The 9 Best Caliper Greases
Updated by · How we research
Nine silicone, ceramic and synthetic caliper greases compared for rubber safety, heat and where they go. AGS Sil-Glyde leads for pins, boots and pad ears. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Caliper grease belongs on the slide pins, pad ears and clips that let a disc brake float and release, and never on the pad's friction face or the rotor. The chemistry matters more than the brand: silicone is safe on rubber boots, while many moly and synthetic greases are meant for bare metal. It's the first thing to get right on a home pad swap.
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
AGS Sil-Glyde takes the top spot. It's safe on rubber boots and still handles pad ears and clips, which is what most home mechanics want from one tube. Permatex 24125 Ceramic Extreme, the old leader, stays close behind for trucks and hard stops.
Three old picks are gone. The Napa Sil-Glyde listing has vanished, and AGS, which makes Sil-Glyde, now sells it under its own name. The Loctite Quiet Stick is unavailable, and it was a wax stick anyway. We traded the big CRC 05353 tub for CRC 05359 Synthetic, the same grease in a smaller jar, and added Permatex 24114 Silicone, a rubber-safe tube sized for one car.
Most of the evidence here sits in label fine print: which rubbers each maker vouches for, and heat ratings that run from about 400 degrees to 3,000. Nobody has compared these greases in a lab, so we leaned on maker data, repair-shop guidance and long mechanic forum threads, and checked each brand for recalls.
March 02, 2021:
We haven't changed our recommendations here recently, and in fact, options like Permatex 24125 Ceramic Extreme and Napa Sil-Glyde are frequently found in auto shops, and have been for decades. If you won't be using it often, a smaller tube of Permatex 85188 Ultra or Loctite Quiet Stick should do the trick. For especially high-heat applications, both CRC Industries 05353 and Super Lube 97008 are worth considering. They offer advanced additives such as PTFE in the case of the Super Lube, and molybdenum and graphite in the CRC Industries.
March 10, 2019:
Brakes, of course, are meant to stop vehicles, but lubrication is still a very important part of the process. If you want new pads and calipers to last, while performing effectively and without excess noise and vibration, it's important to apply the proper amount of the right type of lube. For shops or owners of multiple vehicles, it's hard to go wrong with Permatex Extreme, which is useful for a large number applications, and comes in a big enough size to last for quite a while. Generations of gearheads, on the other hand, also swear by Sil-Glyde, and its tube design makes for relatively easy use. Some users find Loctite's Quiet Stick even easier to use, as it operates much like the glue sticks you may remember from your early school days.
The Super Lube and Motorcraft are still relatively popular, although not every job needs a traditional silicone-based formula. But the Motorcraft does have dielectric qualities, and therefore is a great all-purpose lube for various applications aside from just braking systems. Meanwhile, the Silarmic and CRC are relatively well-known synthetic options, which also have a wide range of uses. But we cannot stress enough, whichever you end up deciding on, it's key to use just enough — too much or too little, and you'll reduce the brakes' effectiveness, or their lifespan, or both.
Silicone, Synthetic Or Ceramic: Match The Grease To The Part
The caliper slide pins ride inside rubber boots, so whatever goes there has to be safe on rubber.
A disc brake has two kinds of sliding joints, and they want different greases. The caliper slide pins ride inside rubber boots, so whatever goes there has to be safe on rubber. Petroleum greases and general-purpose lithium grease can swell those boots until the pin binds, which is why Phoenix Systems and most shop guides point to silicone or a rubber-safe synthetic for pins. AGS says its Sil-Glyde is compatible with EPDM and nitrile, the two rubbers most caliper boots and seals use.
The other joints are metal on metal: the pad ears in their abutment clips, the backing plates and the shims. Here pressure matters more than rubber safety, and greases loaded with solids such as molybdenum, graphite or ceramic hold up better. CRC rates its synthetic caliper grease from -40 to 495 F and calls it safe on most plastics, but says nothing about rubber. Many mechanics keep one silicone for pins and boots and one moly or ceramic grease for pad hardware. If you only want one, pick a grease whose maker says outright that it is rubber safe, such as Sil-Glyde, Silaramic or Ceramic Extreme.
Heat ratings run from about 400 F to 3,000 F. Those are the makers' claims, not lab results, and the pins on a street car run far cooler than the rotor. A higher rating matters most for towing, mountain driving and track days.
Where It Goes, And Where It Must Never Go
Start clean. Permatex tells you to spray parts with brake cleaner and let them dry before the grease goes on. Then use a thin film: coat each slide pin, push it in and out of its bore a few times, and wipe off what squeezes out. Excess grease only collects dirt. Put a light coat on the pad ears where they sit in the clips, and on the back of the pad where it touches the piston or caliper fingers.
Grease never goes on the pad's friction face, the rotor or the inside of a drum. Wipe any smear off with brake cleaner before the wheel goes back on, because grease on a friction surface cuts stopping power. If a pin boot is torn, replace it; no grease will save a pin that's already rusting.
Torque the caliper bolts to the figure in your vehicle's service manual, pump the pedal until it's firm, and test the brakes at low speed before you drive. A small 0.5-ounce tube covers one car; an 8-ounce tube or jar lasts a home mechanic for years. If you're not sure about any of these steps, a shop can do the job.
Caliper Grease Vs. Anti-Seize, Lithium And Brake Fluid
Anti-seize is not a slide-pin grease. Copper and nickel anti-seize are made to keep threads and press fits from fusing, and they don't lubricate a pin that has to move freely for years. Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice makes the same point: anti-seize is not a sliding lubricant. Some shops do use it on threads and backing plates, but it stays off the pins.
White lithium grease is a poor choice too. It softens and runs at brake heat, and as a petroleum product it can swell rubber boots. Forum threads on Bob Is The Oil Guy come down on the same side: a dedicated brake grease, usually silicone, for the pins.
Brake fluid is a different thing altogether. DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 fluids fill the hydraulic lines, and none of these greases belong in the master cylinder or the caliper bore. Caliper grease also isn't loaded into a grease gun; those feed chassis fittings, while brake grease goes on by hand, brush or nozzle.
How we researched this
We screened about 30 brake and caliper greases and compared 16 in depth. We read makers' product pages and package labels, retailer and trade-press product notes, repair-shop guides and mechanic forum threads, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. We found no independent lab tests of caliper greases, so heat ratings are the makers' own.
Sources (8)
- AGS: Sil-Glyde silicone brake lubricant
- Permatex: Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant
- CRC: Synthetic Brake Caliper Grease
- CRC: Silaramic Brake System Grease
- Phoenix Systems: What type of grease is safe for brake caliper pins
- Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice: What brake grease to use
- Bob Is The Oil Guy: Best universal brake grease
- CPSC: Kano Laboratories recalls Super Lube products (2024)
Frequently asked questions
What grease should I use on brake caliper slide pins?
A silicone brake grease or another grease whose maker says it is safe on EPDM rubber, because the pins sit in rubber boots. Petroleum and lithium greases can swell the boots and make the pin stick.
Can I use anti-seize instead of caliper grease?
Not on the slide pins. Anti-seize keeps threads from seizing but doesn't lubricate a moving pin. Some mechanics use it on threads and backing plates.
Can I use white lithium grease on brakes?
It's a poor choice. Lithium grease softens at brake heat and, as a petroleum product, can swell rubber boots.
How much caliper grease do I need?
Very little. A thin film on each pin and contact point is enough, and a 0.5-ounce tube covers one vehicle.
Where should caliper grease never go?
Never on the pad's friction face, the rotor or a drum's braking surface. Clean off any smear with brake cleaner.
Is Motorcraft XG-3-A only for Fords?
No. It's a silicone caliper grease that's safe on EPDM rubber, so it works on most cars' slide pins. Ford recommends it for its own vehicles.
