Rear brake.

[jon.sagrero7]

Hey guys so I installed new brake pads and bled my brakes but I can feel my rear brakes braking without me braking myself. Also they squeak now and my bike is hard to push back because it's braking. I'm just wondering where I went wrong? Someone told me it might be a return spring in the caliper? Thanks for any advice guys!

 

[alaskanflyboy]

Did you compress the piston before installing the pads?

 

[jon.sagrero7]

Did you compress the piston before installing the pads?

Yes I compressed the piston down before putting in the new pads.

 

[Blue-Sun]

Just my two cents here...

Did you clean the caliber with Brake Clean before compressing the piston?? Just wondering if there was dirt or foreign material keeping the piston from returning.

What Brake Fluid did you use to bleed with?? Dot 4?? The only reason I ask is I had a friend who bled his Jeep brakes with the wrong fluid and they got gummed up and sticky.

If all else fails, I might take it all apart and put the old pads back on and see if I can duplicate the non-return issue with the piston. The new pads could be binding in some way you may not be able to see.

Many years ago, I replaced the pads on a Kawasaki with some real cheap pads and the new pads bound up before reaching the disk, thus I had a no-brake issue. When I compared the new pads to my old ones I noticed a tiny bit of metal that didn't get cut cleanly during the manufacturing process. I took a drill bit and cleaned out the swag/excess metal and the pad worked perfectly.

Best of luck with the bike.

 

[yellowfz]

Hey guys so I installed new brake pads and bled my brakes but I can feel my rear brakes braking without me braking myself. Also they squeak now and my bike is hard to push back because it's braking. I'm just wondering where I went wrong? Someone told me it might be a return spring in the caliper? Thanks for any advice guys!

There is not a return spring in the caliper, pads should ride close to the disc, in fact there should be some slight rubbing, if you seat your pads after you install a new set, that entails going out and getting up to about 30mph and hitting them hard almost coming to a complete stop and then let off, and doing that several (6-7) times, then riding a few thousand feet and letting them cool down, then again 30mph stops, at least 6 sets of this stopping and then it is still recommended that it takes 300 miles for the pads to seat the rest of the way. There are different version of how to seat the pads, read and do it however you feel is right for you.

 

[jon.sagrero7]

Just my two cents here...

Did you clean the caliber with Brake Clean before compressing the piston?? Just wondering if there was dirt or foreign material keeping the piston from returning.

What Brake Fluid did you use to bleed with?? Dot 4?? The only reason I ask is I had a friend who bled his Jeep brakes with the wrong fluid and they got gummed up and sticky.

If all else fails, I might take it all apart and put the old pads back on and see if I can duplicate the non-return issue with the piston. The new pads could be binding in some way you may not be able to see.

Many years ago, I replaced the pads on a Kawasaki with some real cheap pads and the new pads bound up before reaching the disk, thus I had a no-brake issue. When I compared the new pads to my old ones I noticed a tiny bit of metal that didn't get cut cleanly during the manufacturing process. I took a drill bit and cleaned out the swag/excess metal and the pad worked perfectly.

Best of luck with the bike.

Yes I cleaned the brake pads with brake cleaner and the piston was able to retract inside with no issue. And as for the brake fluid I used dot 4. I took apart the brake again and it's the same issue. There is no problem with the clearance as well, I don't see anything wrong or excessive that could possibly be banging against the side. Thanks man really appreciate the advice though.

 

[jon.sagrero7]

There is not a return spring in the caliper, pads should ride close to the disc, in fact there should be some slight rubbing, if you seat your pads after you install a new set, that entails going out and getting up to about 30mph and hitting them hard almost coming to a complete stop and then let off, and doing that several (6-7) times, then riding a few thousand feet and letting them cool down, then again 30mph stops, at least 6 sets of this stopping and then it is still recommended that it takes 300 miles for the pads to seat the rest of the way. There are different version of how to seat the pads, read and do it however you feel is right for you.

Hmm yeah I read about that but I figured it'd be not good for my brakes since they squeak and i can't freely roll my tire backwards when it's on a rear stand. Let alone back it up into my garage without actually giving some effort. But I'll give it a try. And so everyone knows the alignment on my rear tire is perfect and the slack is just as perfect as well so it's not that either. Thanks man

 

[yellowfz]

Hmm yeah I read about that but I figured it'd be not good for my brakes since they squeak and i can't freely roll my tire backwards when it's on a rear stand. Let alone back it up into my garage without actually giving some effort. But I'll give it a try. And so everyone knows the alignment on my rear tire is perfect and the slack is just as perfect as well so it's not that either. Thanks man

OOPS, reread your above post -- disregard below suggestion.
If you adjusted the brake pedal to compensate for the wear in the old pads (pedal free play) it may be in a slight pressure state, make sure you have the correct amount of free play in the pedal, it can make the pads apply slight pressure.

Just ride for a several hundred feet if you smell a burning smell (or pads are smoking) turn around and go back, if you do it at night and you see a red glow coming from the disc that is bad, turn around and go back.

 

[jon.sagrero7]

If you adjusted the brake pedal to compensate for the wear in the old pads (pedal free play) it may be in a slight pressure state, make sure you have the correct amount of free play in the pedal, it can make the pads apply slight pressure.

Okay this I wasn't aware of, can you let me know how to adjust that so i can release some of the pressure? Would appreciate that a lot man. Actually just rode it around and did some subsequent rear braking at 30mph.

 

[yellowfz]

Okay this I wasn't aware of, can you let me know how to adjust that so i can release some of the pressure? Would appreciate that a lot man. Actually just rode it around and did some subsequent rear braking at 30mph.

It is probably okay then if you rode it and it did fine, the free play adjustment is not necessary if you did not do it during the pads life cycle, I adjust mine ever so often to keep a certain feel on the pedal.

Look right above the right side foot peg you will see the rear brake hose going to the brake cylinder, at the bottom of the brake cylinder there are 2 nuts a threaded rod that connects to the brake pedal, it should be in your owners manual as to how to proceed from there, adjust to manual's specs.
I don't have the manual in front of me at present so can't quote procedure precisely.

 

[jon.sagrero7]

It is probably okay then if you rode it and it did fine, the free play adjustment is not necessary if you did not do it during the pads life cycle, I adjust mine ever so often to keep a certain feel on the pedal.

Look right above the right side foot peg you will see the rear brake hose going to the brake cylinder, at the bottom of the brake cylinder there are 2 nuts a threaded rod that connects to the brake pedal, it should be in your owners manual as to how to proceed from there, adjust to manual's specs.
I don't have the manual in front of me at present so can't quote procedure precisely.

No worries I have the manual myself I'll take a gander at it. And as far as the smell of burning there was a smelling sensation of that sort. And the disc had a slight purple/red discoloration to it as well.

 

[dart1963]

post a pic!
make sure you got the alignment slot back into the swing arm as well (I didn't a few years back, rear brake mounting shifted back, pinched line and eventually snapped it was a good excuse to upgrade to ss line!)

 

[jon.sagrero7]

Pics.

Here are a couple pictures.

 

[jon.sagrero7]

post a pic!
make sure you got the alignment slot back into the swing arm as well (I didn't a few years back, rear brake mounting shifted back, pinched line and eventually snapped it was a good excuse to upgrade to ss line!)

And as far as the alignment slot I went to go check and its in there.

 

[leem00]

chain to tight?

 

[yellowfz]

Looks like everything is in place correctly, a disc will get discolored after a few hard stops and take a few normal stops to go back to the silver color.
If you get up to 30mph and pull the clutch in does the bike feel as if it is stopping on its own, when I say stopping on its own I mean you can feel a noticeable drag on the forward motion.
Did you get the clips in right on the top of the pads on the caliper body and on the side?
It is pretty straight forward, if the pads can slide on the rods and in the slots in the caliper they should work correctly, I have had a caliper piston stick on a caliper once but that is rare, these brakes are so simple that it is hard to mess something up. If you compress the caliper piston does it extend again without problem?
In the diagram they do call the clips #6 "springs", but they are for keeping the pads in place and not for pulling them away from the disc.

 

[dart1963]

It's hard to tell from the pic, but the guide pin looks cruddy. I always replace it if really bad, or just brake clean it, or lightly scrub it down with some steel wool and lightly grease it. If the calipers can't move freely, they won't fully release.

Always thought our calipers were cruddy leaving the guide pin exposed like that.

Top Ten Brake Job Mistakes For Pads, Rotors and Calipers - Safe BrakingSafe Braking

 

[blkbrd]

I agree with dart. Those slide pins mean everything when it comes to the brake releasing. If they're not smooth and clean, they'll cause you problems.

As far as adjustment of the pedal as the brakes wear, I don't get that. The brake fluid should take up that extra travel.

Sent from Samsung Galaxy S4

 

[yellowfz]

I agree with dart. Those slide pins mean everything when it comes to the brake releasing. If they're not smooth and clean, they'll cause you problems.

As far as adjustment of the pedal as the brakes wear, I don't get that. The brake fluid should take up that extra travel.

Sent from Samsung Galaxy S4

As long as you keep the fluid level correct it will, as the fluid goes down if you don't add more it will get slightly longer at the end of the pad life, if you add fluid to compensate you have to remember to take that added fluid out when you do new pads, if not you compress the piston the fluid will not have a place to go, if you have the cap off when doing the piston push in on the caliper it will shoot all over the place. Adding fluid is one way or adjusting the pedal is another.
As "dart1963" said, and make sure and put some lithium soap based grease (the "S" in the diagram) on the pad rods/pins or dielectric grease, which you can get at any automotive store, don't use axle grease.
Usually the pad holes that go to the guide pins (rods) are quite larger than the pin/rod, they do that to keep it from binding 'cause of grit, dirt or debris.

Here is front brake if you ever need it.

 

[blkbrd]

As long as you keep the fluid level correct it will, as the fluid goes down if you don't add more it will get slightly longer at the end of the pad life, if you add fluid to compensate you have to remember to take that added fluid out when you do new pads, if not you compress the piston the fluid will not have a place to go, if you have the cap off when doing the piston push in on the caliper it will shoot all over the place. Adding fluid is one way or adjusting the pedal is another.
As "dart1963" said, and make sure and put some lithium soap based grease (the "S" in the diagram) on the pad rods/pins or dielectric grease, which you can get at any automotive store, don't use axle grease.
Usually the pad holes that go to the guide pins (rods) are quite larger than the pin/rod, they do that to keep it from binding 'cause of grit, dirt or debris.

Here is front brake if you ever need it.

Hydraulic disc brakes always self adjust without adjustment of the lever or the pedal. This applies not only to motorcycles, but to all hydraulic disc brake systems. You do not need to add fluid as your brakes wear to keep the pedal (lever) travel the same.

If the pedal or lever travel increases because of pad wear and reduced fluid level, then you've got air in the lines.

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