My front brakes are Sh1t

[CRH]

dont tell him fk all darrsi?....he dont need the money?....cus ...HE drives a ........BMW!!!!! 8) ......you can tell me though boyfriend :b :b :b :b :b :b :b :b :b .......

[ade the blade]

twisted and sick :eek

[Jimmygixxer]

My money is on slightly seized calipers from what you're describing, that can give a spongy feeling!


Changing pads and lines is all good but if the pistons aren't functioning properly then they just don't work right, as i know all too well myself.

I cleaned all the pistons a few weeks ago and none appeared to be seized as such, but i remember there was one piston which didn't come out as easy as the others.
Also when i pull the lever hard when stationary i noticed  that one caliper has some slight pad movement but the other doesn't.

[CRH]

that just may be the one then?...strip it down again and check it over!!...you should easily be able to push them in with you fingers if ok!! ...

[Jimmygixxer]

that just may be the one then?...strip it down again and check it over!!...you should easily be able to push them in with you fingers if OK!! ...

I remember that it was harder to pump out than the others, is the only way to fix it new seals or do i clean around the seal and re grease?
I never thought one piston would cause sponginess and i thought as the seals got older they would actually get smaller with wear and create less drag, but then again what do i know  :lol

[CRH]

firstly you ...MUST..be meticulous with the pistons!!...the groove where the seal fits must be spotless!!! before fitting the new seals! try soaking them first in brake fluid b4 fitting!!...after youve done this then smear red rubber grease around them and carefully replace bk into caliper!!...if free enough they will go in easily?..

[darrsi]

It causes all sorts of problems having sticking pistons, probably even more so if it's just one.


I cleaned my calipers what i thought was reasonably often but had constant trouble.


As my bike is my only transport and i'm on call for work at weekends, i decided i needed a quick fix, and realised that a 2nd hand pair of fully working calipers worked out about the same price as new seals, so i went down that route and it worked a treat.
And i now have a spare set of calipers that i can work on at leisure without having the bike off the road.


The brakes work absolutely fine now, and the slightest grab will stop you in your tracks, and they release properly and the wheel spins very freely.
But i think the issues i had with the other calipers have maybe done something to the discs, possibly hotspots, as i'm still getting a hit/miss when braking, although i'm 99.99% sure they're not warped as such.


I'm putting some new braided Venhill brake lines on at the weekend, just to rule them out, then i s'pose i'll have to get the wallet out again for new discs if that doesn't alter anything?  :\


So, get them sorted, or changed, and save yourself money in the long run!!!

[noggythenog]

How was your break pad wear jimmy?, my breaks sound very similar to yours, i had a quick glance and it appears that one side is more worn than the other,


If they're seized, does that not always mean rust, if so id rather get new pistons,


Surely the rust will keep coming back otherwise,


I wonder how much a recon caliper costs?

[noggythenog]

Sorry i didnt see darssi's post there, question answered again before i even asked it, now thats service!

[Dead Eye]

I had uneven wear on my front brakes but this turned out to be two different sets of pads (1 from each set in each calliper). Previous owner was being cheap me thinks...

If its uneven and pads went in at the same time (and of the same brand / type) then I'd guess at a sticking piston?

[darrsi]

@noggythenog, i knew you were gonna ask so i thought i'd get in first  :lol
Still working on the Euromillions numbers though........  :rolleyes

[noggythenog]

Mind made up,gonna buy 2 front calipers plus a piston and seal kit to go on whatever calipers end up not on the bike, hopefuly hav a working bike plus 2 stonking calipers ready to put on next time they act up.


Thats over £200 in parts so far before i even think about braided lines but worth it i reckon.


I suppose even folks with newer bikes have to cough up just as much for bits n bobs.


Cheers for advice, sorry jimmy g for jacking your post, hope you get it sorted out likes.

[darrsi]

Brakes are a very expensive hobby, but they are there to do the ultimate job so it's all worth it in the end!  :thumbup

[Dave48]

Dont swap pistons from their original bores unless fitting new ones. Also when cleaning calliper assembly make sure grooves for brake & dust seals are spotless as any dirt/corrosion here will affect fitting of new seals & function of pistons. Use red rubber brake grease sparingly around exposed end of pistons. I use YAMAHA seals because they fit properly first time unlike some pattern seals.Light smear of copper grease on BACK of pads and guide pins that hold pads in position. Dont overtighten calliper bolts to fork leg-use correct torque setting. Stripped calliper threads are an EXPENSIVE mistake! :rolleyes

[Jimmygixxer]

How was your break pad wear jimmy?, my breaks sound very similar to yours, i had a quick glance and it appears that one side is more worn than the other,


If they're seized, does that not always mean rust, if so id rather get new pistons,


Surely the rust will keep coming back otherwise,


I wonder how much a recon caliper costs?

I never noticed any difference in pad thickness, i just dumped them without looking much, the old ones did seem very glazed though

[Jimmygixxer]

I tied back the lever last night and tried it today, a small bit of an improvement, maybe I'm expecting to much.
Hard to explain through words i know, but how much sponginess is normal?

[JZS 600]

Just had my brake pads replaced when I had a new front tyre fitted this week. The pads in were EBC and he had Ferodo and SBS in stock.


I said what HH rated pads did he recommend.


He recommended these:


http://www.braketech.com/index.php?optio...&Itemid=91


Don't ever recall fitting organic pads before but I can say right now after a few miles that they don't have the wooden feel of EBC, which is nice! He said as long as I wasn't doing loads of track days, these will be fine. Cheaper too!

[darrsi]

There shouldn't really be any sponginess at all if they're working correctly!

[noggythenog]

Jimmy from what ive heard we should be able to use 1 finger for some serious braking, i use 4,


Hmmmm sounds like some dodgy teenage boast, i best use a better choice of words in future!!!!



Maybe we're both fat foccers!!!!!

[darrsi]

Ha ha ha, thanks for the Friday compliment, but i've been riding for 25 years and i'm 16 stone  :thumbup

:lol :lol :lol

It's only 'cos i recognise your problems because i had them all myself up until recently!!