really stiff rear brake

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Dirtytoes · #1 Unread post by **Dirtytoes** » Mon May 21, 2007 8:30 am

okay, so i was changing my rear tire for the FIRST time..

put it on the stand
took off caliper
took off axle
loosened chain
removed wheel

everything back on now except that my back brake will not work....i have to put SOOOO much pressure on it to work...its really stiff.....and i didn't take off the line so no air got in

but

in order to remove the caliper...i took off the 2 big bolts on each side....and according to the manual(that i just read...after this happened)...u only need to remove 1 of the bolts to remove the caliper.

soooo

wat do i do? ...i pretty much have no back brake now

p.s. my brake light still works but only when i apply front brakes...rear doesn't bring the brake light on.

#2 Unread post by **Sev** » Mon May 21, 2007 10:21 am

Pics please!

When you put the caliper back on did you correctly space the brake pads around the brake disc?

Dirtytoes · Mon May 21, 2007 12:17 pm

Sev wrote:Pics please!

When you put the caliper back on did you correctly space the brake pads around the brake disc?

yes i did.

before i put the caliper on...i pushed in the piston back in...put on the caliper....then applied the brake a few times to get to ley against the rotor.

(same thing i did when i changed my pads...except that last time i didn't have this problem)

#4 Unread post by **Sev** » Mon May 21, 2007 1:02 pm

If you pushed the piston it, it's possible that it went in cocked, and has effectively locked itself in place.

I'd take the caliper back off and inspect it up and down. You might need to bleed it out and remove the piston to free it up.

I can't help but notice that most of the time you do your own maintenance something ends up wrong. Maybe you should be going to a shop?

Shorts · #5 Unread post by **Shorts** » Mon May 21, 2007 1:30 pm

Unfortunately, I think I'd open the lines to get the piston released and checked, then go from there.

Next time to remove your caliper, slip a thin piece of wood in between the pads so they don't close on you.

Dirtytoes · #6 Unread post by **Dirtytoes** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:34 pm

Sev wrote: I can't help but notice that most of the time you do your own maintenance something ends up wrong. Maybe you should be going to a shop?

LOL

did u also notice that i always end up solving the problem?

Dirtytoes · #7 Unread post by **Dirtytoes** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:37 pm

Shorts wrote:Unfortunately, I think I'd open the lines to get the piston released and checked, then go from there.

Next time to remove your caliper, slip a thin piece of wood in between the pads so they don't close on you.

thx but i think that u have the wrong idea...the pads havn't closed on each other.
and the piston isn't locked.....

now here is the thing...i took the bike for a spin today...maybe 5 miles...i rarely used the back brake....when i got back...the rear rotor was HOT...so i'm thinking maybe the pads r somehow already against the rotor...and that would mean that i would need new pads every week.

Shorts · #8 Unread post by **Shorts** » Mon May 21, 2007 5:51 pm

Dirtytoes wrote:[
thx but i think that u have the wrong idea...the pads havn't closed on each other.
and the piston isn't locked.....

No, I understand just fine. You didn't jump on the train. As Sev mentioned, you may have a jammed piston. NEXT TIME, use the wood on the pads to hold the pads open to the proper width so you don't have to press each piston just to get the damn caliper back on. You pressing on the pistons may have got the thing all wonky in the first place.

Now, bleed the damn thing and check the pistons to see if they're moving freely. You cannot easily do that if the system is pressurized.

Dirtytoes · Mon May 21, 2007 10:08 pm

i see. ill keep that in mind for nexT time.

i took it off and put it back on over 10 times tonight...i even compared all the caliper parts to my buddies r6 caliper(same) and everything was there.

i cleaned the outer(pad) part of the piston...

still the exact same

p.s. the reason the brake light isn't working is because it is SOO stiff that the brake lever won't go low enough for the light to come one.

Tue May 22, 2007 12:53 am

Dirtytoes wrote:i see. ill keep that in mind for nexT time.

i took it off and put it back on over 10 times tonight...i even compared all the caliper parts to my buddies r6 caliper(same) and everything was there.

i cleaned the outer(pad) part of the piston...

still the exact same

p.s. the reason the brake light isn't working is because it is SOO stiff that the brake lever won't go low enough for the light to come one.

I don't think you understand what they are telling you. When you pushed the piston back in you may have jammed it, the only way to fix that is to drain the brake fluid, fix the piston and then add more brake fluid and bleed the line of air. This isn't a next time advise, it's fix it this time advice.

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really stiff rear brake

really stiff rear brake

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