What's the story with grease/lube?

[openair]

My bike is about 10 years old. My manual tells me to use "lithium soap grease" on the brake caliper pins. But synthetic lube seems to be the main attraction when visiting the grease aisle at the store. And it seems a lot of people (even some people with my bike) just recommend using synthetic caliper lube on the pins regardless of what the manual says. Was there some kind of discovery or something in the last 10 years (since my manual was written) that synthetic is better? Is it bad in any way to use synthetic if your manual indicates lithium grease? It seems like a lot of people don't think it's a big deal. What's the story here?

 

[ratsblast]

Get some sylglide or hightemp grease. If you bend over in prison expect soap grease.

Just clean with scotchbrite or fine paper and lube the pins dont foul pads with grease.

 

[openair]

Thanks. I appreciate it. I ultimately ended up getting "Permatex Ultra Disc Brake Caliper Lube" (full synthetic) after folks in another forum who ride my model of bike just said to get anything that says
"disc brake lube" and it would be fine. But what's nagging at me is that I don't know why this is fine when my manual says to use something else.

 

[kuksul08]

I don't think it really matters for those pins. Just as long as it's not some runny grease that is going to leak down onto your brake pads.

 

[zixaq]

You just need something slippery and mostly waterproof. There are other bits where which metal soap the grease is based on might matter more, but the brake caliper pins aren't going to be that fussy.

 

[ST Guy]

I smear a fine coating of high content moly paste on them. Works great.