binding front brake

[hic2wo]

Hello ,having a problem with my front brake binding , checked pistons moving freely and for warped discs which all apeared satisfactory . Both calipers feel tight against discs when removing as if the pads are set too close , Any ideas would be much appreciated , have had bike for several months and problem getting worse but still rideable !!

[unfazed]

Worn Discs ???? What mileage is on the bike. Is there a lip on the out edge of the disc? Disc should be flat on the surface for inside to ouside edge. The pads do not cover the full width of the disc surface and as the discs wea,r they create a small lip on the outer edge.

[His Dudeness]

could be overfilled with fluid

[darrsi]

I've come to the conclusion that warped discs are a myth unless you're a hard braking racer!!

My view, seized pistons.....not externally, but internally, perhaps!

From experience, seized pistons aren't blatantly obvious, but are normally the problem!

Clean up the pad pins for starters, and get rid of any crap, and lightly copper grease them, they can build up dirt and the pads won't move freely sideways!

If that doesn't work, overhaul needed!

Don't forget, the pads are separated by movement of the disc, so when you brake and come to a stop, as in parking, they will bind a little bit anyway, but when they're all 'nice and shiny' they release and work lovely, and the wheel will spin freely regardless!
The thing about caliper problems is that they tend to creep up on you gradually over a period of time so you don't really notice it happening straight away.

[Dead Eye]

I'd be inclined to partially agree with darrsi - It's probably worth checking out the pads and the retaining pins as your next step since you have already checked that the pistons are moving freely

[hic2wo]

Thank you all for your speedy replies , i can now investigate further on my next weekend off , much appreciated .

[Lumpy]

I've come to the conclusion that warped discs are a myth unless you're a hard braking racer!!

If I was to agree with that we would both be wrong  :rollin

[darrsi]

@Lumpy, as always your opinion is your own!
Everyone just jumps on the bandwagon and says "warped disc" as sooon as there are problems with braking, but i bet you the vast majority of the time it is not that but a feeling caused by something else!
This would be a never ending argument so lets just agree to disagree, again.......  :rolleyes

I will add though, i'm talking about a fairly decent set of discs, if you spend about £50 on a new set from China, then it's almost like buying a chocolate teapot, so that's a different story!

[Lumpy]

@Lumpy, as always your opinion is your own!
Everyone just jumps on the bandwagon and says "warped disc" as sooon as there are problems with braking, but i bet you the vast majority of the time it is not that but a feeling caused by something else!
This would be a never ending argument so lets just agree to disagree, again.......  :rolleyes

I will add though, i'm talking about a fairly decent set of discs, if you spend about £50 on a new set from China, then it's almost like buying a chocolate teapot, so that's a different story!

it's not just an opinion I'm afraid. It wasn't referring to the fact that people cite warped disc for everything including the naitional debt just the general statement. One of my standard front discs warped like a belled washer when the caliper on the right hand side decided to seize on and in a very short time as I was a motorway speeds plus, the heat generated warped it like a bastid. This was neither through over use, racing , or cheap discs. See my point. That was my only issue with the general statement. The cheapish replacement discs on the fazer are very good, wear is good and they aren't warping either which is handy. The standard discs on my Bird are hardly worn and perfectly true after 14 years and 60k miles as I do not use the brakes much, although they were rather blued after a trip to the Ring. The XS11 are too thick to warp I think :lol

Discs can warp due to poor fitting too but rarely cause the issues most people relate. When I bought my awful orange wheels and took the rear disc off, I found the previous owner had fitted the disc on top of the powder coating where the faces weren't masked. Eek.

Sorry, I digress a bit.

[His Dudeness]

disks can warp if the caliper seizes and you ride on. i don't think anyone suggested that was the problem here though. the chap just said he checked if they were warped and they're not

[darrsi]

See, the reason i said everyone jumps on the bandwagon is because so many different people told me i had warped discs when i had a problem spanning over a long period of time, and as soon as someone got on my bike and gave it a spin, they'd get off and say "Oh yes, feels like warped discs" and you tend to believe them, especially when they're bike mechanics.
Now, anyone who's bought discs knows they ain't cheap, so i think it's a term that's used far too loosely, and can result in spending lots of cash for no reason, as i did!!
I bought new, and chanced 2nd hand discs, but my 'juddering' still came back  :'(
And the whole front end of my bike has had more time and attention than you could ever imagine.
Turned out to be a faulty braided brake line in the end, which i simply wouldn't have guessed would've been at fault, but it was the last possible thing to try before mental illness started setting in.
All good now though 

[His Dudeness]

suppose the morale of the story is to test and gather info before throwing parts at a problem. a good mechanic would probably have got a dial gauge out before and checked the disks before getting new ones.

[darrsi]

I tested and gathered, believe me!!
Nobody suspected or even suggested a brake line at all, especially as it wasn't leaking or anything, and was braided!
You live and learn......

[Dave48]

I strip my brake calipers once a year-thorough clean(brake cleaner spray) followed by close inspection of parts & reassembly with red rubber brake grease on pistons in region of seals,copper grease on anti squeal shims and back of pads(sparingly!) Also on slider pins to allow free movement of pads.Check brake linings for embedded grit/damage/thickness. Binding brakes can cause a warped disc as already said. You know when its warped by the pulsing through the lever under braking! :eek