Replaced the front brake pads on my 2001 C10 after about 90,000 km. I guess I ride more than brake.
If you remove the smaller pad and remove the spring thingies at the side (Spring, Pad Stopper #92081), you can push the caliper holder (Holder Comp Caliper #43044) in all the way.
Then you can tilt the larger pad a bit and slip one end off. After that, the other end is a breeze.
For carrier pin lube, I wanted something waterproof that would tolerate high temperatures, silicone-based so the rubber bits don't swell up. In the US, that's readily available (Sil-Glyde) but in Canada, not so. Ended up using dielectric grease from Canadian Tire which meets all the criteria.