Brake maintenance advice

[chriscowles]

Advice, please? I have a Shamrock 21DK hybrid that I took to a local FR dealer for routine wheel bearing maintenance and brake adjustment. They called to tell me the brakes had grease in them. Their recommended resolution is replacement because attempts to get the grease out of the calipers (or whatever) is not reliable, meaning the brakes would always have grease in them.

I don't doubt the description of the grease in the brakes though I don't know how it would have gotten there. The hubs don't have bearing buddies and I've never packed them myself. The dealer in question did it last but I'm not going to argue that point. It was some time ago.

What I'm asking here is whether the recommended replacement is necessary. If not, what's the alternative, that assures proper functioning? I will say that I just took the trailer on a camping trip a couple of weeks ago and had no problem stopping.

Thanks in advance.

[sundancer330]

Once you get grease on the brake shoes its almost impossible to get it all cleaned off and it will diminish your stopping grip.. They are cheap and for piece of mind I would have them replaced since they have to take it all apart anyway so labor should be about the same as cleaning them. If you have only had the dealer work on your bearings I would ask them how the grease got there, sounds like the rear seals blew from someone using the EZ Lube system.

[f5moab]

Or, someone did not install the seal correctly.