Brakes: To grease or not to grease....? That is the question.

[TruckbusUK]

Originally Posted by JohnL

Volvo say don't grease them

I agree they used to say dont grease the slider pins, but they seem to be changing their mind a bit, as I have now seen 2 sets of instructions in Genuine Volvo brake pads suggesting they should be lubricated .... but the version of VIDA I have suggests they should not.

So if you exercise care and don't go daft with the lubricant/grease and clean everything well every time work is done you wont go far wrong I believe.
But even the stainless pins do get gunked up lubricated or not and no matter how clean they when refitted.
TBH I believe the winter/wet climate and low mileage does not help the problem.

[oragex]

Went through the same questioning recently.

First thing, on rubber only silicone grease goes. The problem is, several popular silicone grease out there don't seem to work properly. Some are not 100% silicone, other contain petroleum. Several people on European forums for Bmw and Audi had issues with silicone greases. The one that seems to work somehow is the Sil-Glyde brand. I used silicone grease on the slider pins and noticed 6 months later the grease got sticky.

I bought new rubbers for not much, cleaned the rust around the holes where the boots are inserted in, and had not put grease since. If the rubbers/pins wear, I'll get new ones. Better than having them sticking with poor braking/pulsing pedal.

[ChrisD111]

Volvo Don't say do do about using silicone grease or NOT.

You get a picture with an "X" thru it for the guide pins.

I take exception to all those that make stuff up about dust and stuff being the reason.


In Fact some one want to show us some of these quotes about reasoning?

In the information section of Vida there's lots of stuff to read but nothing about why or why not greasing the guide pins.

The best reason for greasing IMO is the last XC90 pad job I just did,....NO GREASE, but the guide pins were covered with thick sticky rubber. The rubbers clearly needed to be replaced as they were unusable. (Most remans come with new rubbers anyways, and they are greased, at least the last ones from IPD , etc, came greased,....) For me that was the deciding factor, looking at a front end that had not been greased and the rubber and pins were junk.

I wish they would explain themselves more than they do,....

[ChrisD111]

"The brake caliper (1) consists of two parts, housing and holder. The caliper grips across the disc brake and slides in the holder on two sliding pins (4). The sliding pins are greased and protected with a rubber bushing (3). The braking force from the brake pads (5) is absorbed via the holder (2), which transfers the force to the spindle."

that is a quote from the "Information" and theory section of Vida. My local dealer don't know do do either,.....

[oragex]

I did use silicone brands by the past, but all were getting sticky after a few months and were doing more bad than good. In the end I went to Volvo and bought their special silicone grease which is so different than other silicone brands. About 1 years later my pins slide perfectly inside the rubber boots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2IKibOdABk

[canis]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

So far then all in favour of greasing.

No, not me.

It's tempting to think of pads sliding on the calipers, but in reality they move hardly at all. Like, microscopically. They move maybe a quarter of an inch in the entire life of the pad. It needs no lubricant, with the massive hydraulic force overcoming any resistance easily.

One might well presume that the pads compress the disc and then release it afterwards, as with bicycle brakes. And this sliding motion one might well presume needs lubricant. It doesn't.

In fact, people with squeaky brakes are the ones who slather that copper stuff all over the place. This will reduce friction, of course, which means they can oscillate, and there's the source of your squeak.

The sliding pins need grease, protected by a rubber boot. The pads do not, and frankly, I think putting any form of grease anywhere near pads and discs can only reduce their efficacy.

[aslan]

Originally Posted by Clan

Volvo always used to say do not grease , but in recent years they suggest only a silicon grease under a volvo part number .
Volvo brakes do not squeak when you use genuine volvo parts ..
For the last 40 years i have never greased any part of the brakes when replacing

I have been following Clan's advice since I bought my XC 4 years ago. I don't grease the sliding pins or their boots. But I do clean the pins and their mounting holes yearly when I have the wheels off for a brake fluid flush. I don't have any issues with sticking calipers, uneven pad wear or noise.

With the pads I apply brake grease on the pad contact as per VIDA plus also the back of the pads where they come into contact with the caliper and piston. I was using Volvo brake grease but now using ATE brake grease. Don't have any squeaks using Volvo pads or my current Akebonos.

[Tannaton]

Just an update since this this thread which I started has recently been revived....

On my own cars I always use genuine Volvo brake pads and discs - including Mrs T's V50. I've fitted several sets in the past few months and the fitting instructions with the pads now say to apply high temperature silicone grease to the slide pins.

Volvo have changed their position on it in recent years.

To the poster who found the rubber bushes deteriorated and sludgey - I would suggest the wrong (oil based) grease has been used that has reacted/attacked the rubber bushes.

If you just sit back and think pragmatically about what the job of these components are - you want them to slide as freely as practical.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by canis

No, not me.

It's tempting to think of pads sliding on the calipers, but in reality they move hardly at all. Like, microscopically. They move maybe a quarter of an inch in the entire life of the pad. It needs no lubricant, with the massive hydraulic force overcoming any resistance easily.

One might well presume that the pads compress the disc and then release it afterwards, as with bicycle brakes. And this sliding motion one might well presume needs lubricant. It doesn't.

In fact, people with squeaky brakes are the ones who slather that copper stuff all over the place. This will reduce friction, of course, which means they can oscillate, and there's the source of your squeak.

The sliding pins need grease, protected by a rubber boot. The pads do not, and frankly, I think putting any form of grease anywhere near pads and discs can only reduce their efficacy.

I was referring specifically to the sliding pins, not the pad/caliper contact area, when I said that.