slider caliper rubber bands do you use them ?

As for the pads;
I do similarly; just hammer the tabs over; that is what they are there for.
As to the rubbers;
installed into the grooves, I lube them with a silicon O-ring lube.
As to the "ways"
if they are hammered or grooved, I braze them up and adjust the fit.
On my personal cars, I don't care about any caliper-to-pin rattle; I know what it is and the rattle tells me that the thing is not seized.
I dont bother with the bands. O-Rings are a go to as well if you want them to last.

in today’s brakes, they all lock up in the abutments, every brake job i do, i have to hammer the pads out. Then blast the ways,and assemble everything with lube where it needs to be.
Sticky brake pads and guides really affect brake performance.