[northwind]

There's some other stuff you can use, some high-temp grease is safe for the rubber used in the seals... But I always use red rubber grease as it's simple that way. It makes a huge difference, I just had my calipers off for something else and though they're covered in a winter's road cack, it's all on the grease not getting stuck in the seals or plastering the pistons. I wouldn't say it's neccesary exactly, but it's labour saving in the long run, and cash saving too if it saves a set of seals.