Topic: Grease the brake caliper bracket hinge?

[GroovieGhoulie]

I'm rebuilding the brake caliber hinge assembly since it was not swinging very well and causing brake drag.  Anyway, I am curious about if I should grease the hinge pin before reinstallation and what sort of grease I should use.  I have some silicone grease around here somewhere but can't find it and was going to maybe use to hi-temperatuire weapons grease.  I imagine heat wouldn't be an issue on this part, but if it's good enough for GIs in the field, it should work for this.

Thoughts?

[Zane]

I did the same thing this winter.  This is what I learned:

- make sure you have the proper O-ring(s) at both ends of the caliper holder (91259-333-000) 9.5 x 1.7.

- thoroughly clean both the top end of the caliper pin and the inside of the caliper holder joint.  (I used some 600 or so grit paper to clean.)

- be certain to have the proper length caliper joint holder bolts (28mm) and the proper washers for them (6mm spring and 6mm flat for each).

- do not over-tighten the caliper holder joint bolts.  (This is the main error I made.)  7 ft. lbs. should be plenty - slightly over 8 is the max.  Best if you can get away with 6, I'd say....

-  finally, be sure to have the proper caliper spring configuration, with a good spring.

I think if you do all that stuff, it almost doesn't really even need any grease (or very little).  It's more about alignment and tightness (or over-tightness) it seems to me anyway....

Only when the caliper holder swung easily, tightly, and freely, did I use a little regular chassis grease (in the center channel of the caliper holder pin).



Good luck ....

[GroovieGhoulie]

Excellent info.

However, the reason mine wasn't swinging was a layer of rust/corrosion on the hinge pin.  I was thinking of a protective layer that would prevent the rust/corrosion so I'm not having to do this again anytime soon.

I'm going to follow your advice though.

[Zane]

Yeah - corrosion is always a drag.....

I'm guessing that army stuff will work great, and when I really think back, I'm sure I must have slathered a bit of grease in the area you're talking about.

However, my biggest problems were mainly caused by two things - over-tightening the caliper holder joint bolts and putting the caliper adjusting spring adjusting nut inside the fork (right next to the spring itself) rather than outside the fork.  That compressed the spring too much, and the swing arm bound up....

[malcolmgb]

I used copper based grease in mine, used 2 valve guide 'O'rings which I had a few of spare, they seemed about the correct size.

[GroovieGhoulie]

Well she's back on the road again (YAY!!) and the brakes are phenomenal!  I can finally lock the front tire if I want.  Not bad.  MY brake dragging problems were a combination of the following:

Stuck hinge, not allowing the swinging caliper to swing
crud buildup in the piston sealing ring groove causing high-points in the seal and not letting the piston slide freely.

So I learned a lot, namely make SURE the piston seal groove is free of crap, and make sure the swinging bracket can swing.

[crazypj]

I drilled the back of pivot and fitted grease nipples
PJ

[Zane]

I drilled the back of pivot and fitted grease nipples
PJ

Man, I like that idea.  Could you show me (us) on this diagram, where you placed the grease fitting?  (Hopefully this picture is good for that.)

Bill