Knowing how to apply brake grease will save you a sufficient amount of labor costs. Because you will be able to do it yourself.
This will involve a knowledge accumulation of the various brake parts. Additionally, you will have to learn where to apply brake lubricants and where not to apply it.
This will determine the effectiveness of your brakes at stopping or slowing the vehicle down. The brakes use friction for this purpose right?
So why do you need lubricants? In our post today we are going to assess
- How to apply brake grease.
- Appropriate areas to apply brake grease.
- Parts of the brake system.
- Importance of brake grease.
How to apply brake grease.
You should lubricate all the moving parts. This ensures that you get noise free braking. Because unlubricated brakes are part of the reason why a car’s breaks squeak.
A thin layer of lubricant is all that your brakes needs. For example, the caliper bushings and slide pins. Additionally, apply brake grease on the abutment clips when installing the brakes.
Further, use another thin layer of brake grease on the edges of the brake pad mounting tabs. Avoid applying lubricant on the back of the power-stop pads.
Because this will sabotage the braking capacity of your vehicle. Further, use the brake grease on the back of the pad where it’s in contact with the caliper piston.
Note that you should avoid applying lube to the friction side of the pad. Also, do not apply the brake grease on the brake shoe if you’re lubricating drum brakes.
Appropriate areas to apply break grease.
This depends entirely on whether you are applying the break grease on drum brakes or disc brakes. Because they are made of different parts.
a] Areas to apply brake grease on disc brakes.
Disc brakes are very effective at stopping the car or slowing it down while at high speeds. That’s why they are used on the front suspension system.
- Pins
- Caliper slides.
- Bushings.
- Points where the pads slide within the caliper housing.
b] Areas to apply brake grease on drum brakes.
Applying brake grease on the drum brakes is quite easy. Because the drum brake assembly is not complex.
Drum brakes are used on the rear wheels because they aren’t as effective as disc brakes in vehicle stoppage or speed reduction
- Parking brake hose and cables. Because the parking brake uses the rear brakes.
- The raised brake pads that support the brake shoes.
- Apply grease on the star adjuster.
- Hinge points for self adjusters.
Parts of the brake system.
The vehicle relies on brakes for slowing down and stopping. The components of the brake system work together to deliver safety for you and other road users.
These parts are;
- Anti-lock brake system. [ABS]
This system prevents the wheels from sticking and locking up when you apply Emergency brake to stop abruptly. Further, it allows drivers to maintain steering control during the abrupt stop.
- Brake rotors and drum.
These parts of the brakes make the difference between the drum brakes and the disc brakes. Rotors are for disk brakes while the drum makes up the drum brakes.
They are circular and the brakes pads and brake shoe press against them to slow the car down or to stop it entirely.
- Brake pads or shoes.
Above you have seen these two parts press against rotors and brake drum for stoppage and speed reduction. Brake pads are installations for the disc brake while brake shoes are for drum brakes.
- Calipers or wheel-cylinder.
They make up the moving parts of the brake set-up. Their function is to push the brake pad and brake shoe against the rotors and drum. Lubricating them prevents them from locking up in one position.
- Brake hose and line.
They transfer the brake fluid from the master cylinder towards the wheel cylinder or caliper.
- Master Cylinder.
It is an essential part of the modern hydraulic brake system. It translates the push on the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure.
Then this hydraulic brake system pressure pushes the calipers which in turn push the brake pad and brake shoe.
- Brake Pedal.
The driver presses on the brake pedal to issue a command for the car to slow down or to stop. Brake fluid is very essential in this process.
Importance of brake grease.
Brake grease helps to facilitate proper operation of the vehicle’s braking system. It’s application is on parts of the brake system that grind against each other in motion. Of course while excluding some other parts.
- Facilitates a longer lifespan of the parts of the vehicle’s brake system
- Prevents rusting and corrosion by acting as a barrier
- Improving the vehicle’s stopping ability by enhancing braking performance.
- Prevents brake noise from occurring