So the most recent brake thread had me thinking........which is usually bad.

I replaced the calipers and pads on all corners exactly a year ago (5,000 miles or so) used high temp brake grease etc. on the new pins and bores. They are working well at this point, however regarding pin maintenance, what interval are you guys using?

Annually?

I was thinking I could pull them one by one without removing the whole caliper and still get a decent clean of the bores and re-grease.

Of course that is more the road-side "get me home my pin is stuck" approach vs. pulling them all and re-bleeding etc. PITA.

I was thinking that new calipers etc. I would go every other spring on the pin job.....

Thoughts?

Steve#2

 

Hmmm... I was thinking the same thing. My father purchased my old truck and it covers less than 2,000 miles a year. I know the brakes need grease pretty badly at this point. Curious to see what others do....

I would imagine a truck that is on the road a lot (ie. daily driver or work truck) wouldn't need it as much as a less used vehicle (ie. plow truck, extra car etc).

 

I try to do it when I rotate the tires or when I change over to snow tires around NOV/DEC. but I'm not that smart when it comes to brakes & trannys.

 

Pretty easy to remove the whole caliper. I use a copper washer that is half the thickness of the OEM banjo washers, they never leak if replaced each time. Speed bleeders with one of those IV bags and you get the air out quick. Make sure to use locktite on the bracket bolts. My oldest son has become a brake expert, fun to watch.

Slide pins get lubricated when we do brakes or when we have to remove hubs.

 

I only do it when I change the brakes.

 

Bleed the brakes after lubing slide pins? Why? You don't have to disconnect the line from the caliper to lube the slide pins . . .

 

See this is what I'm thinking too......I did all my brakes installed the calipers etc., I'm fine pulling them all but I don't think there is a reason to pull the calipers and re-bleed the lines just to lube the pins.......but I've been wrong before.....a few times.......

 

We never just lube slide pins. Because of it's extreme ease, we pull calipers and inspect and clean them on a bench. Brakes are to important, and our cargo is to precious, not to spend alittle extra time on proper maintenance.

 

Well these calipers, pads, fluid etc only have 5000 miles on them or less and about 12months since installation so I'm not going to go overboard, I think this will go on the Next Spring list at this point.

 

I check them at every tire rotation (5k miles).

It is VERY easy to check them. Just loosen the bolt on the slide pin and use it to push the pin in and pull it back out. If it still glides smooth - you are good until next time. If it's gritty or stuck - remove caliper and clean/lube pins and bores.

Also, I prefer dielectric grease for lube here. I've used all kinds of stuff and find it works the best. (And I always have some!)

 

That is an excellent maintenance plan!

 

I still don't see the need to remove the caliper from the truck. I can still turn it over/around with the hose attached to get to the bores better. I've got a pipe cleaner looking wire brush that I use with some brake cleaner to clean the bore and can clean the pin in my hand. Grease and reinstall.

I don't open the brake fluid system unless I need to.

 

I agree!!!

Even if slides are hopelessly stuck, just remove the caliper bracket and work on it at the workbench/vise (hang the caliper so it is not suspended by the brake hose). New brackets are only about $20 if you have no luck freeing up a stuck slide.

You don't even need to take the TIRE off to check slide pins the way I described above!!!