What grease to use on brake pads?

[helix402]

This is what to use and why:

https://textar-professional.com/textar-training-ce...

Also Copperslip doesn’t look very nice, Ceratec does. It’s what is used by vehicle manufacturers (under a variety of trade names such as Plastilube). BMW banned Copperslip from dealerships when I worked in one.

Edited by helix402 on Saturday 2nd June 05:42

[jeremyh1]

lyonspride said:

I've never understood this, use terminal grease..... Copper grease (despite what people think) isn't electrically conductive, I know this because a former employer got into bother for using it to prevent corrosion on the earth bonding point of a mains powered pump motor and ended up with an outer case that would give you a shock under certain circumstances. If it's not conductive at 240vAC, then it's far less so at 12vDC.

Yes I think it is formulated this way as it will set and not wash of in the rain I dont use it as a conductor it is too protect the terminals from moisture It is a very old way of doing things and I have only seen the benifits from it

Edited by jeremyh1 on Saturday 2nd June 09:10

[Mr2Mike]

helix402 said:

Also Copperslip doesn’t look very nice, Ceratec does. It’s what is used by vehicle manufacturers (under a variety of trade names such as Plastilube). BMW banned Copperslip from dealerships when I worked in one.

I'm impressed you are able to see copper grease on the backs of the pads with the calipers and wheels on.

The galvanic reaction excuse is simply bks. If it were real there would have been a vast number of cars showing serious corrosion problems due to this. Most car calipers and pistons are made from steel anyway, so whats the excuse on these?

Edited by Mr2Mike on Saturday 2nd June 10:56

[thebraketester]

Mintex ceratec. Don’t use copper grease it drys up and makes a mess.

[helix402]

My helpful guide:

Bad, Copperslip, and too much:



Good, Ceratec and then silver (aluminium) grease on the hub centre:

[Mr2Mike]

helix402 said:

Good, Ceratec and then silver (aluminium) grease on the hub centre:

You have also shown copper grease applied by a blind baboon, vs Ceratec applied sparingly, don't you think that's a bigger issue?

I'd like to see:
1) Pictures of steel brake calipers that have been badly corroded purely due to the use of copper grease.
2) Evidence that copper grease, in the small quantities that should be used on brakes, can stop ABS sensors working.

I don't believe this evidence (as opposed to manufacturers handwaving whilst trying to sell their own expensive grease) exists, but I'm willing to change my views someone can show me.

[Chrismawa]

gavgavgav said:

Hopefully you did not really put any grease on the edges of the pads .... it will make its way onto the disc.

By edges I mean the bits that slide inside the carriers. Only way I could see what you mention happening is if you had lathered ridiculous amounts on.

[lyonspride]

helix402 said:

. BMW banned Copperslip from dealerships when I worked in one.

Edited by helix402 on Saturday 2nd June 05:42

I don't think that really means much, dealerships are largely just sales offices and run by salesmen, the vehicle technicians (or monkeys as they are commonly called) are just trained to follow procedures, which means someone has to account for every possible idiotic mistake that could be made, removing the use of copperslip was likely a reaction to a problem that didn't really exist, like stopping sick pay for an entire company of 300 people because one person MIGHT have taken the piss a bit.

I haven't seen a valid argument against the stuff, it's not conductive so there is no galvanic effect, it's not conductive, so it can't screw up ABS sensors. I wouldn't be surprised if all the fuss was because the "old boys" used to slather it on with a paint brush and some office bod simply thought it looked unprofessional (and granted it does look pretty crappy).


Edit - So I did a bit of research and it would appear that the primary reason copper slip has a bad rep is because of vehicle technicians using it on wheel nuts/studs. I would say that is why dealerships may have banned it, you don't put anti-seize on a f**king wheel nut, and interestingly you don't see so many stories of wheels falling off these days.

Edited by lyonspride on Monday 4th June 10:31

[helix402]

The melting point of Copperslip is also below the temp brakes can reach.

[E-bmw]

helix402 said:

The melting point of Copperslip is also below the temp brakes can reach.

You are, of course correct it is below the temperature of that which the mating surfaces of the disc/pad reach, but then as we don't put it there is that even relevant?

[helix402]

E-bmw said:

You are, of course correct it is below the temperature of that which the mating surfaces of the disc/pad reach, but then as we don't put it there is that even relevant?

It is if the heat transfers to the backplate and the grease contaminates the friction faces.

To finish my input to this discussion-I don’t use Copperslip for lots of reasons, one being there are better greases to use. If you like it, great.

[Mr2Mike]

helix402 said:

The melting point of Copperslip is also below the temp brakes can reach.

Mintex Cera Tec datasheet

Service temperature = -45 to 180 Celsius.

Copper grease datasheet

Drop point = Non-melting
Temperature range -30 to 1100 Celsius

[E-bmw]

Personally I think copper grease is fine in it's place.

It is an excellent anti-seize grease on bolts/nuts.

About the only other grease I use is silicone grease on sliding parts ie brake pistons/slider pins.

[GreenV8S]

Some of those pictures showed copaslip applied to the caliper. There are some mounting bolts that might benefit from copaslip, but there is nothing else on a caliper that copaslip is suitable for. It's an anti-seize compound not a lubricant, and not suitable for moving bearing surfaces.