Brake calipers and rust...

[The Warden]

Hello!

This isn't strictly IDI-related, although I did have a similar incident with my truck a bit less than a year ago, so it kinda counts

I have a question for the rust-belt guys...what do you do to keep your brake calipers from rusting in place?

Last May, even after using a liberal amount of brake caliper grease on all of the sliding points last time I did the brakes, my truck's left front brake caliper froze and killed one of the pads. Today, I found that one of the pistons in the left rear caliper on my M-B had frozen, killing one of the pads. In both cases, the remaining pads had nearly half of their lives left...with the truck, it was a "simple" matter of regreasing the sliding points on the calipers, replacing the pads, and replacing the rotors...on the M-B, it looks like I'm going to need to replace the calipers (even though they're only 3 or 4 years old ).

Since rust isn't generally a big problem in California but is a significant problem for me since I'm on the coast, I figure the rust belt guys would have the best ideas on what can be done to prevent this from happening again...should I start taking the brake system apart annually and regreasing everything, or is there another grease that is more corrosion-resistant, or what?

I'm open to ideas (besides moving; other than the rust factor, I love it here)...thank you in advance!

 

[91idi]

never-sez on the slide points

 

[dsltech83]

Massive amounts of anti-seize.

 

[The Warden]

Never even considered anti-seize...I know it'll handle the heat, but how well will it lubricate?

 

[91idi]

Not a problem lubricating

 

[itsacrazyasian]

well even though i live in a rust free state, i still disassble my brakes once a year and clean, adjust and lubricate everything. I use a ceramic brake lubricant.

its called ceramlub. good stuff!

 

[HammerDown]

well even though i live in a rust free state, i still disassble my brakes once a year and clean, adjust and lubricate everything. I use a ceramic brake lubricant. its called ceramlub. good stuff!

I used cream-Lube before...of course it was meant for something else. Poor girl couldn't crap right for days.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

+1 on anti-seize, only thing that worked for me when I lived in the salted roads of the NorthEast Ohio.

 

[Knuckledragger]

Anti sieze should keep the external parts moving since the base metals are either lead or copper.

The other part is the sticking piston, which says to me that the system is getting water in it. Are you replacing the brake fluid every year, like the factory says to do? If you use silicone based fluid (I think it is type V fluid), you don't get that problem nearly as much as the type III alcohol based fluid.

 

[reklund]

I spent 10 years as a dealership technician, and always used a NAPA product called sil-glyde. It's a silicone based lube that does a great job of keeping water off parts and preventing rust from occuring. Also, it doesn't make a huge mess like anti-sieze.

Ryan

 

[Dave7.3]

I had one of my calipers lock up due to one of the boots for the pistons rotting out. Other than that, I've never had a problem myself. I painted it with some high temp stuff and never looked back.

Also, I've never touched my brake system other than my caliper replacement...are you really supposed to flush the fluid yearly? I was always told it was a sealed system and there was nothing to worry about...

 

[snicklas]

I use anti-sease also. Works fairly well.

Dave7.3,

Actually, yes you should change out your brake fluid. I know most people do not, unless there is a problem, but brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. This is to prevent it from being in the system. But if it is left in there to long, it absorbs enough water that it can allow rust/corrosion to happen. Another thing I have read, if you have a bottle of brake fluid that is open sitting on a shelf, if it is over 6 months old you should not use it. It has sat there and absorbed water from the air.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

I keep little hang tags around to mark when the brake fluid was changed on a vehicle. you should be able to get them for free at your parts store.

 

[The Warden]

The other part is the sticking piston, which says to me that the system is getting water in it. Are you replacing the brake fluid every year, like the factory says to do? If you use silicone based fluid (I think it is type V fluid), you don't get that problem nearly as much as the type III alcohol based fluid.

It's been more than a year, but I did thoroughly flush out and replace the brake fluid on the M-B in May 2009. The master cylinder, forward metal brake lines, and all four rubber hoses were replaced at the same time...the calipers had been replaced a year or two previously. The fluid looks darker than I would like, but it isn't almost black like some systems I have seen in the past...and FWIW I used Type IV semi-synthetic fluid (I've been told that using Type V fluid in a system with old seals can result in the seals being eaten, so I figured Type IV was a reasonable compromise). The fluid's getting changed today, THAT'S for sure!

I spent 10 years as a dealership technician, and always used a NAPA product called sil-glyde. It's a silicone based lube that does a great job of keeping water off parts and preventing rust from occuring. Also, it doesn't make a huge mess like anti-sieze.

Ryan

Thank you for the recommendation! That sounds more appealing than anti-seize given how much of a mess anti-seize can make...I'll take a look at both bottles today.

Thank you all for your suggestions!!

 

[Diesel_brad]

Over here in the NE i go thru a bottle of anti seiz a year. Anything that i even put it on, i have never had any issues with.

it is also a necessity for stainless hardware, other wise it galls together.

i also use it on certain gaskets too, then when you dissasemble, you dont have to scrape the gasket and 9 out of 10 times you can reuse the gasket