 Red rubber grease ❌
4. 3:41 Dielectric grease ✅
5. 4:40 Lithium grease ❌
6. 5:43 Silicon ceramic grease ✅
7. 6:43 Petrolium jelly ❌
8. 7:22 Conclusion 👍

[roybatty]

I’ve found that it’s worth stripping and cleaning the brakes and lubing the pins and metal contact parts annually, before winter, as a regular maintenance item, even though it’s not in any owners manuals.

[grantbaker]

There are a few comments here advocating the use of copper grease, my advice based on over 50 years of experience as an engineer, engine builder and tribologist is leave it where it belongs in its tin!
Copper grease is what is known as a static lubricant it was never designed to be used on any moving parts the copper content provides no lubricating qualities whatsoever in fact quite the opposite.
Its intended use was for threaded fixings or other close fitting parts that may require future disassembly on components that get hot, its base is a low melting point grease that isn't waterproof the idea is that the grease melts and evaporates leaving a copper substrate that has very little physical strength thereby allowing the fixing or component to separate
Most metals are sacrificial to copper and are very likely to corrode in its presence especially if moisture is present.
Im sure Im going to be told that they've used it for years without issue but I have seen and had myself so many problems caused by its use that the tin of it I bought over 40 years ago is still almost full.

[robertclymer]

Thanks for the comparisons. So glad I choose the permatex brake part lube on my F-150 brake job and now my 67 Mustang Gt rear drum to disk conversion.

[jdub]

My wife will ask what are you watching? THIS... this is what I am watching, Thanks for the video. Good info on something I forget about until it's apart in the driveway.

[davideradice]

Finally a definitive video on the topic.
We needed it!
Just yesterday I followed your tutorial on the 206 to check the brakes and grease the components. For the sliding pins I used silicone grease. Based on this video, I realize it's a 6/10 solution. Silicone-ceramic grease is a 10/10 solution.
As always, thank you very much. You are a light in the darkness.

[genericusername]

It's now known that the "ceramic" infused greases, even if they're silicone-based, are not good for slider pins or caliper sliding collars. The ceramic is what the problem is. It's advertised that the ceramic particles are like little ball bearings providing excellent lubrication, but the ceramic starts to become dried-out, and abrasive. Silicone paste/grease is what is best. NO ceramic mixed in it.

[mastertech]

What a nice relaxing video. Love the background noise from the animals lol.

[CarsYouCanFix]

AGS SIL-GLYDE is my go to for slide pins!

[CHASNTRUCKS]

Awesome I just used permatex silicone ceramic brake lubricant on my slider pins after cleaning them. Thank you for the high quality content with explanations and information. ☕️

[diytwoincollege]

I’ve never used copper grease on the pins, only silicone . But I have used the copper anti-sieze on all of the bolts and where the wheel and rotor meet. It works great there

[RedRupert]

You are correct, in my opinion. Many years ago, I discovered that copperslip caused the rubber boots to swell. I've been using good quality simple silicone grease, which has been fine.

[reedd]

For Harley-Davidson floating caliper pins, I have always used Dow Corning Molykote 44. This is what they recommended at Factory back in the 90’s. I’ve never seen any problems with my regular customers bikes at routine maintenance inspections.

[dirtyjobs]

Yesterday before seeing this video I used what I’ve always used anti-seize compound, never seems to last to the next brake job, time to change

[nitrofreakmanho]

Excellent video, simple and straight to the point with no fluff!👍

[WendyandGeoffPattison]

A word of caution, the dude is putting too much grease of any kind on the pins! The can cause an air lock in the pin cavity. Only use a small amount people, just a light smeer of grease. Also, there is a specific purpose grease for this.

[stuartjenkins]

I've found in the past that I've had good results from Motul blue marine grease. Just a little smear as it's very sticky, it stops salty road water in the winter from corroding the pins. I also use this on bicycle wheel bearings, especially on cheaper hubs that don't have any seals.

[colfergusson]

Been using for a while now, Bendix Ceramasil or Bosch Superfit with no issues at all, always have the ole Silcone pate to hand, great video 👍

[KHIJAPAN]

I knew about it and using them for years. All of them for different applications. What i was missing, is the temperature range of each lubricant. Thanks!