Brake Discs Issues

[Seaking]

I did my rear brake pads today, again it got down to just about metal on metal wear while out on the last road trip.. The inside pad wears out much sooner than the outer pad and seems to wear even more at the back of the pad.. this is where the metal on metal wear was just about ready to start..

 

I looked at the disc carefully and am not sure if mine is pooched or if this is the way it is supposed to be where as the outer most edge of the disk is thicker than the surface where the pads contact.. In other words, if I were to tighten down a C-Clamp half down the contact surface of the disc, I would not be able to slide if up and off as there is a 'shoulder' at the outer most edge..

 

Is it possible that previous pads might have ground down into the disc thus making it 'unserviceable'?

 

Are new discs expensive? Are there better alternatives? Can the existing ones be dressed or cleaned up?

 

On the same note, if your discs are 'glazed' from the pads, how do you un-glaze them?

 

Cheers!

[Eck]

Normal wear to the rotor surface can cause the small lip. It wont hurt a thing if you just leave it and just install new pads. The Sintered H pads are really tough and they will wear into the rotor causing the lip.

I would just replace the pads and ride on.....

[Eddie Fulmer]

I agree with Eck..

[ArcsSparks]

Rotors 278.00 DO NOT let it go metal on metal!!! you probably blow the pistons and seals 95.00 each and there's 4 I said and still think I had a pad failure Yamaha disagreed and 700.00 later I have a complete new rear brake

[Seaking]

Rotors 278.00 DO NOT let it go metal on metal!!! you probably blow the pistons and seals 95.00 each and there's 4 I said and still think I had a pad failure Yamaha disagreed and 700.00 later I have a complete new rear brake

 

Thanks.. I would have to say there looks to have been metal to metal contact for sure..

 

I'll be looking at taking the caliper apart this winter for a proper cleaning and perhaps getting the disc dressed up as well (taking ridges off)..

 

From what I've been told and have been reading is that the rear brakes on these bikes are notorious for the inside pads to wear long before the outside pad, thus not making it easy to spot the wear early enough to change pads..

 

From now on, I'll be changing them a hell of a lot sooner than I had this time. As others also mentioned, flipping the pads will give you a bit more time. Such an odd system set up for brakes..

 

I took a deep careful look at the front ones and found a lot of pad left.. a lot! However, this winter, off they go for some serious cleaning..

 

Cheers

[FreezyRider]

Thanks.. I would have to say there looks to have been metal to metal contact for sure..

 

I'll be looking at taking the caliper apart this winter for a proper cleaning and perhaps getting the disc dressed up as well (taking ridges off)..

 

From what I've been told and have been reading is that the rear brakes on these bikes are notorious for the inside pads to wear long before the outside pad, thus not making it easy to spot the wear early enough to change pads..

 

From now on, I'll be changing them a hell of a lot sooner than I had this time. As others also mentioned, flipping the pads will give you a bit more time. Such an odd system set up for brakes..

 

I took a deep careful look at the front ones and found a lot of pad left.. a lot! However, this winter, off they go for some serious cleaning..

 

Cheers

 

It is so quick and easy to swap outer and inner pads.....just add this item to your list of things to do at each oil change. Your pads will last a lot longer.

[tsigwing]

Thanks.. I would have to say there looks to have been metal to metal contact for sure..

 

I'll be looking at taking the caliper apart this winter for a proper cleaning and perhaps getting the disc dressed up as well (taking ridges off)..

 

From what I've been told and have been reading is that the rear brakes on these bikes are notorious for the inside pads to wear long before the outside pad, thus not making it easy to spot the wear early enough to change pads..

 

From now on, I'll be changing them a hell of a lot sooner than I had this time. As others also mentioned, flipping the pads will give you a bit more time. Such an odd system set up for brakes..

 

I took a deep careful look at the front ones and found a lot of pad left.. a lot! However, this winter, off they go for some serious cleaning..

 

Cheers

 

Lifted from Delphi

 

http://forums.delphiforums.com/vrider/messages?msg=3060.32

Well it has been awhile since this thread was around and I said I would keep you up to date about the wear of the brake pads with the spacer in place. Today, I went and had new Metzlers put on the bike after 18,000 miles on this set of tires. When I put this past set of tires (replacing OEM Dunlops) on I had to replace the rear brake pads (11,000) miles. It was noted that the inside brake pad was wearing a lot more than the outside pad and at an angle. With the help of the mechanic we placed a spacer in the back bolt to help even out the angle. As you will see the wear is only about 1/2 that of the outside pad and with very little if any angle wear. The following pictures are the outcome:

See post 3060.34 for the pictures, for some reason I did not get them to load here.

Location of spacer (42 thousandths width) Pic 1 and 2

 

Looking at both brake pads when I took them off the rotor after 18,000 miles: Pic 3

 

Closer look at brake pads: Pic 4 and 5

 

OEM inside brake pad after 11,000 miles: Pic 6

[RandyR]

I'll attach the pics 1a and 2a which show the shim location. The other pics are just ones of brake pad wear.

 

I'll note that he says that with the .042inch shims installed that now the outer pad is wearing faster.

 

With the help of the mechanic we placed a spacer in the back bolt to help even out the angle. As you will see the wear is only about 1/2 that of the outside pad and with very little if any angle wear.

 

So, I would surmise from the above quote that a slightly thinner shim should be used to even out the inner & outer pad wear. Maybe a .030 shim instead should be tried?

[LilBeaver]

I wonder if doing this shim would affect braking power - as maybe it would apply brakes more evenly to both sides of the rotor... Some folks complain of the rear wheel locking up rather suddenly, it is a little curious to me as maybe the locking up has to do with the inner one pushing on the rotor and at a certain point the outer one makes contact and the sudden change in brake pad surface area contacting the rotor thereby increasing the drag on the rotor causing the seemingly irratic braking behavior.

Just a thought...

I'm due to check my brakes anyways, so I think I'll pop 'em off and take a look.

[Seaking]

It is so quick and easy to swap outer and inner pads.....just add this item to your list of things to do at each oil change. Your pads will last a lot longer.

 

unfortunately the lip at the outer edge of the disk is significant enough that the pads could not be pulled straight out of the top but requires the removal of the caliper to get them out.. Of course then you have to push back the pistons and bleed the brakes etc etc to accommodate the large sized newer pads..

[Seaking]

I'll attach the pics 1a and 2a which show the shim location. The other pics are just ones of brake pad wear.

 

I'll note that he says that with the .042inch shims installed that now the outer pad is wearing faster.

With the help of the mechanic we placed a spacer in the back bolt to help even out the angle. As you will see the wear is only about 1/2 that of the outside pad and with very little if any angle wear.

 

So, I would surmise from the above quote that a slightly thinner shim should be used to even out the inner & outer pad wear. Maybe a .030 shim instead should be tried?

 

Certainly IS a consideration to try.. every rear pad I've pulled off showed a lot of heavy wear at the back part (where it is the leading edge of the disc to pad contact...)..

 

Anyone else try this?

 

I have steel braided (black) front brake lines coming in and once I have those on, I may try the shim thing.. ya never know.. I installed the DoubleH sintered pads this time on the rear to see if that changes anything..

[RandyR]

unfortunately the lip at the outer edge of the disk is significant enough that the pads could not be pulled straight out of the top but requires the removal of the caliper to get them out.. Of course then you have to push back the pistons and bleed the brakes etc etc to accommodate the large sized newer pads..

 

You should be able to use a c-clamp to push back the old pads a bit. Does not require bleeding the brakes nor removing the rubber diaphram in the reservoir like the book says... unless of course the level of brake fluid is so high that pushing back the pistons will overflow the reservoir.

[Seaking]

You should be able to use a c-clamp to push back the old pads a bit. Does not require bleeding the brakes nor removing the rubber diaphram in the reservoir like the book says... unless of course the level of brake fluid is so high that pushing back the pistons will overflow the reservoir.

 

Hmm when I push back the pistons, I do it by hand and open the bleed port, making sure to close it before release any squeeze on the piston lest air get sucked back into the caliper.. It's a balancing act

 

The reservoir, after I was done, needed more fluid which in the long run is 'refreshing' the fluid already there sorta way as well.

 

test rode the bike this morning and promptly locked up the rear wheel by accident.. oops, wow, that's a lot of braking power there again Nice!!

 

Sadly enough though, after a bit of a ride, and NOT using any rear brake what so ever, I can feel a lot of heat on the disc from the pads rubbing.. sigh.. Hopefully these will last me the rest of the season..

 

if all goes well, my 2006 Midnight Venture will have over 50,000 miles on it.. I've put over 30,000 miles on the bike since getting it last summer. Not bad I should think hehe