One of the most basic procedures that most car owners overlook is brake maintenance. A common misconception is that you won't need to have your brakes cleaned if you get them changed. But this is untrue; cleaning is necessary for every part of the braking system.
Your brakes' lifespan can be increased with maintenance, which will save you money on needless and costly repairs—lacking experience in brake cleaning for your car? Or should you even bother?
In this post, you will learn more about the importance of brake maintenance and why purchasing a brake lubricant can be a lifesaver.
The Risks Of Not Maintaining Brakes
An automobile's need for adequate brake maintenance and repair is paramount. You can be more likely to be in an accident if your brakes are not as robust.
You must arrange routine maintenance appointments with a licensed auto repair professional and recognize the significance of routinely inspecting your brakes for wear or damage if you want to guarantee your safety.
Purchasing brake lubricant is also essential to ensuring the durability and smooth functioning of your braking system.
When brakes malfunction, you run the risk of endangering other drivers as well as yourself by reducing stopping power and duration.
To prevent more severe issues down the road, get in touch with your local repair provider right away if any portion of your braking system is exhibiting wear or damage, such as:
- screeching sounds made when applying pressure to the brake
- a sense of being sluggish
- excessive vibrations from worn braking components
- impaired steering control
If these symptoms go unnoticed over time, other components, such as discs, may become warped and must be replaced entirely. If this is the case, repair costs may be high. Ensuring safe operation at all times and addressing these problems sooner can save time and money.
How To Apply Brake Lube
The brakes on your car employ friction to help you slow down and stop. Brake pads are compressed hydraulically against the brake rotor during the braking process.
Lubrication is required for brake operation, even though using it on a system that relies on friction may seem counterintuitive.
One of the most crucial things you can do as a car owner is to ensure your brakes function correctly. It is essential to your safety and the safety of your passengers and other drivers.
How Do I Lubricate Brakes?
You don't simply slap on grease or oil when applying brake lubricant correctly. Brakes function under special conditions; hence, special lubricants are needed.
Brakes heat up to extremely high temperatures, even with moderate use. Under these severe circumstances, ordinary lubricants can melt, spill, or drop onto other brake system parts, such as brake rotors and pads. Brake rotors that are slick will not function.
- Prepare the Right Tools
Remember to get the proper lubricants, new brake pads, and rotors when preparing for a brake job. Lubricants made from petroleum-based materials can harm rubber and plastic seals.
When lubricating areas with plastic or rubber components, use silicone-based or synthetic non-petroleum lubricants. To lubricate metal-on-metal components, use grease.
- Properly Identify the Brake Components
You must pay attention to the location of the grease when fitting your brakes. In general, lubricate every moving or sliding part to guarantee smooth braking and optimal system performance.
- Apply the Right Amount of Lube
Basically, the least amount of lubrication should be applied. All that is required is a thin coating. Apply lubricant to the edges of the pad mounting tabs, the caliper bushings and slide pins, and the abutment clips once fitted on the caliper. For every car model, the tabs differ significantly.
It is not necessary to lubricate the back of the PowerStop pads. Our multi-layered shims are made to guarantee noise-free braking and are tested for noise without lubricant. If preferred, lightly lubricate the area of the pad's back where it makes contact with the caliper piston.
Note: Take extra care to avoid lubricating the pad's friction side. That is the source of stopping power; if your brakes lacked oil, they would just stop functioning.
Tips For Applying Brake Lube
When greasing your brakes, keep the following advice in mind:
- Use a soft cloth to remove any loose debris, such as dust or dirt, from the braking system before lubricating it.
- Use brake cleaner to mist the braking system, then use a different soft towel to dry the area.
- Use a file or small grinding tool to clean the brake system of any rust or other hardened contaminants.
- Use a cleanser and a soft cloth to clean the brake system once all dirt, rust, and dust have been eliminated.
- Lastly, lightly coat the focus region with a tiny dab of lubricant applied to your finger. Remember, as was previously mentioned, to avoid lubricating any areas of friction.
Where To Apply Brake Lubricant On Disc Brakes
Every location in the braking system where parts slide or move should have brake lubricant applied. Grease the disc brakes by putting lubricant on the:
- Caliper slides
- Pins
- Bushings
- Self-adjusting mechanisms on rear disc brakes with locking calipers
- Contact points where the pads slide within the caliper housing
- Parking brake cables and linkage
Brake lubricant is another tool to lessen vibrations between the disc brake pads and caliper pistons. But avoid lubricating the area between the noise-canceling shims and the pads.
Apply lubricant sparingly on the back of a naked pad or between the caliper and pad shim. A brake lining's friction surface should never be lubricated.
For lubricating hydraulic components, including the piston seals within callipers and wheel cylinders, use brake lubricant with a silicone base. These lubricants help prevent corrosion and sticking of these parts while facilitating smooth seals' movement.
When choosing a disc brake lubricant, take into account the following:
- Verify that the package explicitly labels it as brake lubricant. Don't use it if it isn't. Even though some lubricants claim to be silicone-based, they're not designed with brakes in mind.
- Verify the effective temperature range of the lubricant. Brake lubricants ought to be able to tolerate temperatures as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit, at the very least.
- Examine the components of the lubricant. Verify whether the brake lube contains any substances that could damage soft brake components, such as petroleum distillates.
Where To Apply Brake Lubricant On Drum Brakes
If you have rear drum brakes, lubricate the following:
- The backing plate’s raised pads that support the shoes
- Star adjuster mechanisms
- Hinge points for self-adjusters or the parking brake linkage
- The parking brake cables
The area of the drum where the shoes touch it should never be lubricated. Lubricating these regions is possible to stop the brakes from operating. Use a lubricant anywhere there is metal-to-metal contact between moving parts, such as the sliding shoes.
Lubricate the parking brake cable and any moving parts or linkages, as the parking brake often uses the rear drum brakes on your car. Lubricate the adjustable star wheel as well, as it is prone to freezing where it separates the shoes.
When applying dry film lubricant near rubber or plastic seals, don't lubricate too much. Preventing surplus lubricant from seeping into unintended areas is crucial.
Final Thoughts
How often should you clean your brake parts? The answer is: whenever you can! But not too frequently.
While it's never a good idea to clean them too much, you do want to make sure they remain clean. Generally speaking, inspecting your brakes and cleaning them when you notice debris when performing auto or wheel maintenance is a good idea.