Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Topic: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance (Read 824 times) previous topic - next topic

Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

April 01, 2022, 12:28:35 am

Hello Everyone!

What is the recommended Interval between greasing the brake slide pins? I'm getting ready for a trip to Alaska and that was the major mechanical problem I had last time to Alaska and I don't want to relive it in the Yukon again! I had the brakes completely gone thru.
pads, slide pins springs and wheel seals front and rear been 2 year's since that brake work was done. and 15k miles.

Thanks for the Info. Mike

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #1 – April 01, 2022, 01:56:18 am

You should be fine. The brake pins are hard plated and require no lube maintenance per the Meritor MM4 manual. You might crawl under with a good flash light and do a good visual inspection.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #2 – April 01, 2022, 08:46:35 am

I only put 50000 miles on my coach in 12 years. Never did anything to my brakes except I did two or three brake applications before I started my day just to exercise everything down there.
Never had any problems.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #3 – April 01, 2022, 09:04:54 am

Actually, use, keeps the slide pins free (so caliper can slide).

Sitting often leads to seized slide pins.

Same on any sliding caliper/floating caliper disk brakes. A real issue for Ford F53 chassis that sit as well. Same brakes on Ford trucks used all the time do not have the problem.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #4 – April 01, 2022, 10:26:16 am

Mike I was planning on every couple years to pull pins clean and reinstall. They are exposed to road grime and the exposed areas on my have pitting, but good in the bearing area. Pins were like $100 each and I plan to continue changing them out a couple at a time. They do not get greased. I did install helper springs and do recommend installing them. Prevents caliper from dragging on disc and wearing out outboard pad. Also side benefit if they are removed every couple of years this prevents them getting stuck in the mount casting with the wedge bolt. I had several that were very very difficult to initially remove. I did install anti seize in that area that is not subject to movement.

The selected media item is not currently available.

Scott

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #5 – April 01, 2022, 11:19:26 am

The old wives tale of no lube on the pin keeps coming up in the forum. Thanks for posting the quote in the manual Scott. I have posted the page and line before but this should settle it for a while.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #6 – April 01, 2022, 01:16:37 pm

Quote from: craneman – April 01, 2022, 11:19:26 am

The old wives tale of no lube on the pin keeps coming up in the forum. Thanks for posting the quote in the manual Scott. I have posted the page and line before but this should settle it for a while.

I only knew because you had gone against tribal knowledge presenting the facts. Thank You
Scott

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #7 – April 01, 2022, 01:37:20 pm

I going to a service on my brakes soon and the helper springs are they are they Meritor or
are they aftermarket and where do I get them.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #8 – April 01, 2022, 01:45:14 pm

They are a Meritor part.

Another tread: Helper springs on Meritor disc brakes

One kit with two springs per brake assembly. So, two kits per axle, four for non-tag coaches.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #9 – April 01, 2022, 01:49:36 pm

Quote from: dsd – April 01, 2022, 10:26:16 am

Mike I was planning on every couple years to pull pins clean and reinstall. They are exposed to road grime and the exposed areas on my have pitting, but good in the bearing area. Pins were like $100 each and I plan to continue changing them out a couple at a time. They do not get greased. I did install helper springs and do recommend installing them. Prevents caliper from dragging on disc and wearing out outboard pad. Also side benefit if they are removed every couple of years this prevents them getting stuck in the mount casting with the wedge bolt. I had several that were very very difficult to initially remove. I did install anti seize in that area that is not subject to movement.

Scott

Well then I stand corrected!! But then I don't consider Wd 40 a long life lube, especially in the environment the brake pins live in. As always DWMYFG.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #10 – April 01, 2022, 03:17:41 pm

We clean ours with a rag and spray with a dry teflon spray,works fine.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #11 – April 01, 2022, 05:48:12 pm

Mike, as to your original question without going to the Meritor service manual I don't recall a specific time frame to remove and inspect brake pins. These disc brakes are very low maintenance, and extremely durable.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #12 – April 01, 2022, 07:05:52 pm

Every 3-4 years pulled slide pins out, replaced if pitted, and sprayed them with CorrosionX, then wiped them with clean cloth. Think the no-lube requirement is to keep away from dirt-attracting oil & grease. Without maintenance, moving brake pads on dirty slide pins may cause dragging pad end and rotor damage. Feels like CorrosionX also stopped pitting.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #13 – April 01, 2022, 07:39:09 pm

And, as many have said, add the Meritor helper springs! Much more important for a vehicle that is parked than for one that is driven daily.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #14 – April 01, 2022, 10:19:52 pm

Thanks everyone for the input it's appreciated! Mike

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #15 – April 01, 2022, 11:03:59 pm

The other half of the pins story equally is the bushings in the calipers. They too need to be cleaned. At the very least clean and inspect to establish a baseline for future inspections. Again my pitting was in the exposed part of the pin, not the part-in contact/covered by the bushing. I would speculate most lubes would not meet the temperature requirements during a hi energy stop event. We probably will never experience such with our coaches. I'm always impressed with the brake capacity on our coach not to mention in concert with the retarder. Definitely think the helper springs would have and will prevent a damaged dragging caliper. Pads are quiet expensive and having to change a set for one pad damaged as I did by PO is preventable. If you have never had them apart it's time to service. Doesn't cost anything but time to do yourself if you can. I'm already planning on doing my two year service and plan to build a pin puller for those with seized pins in the mount. I may extend my time after I see how they did.
Scott

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #16 – April 02, 2022, 09:02:52 am

While were here does anyone have any first hand expierience removing and changing the seals?

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #17 – April 02, 2022, 09:05:18 am

Quote from: John44 – April 02, 2022, 09:02:52 am

While were here does anyone have any first hand expierience removing and changing the seals?

John,

Which seals?

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #18 – April 02, 2022, 09:28:24 am

Quote from: John44 – April 02, 2022, 09:02:52 am

While were here does anyone have any first hand expierience removing and changing the seals?

No seals on pins on my coach

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #19 – April 02, 2022, 10:20:08 am

On our year coach there looks to be a o-ring/seal that would clean/wipe the pin,will look for a part number.
Also,when looking under a 2005 U270,it had pins but a different setup.

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #20 – April 02, 2022, 01:12:55 pm

Quote from: John44 – April 02, 2022, 10:20:08 am

On our year coach there looks to be a o-ring/seal that would clean/wipe the pin,will look for a part number.
Also,when looking under a 2005 U270,it had pins but a different setup.

I don't believe its a seal as much as a silencer or anti rattle device. Both sides are open

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #21 – April 02, 2022, 01:29:21 pm

IIRC, their are different part numbers for the pins with oring grooves. Mine does not have them. Kit 15013 has orings kit 15016 does not

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #22 – April 02, 2022, 02:14:52 pm

FWIW..... I had Paul Yasbeck do a complete brake job on our coach last year. Turned rotors, new pads and replaced a slide pin or two, cleaned the others. New wheel bearings and seals front and back. Greased and purged calipers.

He did not recommend and don't install helper springs on the Meritor disc brakes. Paul is probably the most knowledgeable Fortravel tech in the State of Florida so I followed his advice.
If I understood him correctly he said that the springs would keep one side of the pads off of the rotor but would cause the other side to drag as you only install them on one side. They are not factory installed for a reason, just keep your brakes properly maintained and regularly inspected is all that is needed.
But don't take my word in this, call him and let him explain it to you, he is a wealth of information on everything Fortravel.

Paul Yasbeck
Leesburg Fl
(813) 382-0869

Re: Brake Slide Pin Maintenance

Reply #23 – April 02, 2022, 02:26:59 pm

They weren't factory as the problem hadn't developed until later on. They are factory recommended. I can see Paul's point of view but the helpers help the heavy, lazy side of the caliper. If everything is loose and good it will work fine without them.

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