Landrey

Just a couple of quick questions about redoing the front brakes:
1. The new brake pads I'll use came with new shims (the flat kind), which have a metal painted side and a sticky side covered up with peel-off tape. After I remove the peel-off tape, does the sticky side go against the caliper pistons (directly?) or does it go against the back side of the brake pad?
2. In the maintenance manual there is a picture of a second set of shims - they look ridged or slotted (sort of)... I can't find new ones like them, can I use the old ones if I clean them well? Can I skip them and just use the flat shims that came with the brake pads?
3. I am overhauling the calipers (first time ever to do this job) - what should I use to lubricate the pistons, the new rubber o-rings, etc. The maintenance book says to use some "lithium soap based glycol grease" that I could not find in the store. I got a pouch of Permatex "Caliper lube synthetic lubricant" that on the back says: "Apply caliper lube to pins, slides, bushings, pistons, and rubber sleeves and seals". It should do the job, right? How does stuff like this interact with brake fluid, since it will be inside the caliper cylinder?

2wd1stgen

1) I stuck mine on the pads (one up side down, doh!) but do not know if this is right thing to do
2) I was in the same situation and opted to go with out the dirty slotted shims again not sure if this was the right thing to do.
My brakes work great but do squeak sometimes so maybe those slotted shims should be it there but I dono.
3) Completely clueless, I just flushed my brake fluid and hope the calipers work properly and last long.

Mossback74

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1. I think the stick goes on the pad
2. Dont know
3. That grease DOES NOT go on the piston. The pistons are lubed by the brake fluid. Read the link above.

It is a lot easier to go to Carquest and get reman calipers. Remember to bleed everything when done.

jimbo74

the sticky side of the shims goes towards the pad not the piston.... the piston doenst need lubing, the fluid does that.... the slides, pins etc, can be lubed with the grease you got... the other shims are probably factory ones and shouldnt be needed with aftermarket pads...