Brake grease

[s147881]

Working on reassembling brakes on 30 AA. Any special grease I should use or just normal wheel bearing grease.

[dhetch]

I would recommend the same high temp brake grease that is available at auto parts stores.
Dave

[s147881]

Thanks Dave - I was looking the other day at Autoparts store and noted the high temp "disk" brake grease. It comes in tube and tub. Have you used this for everything on breaks including wedges?

[dhetch]

I have not tested the high temp grease over the long haul, but I can tell you that I was really disappointed in the performance of the wheel bearing grease I used when I last had the brakes apart 40 years ago. Yes, I know 40 years is a long time, but with AA's, the brakes don't wear out quickly because they are big, the truck is never loaded and I don't put a lot of miles on it.
What I found when I took the brakes apart was the wheel bearing grease had hardened to the point where a number of the rollers and roller shafts were not turning and had flat spots on them and the grease on many of the cams had solidified enough that the rollers could not go any further up on them. Most of this could be scraped off with a screw driver after soaking overnight in the parts washer. It was much like the same crusted up grease we find on our AA's when we first get them.
Back when I put the brakes together, I never thought about a 40 year life perspective, but the grease was the main reason I had to open them up. I always use the best materials I can get my hands on and I will be using the high temp brake grease in the future.

Dave

[SHELBY MESSER]

I don't beleive I would use brake grease on the wheel bearings. Brake grease is for lubracating disc brake pistons. I don't think any AAs that had disc brakes from factory. I think I would use a molly grease to lube the wheel bearing if I had a problem with grease harding. Shelby, Sacramento

[spectria]

I don't beleive I would use brake grease on the wheel bearings. Brake grease is for lubracating disc brake pistons. I don't think any AAs that had disc brakes from factory. I think I would use a molly grease to lube the wheel bearing if I had a problem with grease harding. Shelby, Sacramento

Shelby, pretty sure the were talking about using wheel bearing grease to lube the brake moving parts, like wedges, links, and wear pads.

By the way, I have used permatex anti seize as brake lube for those points and being graphite based it doesn't go away or harden like every other grease I have tried on hundreds of repeat customers brakes.