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TOPIC: Front Brake Maint.
#185299
MS1700 (User)
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Location: North Ohio, East side, Mafia Town
Front Brake Maint. 8 Years, 10 Months ago  
I always suggest not to do both front and rear brakes at the same time. This way if you mess something up, you still have one brake to stop with. How many people do brake maint. and forget to pump the brakes up and get the shock of their life the 1st stop sign? I have no idea. Do one axle at a time, wait 150 miles and to the other axle.
1st Park your bike on a stand with wheel off the ground. Make sure it is safe and sturdy.
Now below is the tools you will need. 12mm for brake calipers and 8MM to remove the reflector. Screwdriver's, pick, toothbrush, some brake cleaning fluid, some q tips, rags and so on.

Remove the reflector, It has a 8mm nut on the inboard or back side. This is indexed so you can only put it on one way.

There are two 12mm bolts that hold the caliper on. Remove them and be ready to catch the caliper.

OK it's off, what a mess! Not bad pad wear but too much dirt. Anyways we will remove the pads.

Before we compress the pistons back into the calipers, clean them with a q tip soaked in cleaner.
You don't want to compress dirty pads, this is your chance for a clean Brake
Notice I have already cleaned two pistons.

OK re install pads and compress pistons into caliber I use a screwdriver or a set of channel locks with some old inter tube to protect the powdercoat. Keep your system sealed or doing this will unload fluid on your tank.

You will see the rod that hold the brakes in. This tiny clip (1 of 2) once removed allows the rod to be pushed through and the pads to fall free.

Pushing the rod through with a screwdriver. (Doing this with common tools)

Before you let all that fall out clean this area off and note the rotation arrow, make sure this part goes on with arrow same way. (Rotation of tire and pointing towards the bleeder.)

There is a backing on the brakes, remove, clean and install on new brakes.

Get your pick and press here and the backing will come off.

This filthy little rod is what you pushed out with screwdriver, the brakes slide on this and unless it's clean and lubricated they will not freely slide, there may be your squeak.

You should spend lots of time cleaning all parts removed before reassembly.


Get the grease off your hands and install the pads with the backings into the caliper.

Put this part back in with arrow pointing right direction and press on it with your thumb.

Now the clean and lubed with disc brake grease Rod goes back in.

Put the clips back into the holes on the rod. (2)
And carefully install the caliper back onto the disc. It will only go on one way, with one pad on each side of the disk.

Use a torque wrench and tighten to 29 ft lbs.

Now that's a clean caliper!

I used DB brakes because they are highly recommended and stop better than EBC and have less dust.
But what do I know, they cost more they must be better!

Ok now you have another side to do.

When one with that side run a shop towel with brake cleaner on it all around the discs to get rid of any grease.
Then with the bike still up, test the brake by hand. Bleed the brakes too if you need to.

How I bleed brakes on a system that is sealed and in good order.
No pictures because it's so easy.
Put your new brakes on. Get a clear hose that fits over the brake bleeder. (It has a rubber cap and is at the top of the caliper)
The hose must be tight fitting. About 2 ft is fine.
Loosen the brake bleeder and re-tighten by hand.
Install the hose over the bleeder.
Now get a small plastic container, (I like white ones or clear.)
Remover the top off front or rear reservoir. Cover areas with something so fluid don't get on paint, have rags handy. I coat parts with Wax and leave it on, Like fender and Tank.
Suck with a syringe or dump all fluid from reservoir into the container. DONT squeeze brake lever!
Put container on ground with the hose from bleeder into the used fluid so the end is covered with fluid. (This keeps air from getting into the system from the bottom)
Break out new DOT 4 Fluid and fill reservoir.
Pump lever until it feels normal and hold pressure on it.
Crack bleeder and let fluid drain into container. As lever nears bottom tighten bleeder and pump it back up and repeat the process Pump, bleed, pump bleed, add fluid to reservoir pump bleed, pump, bleed until you get nothing but clear and clean fluid through the hose. Fill reservoir but do not overfill. Put cap back on. Test brakes out, tighten bleeder tight, put cap back onto it and go for a ride, keep an eye on fluid level.

On front brakes, once you get one side done do the other, it will get clean fluid quicker because you are just doing from the T down.

Change fluid each time you change pads at least, to prevent problems. The system is actually vented and moisture gets in and makes the fluid "Snotty" and can booger things up from inside out.
You are ready to ride.

And Doc says, "For the 1st 150 miles only do light braking and what emergency stops you have to, don't go out on a chase. brake em in slow." One should follow the manufacturer's instructions. Some pads need to be bedded in rather than 'taking it slow'. If you are putting used pads, which have not been used with that calliper, then I recommend that you bed the pads."

Rear brakes are about the same and there is a how to on them already. I did this how to because I needed exercise.
 
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Last Edit: 2010/04/14 15:25 By MS1700. Reason: Add info about Bleeding.
 
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#185302
DocShadow (Admin)
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 8 Years, 10 Months ago  
Thanks for the time for taking pics and documenting the process. Well done.

The only statement I would change is ..... "for the 1st 150 miles only do light braking and what emergency stops you have to, don't go out on a chase. brake em in slow."

One should follow the manufacturer's instructions. Some pads need to be bedded in rather than 'taking it slow'. If you are putting used pads, which have not been used with that calper, then I recommend that you bed the pads.

Doc
 
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#185318
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 8 Years, 10 Months ago  
Consider it done Doc. Pics pics pics.
 
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#273210
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 7 Years, 10 Months ago  
WOW! What a great job I done on this how to! And still have it buried so deep I even hardly found it again! Step by step pics! WOW! Anyways, these dawg Brakes only lasted like a year and 17K miles. The rear was toast and the fronts were awwwww ok. They did great, did have less dust but I went with a closer to stock set this time, For the price these ain't all they are cracked up to be. Best thing was a LOT less dust. But I am afraid of disc wear so, Back to stock style through Shadetree @ $25 a pair $75 for whole bike. Now, after patting myself so hard on the back........wonder if I can still hold a handlebar with a broken arm?

PS I changed the rear only removing the right bag and caliper. It was a puzzle but possible.
 
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#273212
jamie99roadstar (User)
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 7 Years, 10 Months ago  
Nice write up on this. Could help alot of people on here out.
 
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#273220
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 7 Years, 10 Months ago  
Read thru the write-up, then when it got to the "pins" thought my brakes were missing parts. Then realized those brakes are on the 1700 bikes with 4 pistons. Mine is a 1600 and only 2 piston. Totally different. when I pull the caliper off, pads are still sitting around rotor.
 
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#273233
fireman922 (User)
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 7 Years, 10 Months ago  
MS,
You are such an overachiever!! Great writeup! A picture is worth a thousand words and there writeups of your that are illustrated are wonderful for people doing this the first time.
 
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#273361
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 7 Years, 10 Months ago  
Overachiever? Who me? Take a look at your sig. pic. Paul. That's in Webster under overachiever. I'm in the all stock how to dept. Ha ha ha. On my Other news group this would be a sticky thread. I only came back to see how long these pads lasted. Great pads, not worth the money, the ones I just put on. Stop just as good, and were a LOT cheaper plus, they make less of that zipping noise. If I get another year out of them, and I am sure. I'll be happy.

Ok people go check BOTH sides of each Caliper and see where your brakes are at! One side on each of mine wore out faster than the other. (Normal)
 
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#273435
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 7 Years, 10 Months ago  
MS1700 ,VERY NICE JOB ON THE FRONT BRAKE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 1700 R* WHICH WILL BE VERY HELPFULL FOR MANY HERE IN RSC.

SCOTT
 
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#273517
teefer22 (User)
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Re:Front Brake Maint. 7 Years, 10 Months ago  
Huge thanks for writing this up with such awesome pics. I want to start doing stuff like this on my own instead of having the dealer do it but I'm always nervous about taking on a job like this and not doing it properly. I don't know lots of the terms so the pics along with the writing is a HUGE help for me. After seeing your writeup with pics, I think I can actually do this myself.

1 question for anyone that sees this. Is there anything specific I need to do to "Keep your system sealed or doing this will unload fluid on your tank."? Does that basically mean don't take the cap off of the front brake reservoir?

If only I could find an article like this for bleeding the brakes or changing the brake fluid.

Thanks again.
 
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