Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: "Irish" on July 29, 2022, 07:27:42 am

Title: Brake grease
Post by: "Irish" on July 29, 2022, 07:27:42 am
Reading the forum for the past few years I have anxiety thinking of the brakes, the wrong grease remaking havoc!  So have a few questions
How often should the brakes be greased ?
How would I know if the brakes ever had the wrong grease?
How much grease to use?
Can they be over greased?
The special clay based grease is only for the nipple in the rear of the brake drums?

Brake Shoe Grease A1779W283 Meritor 14.5 oz. Tube - Mibot LLC (https://mibotparts.com/brake-shoe-grease-a1779w283-meritor-14-5-oz-tube/?setCurrencyId=1)
Is this the correct brake grease?
It appears to be the same part number
"prflemng recommended 6 years ago"
The price is way less than the $100+ I have found on the web.
Any help would be appreciated
David
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: bbeane on July 29, 2022, 08:50:25 am
That appears to be the correct clay based grease. It is also available from Mobile SLC32 IIRC. One tube will more than do it . Before you start on your brakes down load an read s copy of the Meritor MM4 brake manual, it will answer all your Questions. The brake calipers are NOT greased as part of chassis service. I do mine every 2 years. The manual is here on the forum. Someone smarter than I will have to tell you how to find it.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: dsd on July 29, 2022, 09:04:29 am
https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=media;sa=media;in=1701
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: "Irish" on July 29, 2022, 12:11:15 pm
Thank you both, printed off the greasing pages and ordered the grease,
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: dans96u295ft on July 29, 2022, 12:15:52 pm
Agree. I used the Mobil as well but you must purge the excess grease out and FT has a soft recall on a part you ad that avoids lockup. Get it.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: dsd on July 29, 2022, 12:24:50 pm
Agree. I used the Mobil as well but you must purge the excess grease out and FT has a soft recall on a part you ad that avoids lockup. Get it.
More information or a link or something to identify what your talking about would be nice
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: bbeane on July 29, 2022, 02:28:54 pm
More information or a link or something to identify what your talking about would be nice
He is likely referring to the helper springs. I would guess.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: wolfe10 on July 29, 2022, 02:39:11 pm
He is likely referring to the helper springs. I would guess.

My guess as well, and a very good idea-- Meritor helper spring kit.  Helps keep the "lazy side" of the caliper pads from dragging
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: "Irish" on July 29, 2022, 03:41:58 pm
Ordered the grease and the shipping was outrageous, called while I had the order open and they lowered the shipping, total cost for grease and shipping $36.20
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: John44 on July 29, 2022, 04:02:28 pm
Unless he means a relief valve between the 2 grease zerks on the caliper.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: Old Toolmaker on July 30, 2022, 01:29:48 pm
For those of us living on the dark side, living with Stopmaster drum brakes, here's the lubrication chart.

Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: Journey, Roam, Explore on July 31, 2022, 09:52:38 am
You do not have to have clay based grease for the brakes. That's not correct. Meriter recognizes the synthetic as well. It depends on the temperature that the brakes will be operating at. I guess. Find it parts has both the mobile synthetic grease as well as the meritor clay based grease.
I bought three tubes in order to do my brake overhaul, two tubes of the meritor and one of the mobile. Rebuilding the caliper required using almost a whole tube of the meritor Grease..
There are two grease fittings on the brake caliper. Is also an over pressure pop up valve. I believe there's one on the slack adjuster as well. That's per axle.
I bought all new grease fittings to replace the older ones but unfortunately left them in Oklahoma City. So just made sure I clean everything well with brake cleaner before accessing the nipple.
Hope that helps
Bob
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: Old Toolmaker on July 31, 2022, 10:24:12 am
You do not have to have clay based grease for the brakes. That's not correct. Meriter recognizes the synthetic as well. It depends on the temperature that the brakes will be operating at. I guess. Find it parts has both the mobile synthetic grease as well as the meritor clay based grease.
I bought three tubes in order to do my brake overhaul, two tubes of the meritor and one of the mobile. Rebuilding the caliper
Hope that helps
Bob
I've been gritting my teeth and trying to keep my silence but no more.  Sorry.

The high temperature caliper grease is not a "clay based grease."  The Bentonite clay is a thickening agent added to keep the grease from moving too much at high temperatures.

Art
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: John44 on July 31, 2022, 10:40:40 am
The synthetic grease we have is not hi temp caliper grease,it' ok'ed by meritor.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: Journey, Roam, Explore on July 31, 2022, 01:39:31 pm
Could be art. But I'm going by what the meritor specs are on the maintenance page that I have. It doesn't the specifically talk about why you would use clay based and I guess what you're saying is correct, don't know for sure. I just know what the chart says. I would think that it had to do with temperature reading this but then again maybe not.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: bbeane on July 31, 2022, 04:38:56 pm
Sure that is all cleared up. Been using the Mobile product for 15 years, werks fer me. As always DWMYFG.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: Old Toolmaker on July 31, 2022, 09:05:14 pm
Sure that is all cleared up. Been using the Mobile product for 15 years, werks fer me. As always DWMYFG.
I'm afraid in my world Do What Makes You Field Good doesn't work so I make sure I know what the manufacturer is asking me to do.  Once upon a time wheel bearing grease was heat stabilized with manila rope fiber, fibers from the hemp plant.  Just as fiber greases were replaced by new wonders of chemistry, I'm sure that there's a non-clay stabilized high temperature grease.  I just wanted to point out that Bentonite greases aren't based on Bentonite clay, but are a petroleum grease heat stabilized with high temperature clay.
Title: Re: Brake grease
Post by: bbeane on July 31, 2022, 09:27:16 pm
I guess the picture in post #14 where Meritor refers to "clay base" several places in their literature is the wrong description. And yes after 40+ years in equipment and fleet maintenance and repair I do completely understand the composition of lubrications.
Your description is technically correct, but to us less technical folks it's clay base, lithium base, soap base etc.