74 Sliding Caliper Front Disc - Lubrication Points?

[jason99]

I'm replacing the seized front calipers on my Monaco and the FSM doesn't mention lubricating anything as part of the installation, but it sure looks like these surfaces should have some kind of lube on them.

It also seems like those rubber o-rings will get immediately destroyed.

What am I missing?

 

[Davea Lux]

First off, you should have that front rotor turned to clean the rust off of it. Second, clean the rust off the caliper sliding points. Third, the factory usually did not recommend lubing the sliding points on mopars of this era because road dirt will mix with the grease and form something similar to valve grinding compound, not good. Also not good, the lack of any lubricant. You can use synthetic sli-glide on the mounting pins so that they do not drag on the rubber o-rings. We also used to used a light coating of silicone based lubricant on the slide points. Do not use chassis grease! Chassis grease will destroy all rubber parts. Be sure to repack the front wheel bearings while you have the car apart.

Dave

 

[mr. fix it]

"A light coating of silicone based lubricant on the slide points. Do not use chassis grease! Chassis grease will destroy all rubber parts."

I agree Dave on the light coating of silicone grease. for the most part we don't drive our cars enough to worry about the grinding of dirt so a light coating will work.
Don't forget to grease the pins and you are good to go after cleaning those rotors up and installing new pads....

 

[jason99]

Both of you mentioned pins, as far as I can tell, there aren’t any. There are just those surfaces that the caliper and pads mate against and the two bolts that attach the caliper to them.

 

[67440NewYorker]

My 2wd dodge pickups have the same brake setup. I just clean the sufaces with some steel wool or a wire brush and put em back together. Maybe a little anti size on the bolts that hold the hold clips on. Theres write ups on them if look up 1st gen dodge ram caliper stuff

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Justake sure the caliper is not bound in any way. There are no pins on your setup. Make sure to file the inboard pad so it fits loose in slide and on caliper, no binding. You bend the upper tabs of the outside pad to hold it securely on to the caliper. I would use some lube of some sort, which will burn off eventually. It is not the best design for friction resistance but durable as they come. Smooth surface to smooth surface, is the goal here.

 

[Mr C]

What o rings? Racking my brain and I can't think of any on the Formals. Copper crush washers for the brake hose is all I could think of...

 

[Davea Lux]

What o rings? Racking my brain and I can't think of any on the Formals. Copper crush washers for the brake hose is all I could think of...

My bad, the older mopar calipers 68-72 used an o-ring inside of pin mounts so the caliper would not be riding metal to metal on the mounting pins. The later style like the one that was used in '74 no long used the screw in pins to mount the caliper and there is no o-ring except on the piston assembly.

Dave

 

[jason99]

The "o rings" came with the retainers, anti rattle clips, and bolts in a kit like this.

They were either never installed or long gone on my actual car, so it took a few trips through the brakes section in the FSM to find a picture of my actual caliper to find this designated as the location.

Installed they look like they will jam the pad and then tear or tear and then jam the pad, but me knowing how something works or thinking it will work has zero relationship with reality. I've subsequently cleaned and de-rusted the "adapter", but put the wheel back on before I took a picture.

 

[Mr C]

Ah, I refer to them as elastic bands...anti squeal item. They are not required for efficient operation of the brakes. As you said, they do not last on there.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Throw those away.