How to Improve Brake Performance and Extend Wear
Updated: Mar. 01, 2022
The secret is to use a new high-temperature grease.
DIY Car Maintenance Tips: How to Improve Brake Performance
If you do your own brake jobs, chances are you’ve switched to the newer ceramic-style brake pads. They’re much cleaner and quieter than semi metallic pads. But they don’t dissipate heat as well, and that high heat can degrade the grease in caliper and pad slides. So it’s critical that you use synthetic high-temp grease to lubricate the caliper pins, pad abutments and pad slide hardware.
New Grease for Your Brake Pads
Now there’s a new type of grease made especially for ceramic brake pads (one choice is Permatex No. 24125 Ceramic Extreme Brake Lubricant). The high-temp lube contains ground-up ceramic particles that act like ball bearings to ensure proper caliper and pad movement. Wipe ceramic grease onto brake pad abutments, pad slide hardware and inside the caliper’s slide pin boots.
Next, find out what to do if your car shakes when braking.
