Brake servicing FAQ page update...

I have a (possible) confession to make. It's lengthy, but please read it.

I have heretofore been advocating the use of copious quantities of anti- seize in certain locations during brake servicing in order to prevent corrosion and seizure of various parts.

Since the government banned asbestos as a friction material (~1995), I have had, off and on, problems with glaze on my rotors. Glaze is a smeary, patchy, durable black substance, which no solvent can dissolve. You can't even sand it off. The only way of getting rid of it is to machine the rotors.

Why was this happening? And why so intermittently? Over the last few years or so (I'm a slow learner...), I've been observing other people's brakes through the open-spoke wheels that are common these days, and have noticed that just about nobody has glaze, just lonely ol' me. Obviously it must be something I'm doing wrong.

Then, this last weekend (Mother's Day weekend), I decided to do my annual brake "spring cleaning". While pulling things apart, sanding, greasing, chopping, slicing, dicing and julienning, I noticed the rotors had glazed up, AGAIN! Something made me study the pads closely. To my surprise and alarm, I noticed the pads showed signs of oil seepage and absorption. The absorption areas closely coincided with the glaze on the rotors. The absorption areas also coincided with where I had been most lavish with the anti-seize grease. Worse, the rear disc brakes showed the same symptoms.

It appears on deeper investigation that anti-seizes of all kinds contain very light oils that creep readily when heated. And boy do they creep. This is only a theory right now, but I'm suspecting the oil soaks into the friction material, softening it so it smears on the rotors.

I replaced all the pads and rotors this spring with brand-new OEM. ($$$) The ONLY grease I put this time was under the pad slide shims, between them and the mount bracket, and sparingly, at that. And this time I used a high-temp silicone lube, Sil-Glyde.

In the fall of 2007, I'll see what the rotors look like and report back here.

If anybody has been following my advice had has also experienced rotor glaze, please let me know.

This page has been updated to reflect my new findings.

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Reply to
Tegger
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two comments!

  1. that's why you've never experienced brake judder!
  2. based on that sil-glyde component list, there's not much high temperature resistance about it.

if you want "real deal" brake lube, go for molykote m77. and if you find an economic source of it, let me know!

Reply to
jim beam

jim beam wrote in news:e-GdnU-K2fk8mNbbnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@speakeasy.net:

I have, actually. Patchy glaze will cause judder just like warped rotors!

I was VERY sparing with the silicone. If it creeps, I'll know.

Sil-Glyde does not creep or melt at 150F, though, so I might get lucky here.

I see what you mean.

I'm getting told by independent distributors that the smallest container Dow sells is a 33oz tub...at $247 Cdn.

My local Acura dealer can sell me a 75g tube (2.5 oz) for $66. They get their M77 directly from Honda.

OUCH OUCH OUCH!

Reply to
Tegger

Actually if you drive your vehicle at highway speeds while appyling the brakes lightly, the glaze will be worn off the pads/shoes and drums or rotors. Don't do it for an extended amount of time, just apply the brakes (lightly) for short periods of time or else you will overheat the components. This does work and is easier and less expensive then turning the rotors and replacing the pads.

Reply to
Brian Smith

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I gotta wonder about people who drive a lot in mountainous areas. I'll bet the guys at the brake shops see all kinds of 'symptoms' ! !

'Curly'

Reply to
motsco_

I run a fleet of refuse and recycling trucks that are in the urban area, except for once or twice a day for a run of 10 kilometres round trip. They do nothing but stop and go forty to fifty feet all day long. The brake rotors/ drums and pads/shoes become glazed within a week or two, it's far more affordable and no down time occurs when using the method I described earlier.

Reply to
Brian Smith

When using Honda OEM pads they come with a small packet of molykote m77.

Reply to
Skate

Nah,I come up to stop signs at high speeds and then slam on the brakes. This keeps them from glazing, too... ;)

Reply to
Hachiroku

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Reply to
Hachiroku

Skate wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

it.

Not all of them. Mine do not.

Reply to
Tegger

"Brian Smith" wrote in news:YsK2i.17924$g63.15202@edtnps82:

Tried that. Doesn't work if the pads are bad.

Reply to
Tegger

=?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?= wrote in news:EMP2i.7464$vu2.228@trndny01:

Cool. But that can looks like it's kinda old.

Sure it's "new" government surplus, but the government got rid of it for a reason...

Reply to
Tegger

That stuff is harder than HELL to find, and doesn't seem to be sold in the US!

Guess I'll stick to my off the rack AutoZone brake grease!

Reply to
Hachiroku

=?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?= wrote in news:K6_2i.7490$4a1.7359@trndny07:

It is. Click here:

Click on "Find a Distributor" and choose your state.

I'm gonna bite the bullet and buy the $66 2.5oz tube. I feel the same sort of awe I felt when I bought my first genuine Snap-On wrench: Wowwwww...the REAL thing...

Reply to
Tegger

Interesting.

Reply to
Brian Smith

"Brian Smith" wrote in news:5E33i.22454 $V75.3804@edtnps89:

I tried and failed to take descriptive photos of my rear discs, whose friction surfaces resemble the dark gray coating worn by a rifle barrel.

The fronts had patchy glaze, where the outline of the pads was imprinted over and over again in an irregular pattern around the disc, some lighter, some heavier.

I had some serious front brake vibration. A check with a dial gauge showed the discs to be dead true, and yet I had a high-speed vibration. The only conclusion I can come to at this point (surely to be opposed by some others...) is that the glaze caused sufficient frictional differences as to cause steering wheel wobble ("vibration").

Reply to
Tegger

What components do you put the anti-seize on? I only put this on the two caliper bolts. For the shims of the brake pads I only use the Molykote which is supplied with the OEM pads. I have yet to have this happen on my rotors and they have 116k miles on them.

Nick

Reply to
Nick

be in no doubt, if you have that kind of surface contamination, that can /definitely/ cause vibration.

Reply to
jim beam

for brake rubbers, according to this link

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33 can be used for brake rubbers. which is just as well since i've used it may times in the past! anyway, the point is that it's relatively readily available and relatively affordable for the true silicone brake grease addicts.

Reply to
jim beam

Nick wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I hope you don't mean the ones that have the rubber boots.

And as I keep pointing out, not all models' pads come with shims or Molykote.

Good for you.

Reply to
Tegger

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