Silicone Brake Fluid

[Eagle]

This doesn't pertain directly to MJs, but a number of XJs came with ABS and the paper I'll provide a link to is fairly technical, so I'm going to post this here rather than in The Pub.

 

I have often mentioned that I use and recommend only silicone brake fluid, especially in older vehicles such as our MJs and XJs, some of which aren't daily drivers and which may sit for extended periods of time. Internal corrosion due to moisture in the system, a result of the hygroscopic ("attracts water") nature of glycol-based brake fluids, is the culprit. Silicone brake fluid isn't hygroscopic and doesn't collect moisture vapor out of the air over time. This means that if you use silicone brake fluid you don't need to flush the brake system annually.

 

But ... I have always heard and read that you can't use silicone brake fluid in anti-lock brake systems, but nobody ever said why not.

 

I knew that the U.S. Army had long ago standardized on the use of silicone brake fluid (for which they have, of course, an acronym: SBF). I just discovered that they performed a formal evaluation on the use of their silicone brake fluid in commercial anti-lock brake systems. It makes for an interesting read.

 

https://events.esd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Silicone-Brake-Fluid-Compatibility-with-Anti-Lock-Braking-Systems-for-Identifying-Future-Military-Brake-Fluid-Requirements.pdf

 

In my case, even though most of the 2000 XJs on the dealer's lot had ABS, I special ordered both of mine, and one of the reasons was that I specifically did not want ABS. I'm not sorry that I didn't get it.

[75sv1]

      I couldn't open the link. Security issue. I have used silicone brake fluid before. This was before ABS was common. Only down side was suppose to be stiffer brakes when the temps got colder. Since your in CT, I would guess you'd have experienced that or not. I'd guess not. I did have a '98 with ABS. I did have activation of it a few times. Yes, it did work as designed.

 

      The first time I remember experiencing ABS was with a '96 Ford Contour I owned. I was driving in Chicago in January. There was a Fly Fishing show there. It had snowed a few inches the day before or such. I remember there was a small car on the north side of Indy perched on top a snow mound. Anyways, I was driving through a curve that went under an over pass. It went from pavement to a sheet of ice. I hit the breaks and the ABS activated. The rumble took be by surprise. But I kept in it. When I got through the over pass, there were three cars on the side of the road in the snow. I remember them being Late 70's to Mid 80's RWD.