If you have a vehicle of any size, type, or make, then you must know that machines need lubricants. Otherwise, the moving parts start screeching, jamming, and overheating. Parts that need threading show their discontent by simply bonding forever and refusing to disconnect.
But is a one-size-fits-all kind of situation? Would one type of lube be good for all the different parts of your vehicle?
While that would simplify our lives significantly, it’s not a reality just yet. There’s a suitable substance for every part. And even within a single structure, like the brakes, you’d need to use different kinds of lubricants.
In this article, we’ll compare brake grease vs anti-seize. We’ll explain in full detail what they are, how they differ, and what’s the best usage of each.
Overview
To do proper maintenance for your car, you need to keep your ears tuned-in to all the sounds it makes. And once you hear an unusual noise, then you’d know that it’s time to get your tool-box and open the hood.
A common scenario with the car brakes goes like this: As you push the brakes you start hearing a slight screeching noise. This often goes with some of the following signs:
- The slide pins aren’t engaging the calipers properly
- The brake pads have an irregular contact surface
- The braking power is less than it should
- The rotor and the pads have poor contact
The answer is often simple: lubricate the right parts, that’s often the easy fix. But make sure to use brake grease and anti-seize in the right places. We’ll explain further how to do that in the next sections.
If the problem persists, then you should consider a visit to the mechanic or the service center.
What Is Brake Grease?
Brake grease is basically an oil contained in a thickening substance. It doesn’t contain any solids in its substrate, low or high. This property makes it perfect as a buffering medium between two moving metallic surfaces.
When the metals slide easily against one another you get better motion, less wearing, a quieter machine, and a minimal amount of vibration. The decreased friction also means much less heating up.
Adding a layer of brake grease on the brake pads and calipers provides extra protection as well. These parts are constantly subjected to dust, water, rust, salt, and various other contaminants. Without the right protective layer, you’d be changing these parts much too frequently.
However, brake grease isn’t made for high temperatures. It burns at around 400 degrees, and that’s why we limit its usage to the parts that don’t go through too much friction.
Pros
- Maintains the strength of the braking power
- Optimizes the performance of calipers
- The pads contact the rotor efficiently
- Reduces heat generation from excessive friction
- Minimizes the wear and tear of the pads from the rotor
- Reduces noises and vibration
Cons
- Not suitable for high loads
- Can’t accommodate temperatures above 400 degrees
- Isn’t effective in lubricating static or slow moving surfaces
What Is Anti-Seize?
Anti-seize is also a greasy lubricating substance, but unlike brake grease, it can take some heat. It can withstand temperatures up to 2600 degrees, thanks to its high-solids content.
The flip side of that is that it can’t be applied to fast-moving metals. It could easily jam the rotating parts and damage the system.
The real super-power of anti-seize is its ability to bear significant loading. The kind that a large bolt exerts on a thread or the force you see with press-fit plates kept together for too long. This keeps the metal pieces from sticking together, and being only pried open by drilling or hammering.
Pros
- Prevents metallic surfaces from sticking and jamming
- Facilitates assembly and disassembly of fasteners and plates
- Distributes the loading on fasteners evenly
- Reduces oxidation and wear on metallic structures
- Eliminates the need to damage components while dismantling
- Stands high temperatures and high loads
Cons
- Not suitable for fast-moving parts
- Useless around low-contact structures
Best Usage
The properties and performance of each lubricant, clearly, differs from the other. And even within each category, brake grease and anti-seize have some varieties.
To pick the right one, you’d need to specify your usage and match it to the suitable one. Here’s what each type is good at.
Brake Grease
There are several kinds of brake grease. The most common are Silicone-based grease, PAO-based grease, and white Lithium. They’re all perfect for use in the brakes’ assembly. Silicone is good with rubber and plastic, while PAO offers extra protection from rust.
And finally, there’s the synthetic-based brake grease, which is a bit different from the basic types. It contains a number of high solids, which makes it well-suited for handling extra pressure and temperature.
It’s more often applied in rotating parts that undergo a lot of friction. For example raised brake pads, disk brakes, caliper pins and bushing, pad mounts, and drum brakes. Also, remember to use brake grease only on the back of the pads.
Anti-Seize
The types of anti-seize you’ll likely come across are silver grade, nickel grade, copper grade, nuclear grade, and food grade. The last one is not for eating, of course, it’s just used where food is likely to get in touch with a metal structure.
Silver grade anti-seize is a general-purpose lube, best suited for threads. It also protects against rust, galling, and corrosion. This grease can sustain temperatures up to 1800 degrees, and it’s particularly useful with fine threads and tight joints.
Nickel grade is similar to silver grade anti-seize. But, it can resist chemicals and has a higher temperature limit, that reaches 2600 degrees. Both types can’t be applied where copper shouldn’t be used. Copper grade exceeds both only in its electrical conductivity.
You wouldn’t come across nuclear grade anti-seize, as it’s a highly sophisticated substance. It’s a bit of an overkill to use it as a lube for your brakes.
Limitations
As we mentioned earlier, you can’t use either brake grease or anti-seize to do all the necessary lubrication of your brakes. Here’s where each type under-performs.
Brake Grease
Brake grease will serve you well as long as the temperature is low, and it’s not subject to heavy loading. That’s why high contact, non-moving surfaces, and static parts under heavy loading are all no no’s for that lube.
Anti-Seize
Anti-seize is a tough substance that accommodates high temperatures and high loading, but wouldn’t stand high friction or moving parts.
Conclusion
Keeping your car in mint condition starts with following the right kind of maintenance. Lubricate your brakes routinely to sustain their power and enjoy optimal performance. Using brake grease for the moving parts would guarantee a smooth noiseless movement, with minimal vibration or heat generation.
Anti-seize is best applied to the threads, nut-face, washers, and any static plates. This should make assembly and disassembly a breeze every time.