Last night I went to take the bike out and I noticed the sound of the bakes rubbing on the front wheel, also it wasn't rolling as freely. I think it's coming from the left..

When I get home I plan on taking the caliper off and checking out the pads. Apart from that I don't know what else to check, and I'm scared to take apart the caliper because I don't know if I could put it back together. Ugh.. I wish I was good at this stuff.

What else should I do?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nerdish &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Last night I went to take the bike out and I noticed the sound of the bakes rubbing on the front wheel, also it wasn't rolling as freely. I think it's coming from the left..

When I get home I plan on taking the caliper off and checking out the pads. Apart from that I don't know what else to check, and I'm scared to take apart the caliper because I don't know if I could put it back together. Ugh.. I wish I was good at this stuff.

What else should I do?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you talking about brakes rubbing on the rotor, or the caliper rubbing on the wheel?

Pads have a tendency to float a little, and rubbing on the rotors slightly is not uncommon. It should still spin semi-freely though. It's possible one of the pistons is stuck out. You might try pulling the pad off and making sure all the clips are installed correctly, then check to see if any of the pistons are pushed out. If they are, you can push them back in by opening the bleeder and pushing them in with a board and your fingers. Just make sure not to pump the brakes.

Problem is, if the piston is stuck out, it's usually a sign there was something clogging it, which generally means it needs to be taken apart and cleaned, and possibly replace the seals.

 

Brakes on the rotor.

I think I'll understand what you're talking about more (with the clips and the bleeder) when I take off the caliper.

I just looked on ronayers for worst case scenario, a new caliper is $200???

 

Buy aftermarket wave/ferrodo/galfer rotors. Oem are a ripoff for that price.

My f3 and 929 both do it. I dont worry about it.

Steven

 

Hmm.. I noticed a decrease in power/performance when I rode it last time, I think that might be why.

When is it bad enough where I should fix it? And how much 'drag' is okay?

 

You don't need a new caliper. Worst case is you have to rebuild the one you have (which costs like $25 and a little time and brake fluid). if you can lift the front off and spin the wheel by hand and it goes around 2-3 times, it's fine.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cbrman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Buy aftermarket wave/ferrodo/galfer rotors. Oem are a ripoff for that price.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Do you mean calipers?

 

No, he means rotors. Factory rotors are way too expensive. Even more than aftermarket replacements. Also when you spin test your front wheel, see if it spins smoothly in addition to freely. A little drag is normal as previously stated but if the wheel slows in the same spot(s) everytime around it may be a slight warp in the rotor. It is also possible that either the caliper, pad or rotor is not properly aligned and causing excessive brake application. Do the front wheel spin test before you jump to any conclusions. There is no reason why you should have to buy a new caliper. Used parts are plentiful and rebuilding is not difficult. It may still be cost efficient to have a professional rebuild it for you if that is the case.

clif notes: spin test and let us know

 

I was just confused because I looked up the price for a caliper and then cbrman said to buy aftermarket rotors because they're cheaper.

And I didn't figure I'd have to buy a new caliper, I was just wondering what the price would be.

As far as the 'spin test', how should I get the front of the bike in the air without it falling over? I have no stands (yet) so..

 

i can hear the pads dragging on the rotors on mine too but it spins fine even with the sound. there isnt really anything to pull the pad back away from the rotor like on a bicycle so it just gets out of the way when you let go of the brake.