Rear brakes

Energy One

T.Byrd

Well-Known Member
I had Dave at Daves Custom Cycles change my rear break pads a few weeks ago. When he did he gave me a couple of spacers he took out and said that they were lined up better now and they would wear better there. But when I left there when I put on my breaks it sounded like you were closing an old barn door. I called him and he told me that it should stop. A 1000 miles later and its still doing it. I took it back up there and he told me I needed a new rotor that mine was glazed over. I took it home and got the glaze off and its still doing it. Could the spacers being taken out cause this. The pads I had put on was the LRD ZPlus. Plus they wern't doing this before I changed break pads. Any help appreciated:
 

Vegas

Well-Known Member
He probably mis aligned your caliper. It needs to be measured with a dial caliper with the pads out. Then you shim the calipers square and centered.
 
Vegas may be right, check for center of rotor perfectly between the pads when brakes are not compressed. But I'm thinking the sound you "might" be hearing is the new pads sliding on the caliper rods or the return springs when engaging and disengaging the brakes as well. Check it out, a "small" dab of lub may cure it. But "Don't" get any lub on the pads!

And if that doesn't work. Install "LOUDER PIPES"!!:D :D :D
 

kickstart

Well-Known Member
You might want to check the rotor to see if it's warped.

Check with an indicator and get the TIR.
 

BigDogBro1

Made in the USA
Sounds like the brake mechanic needs schooling!

New brake pads are normally the same thickness for both the inner and outer pads. If the (Service Technician?) removed any shims, then you can bet the original factory centerline alignment and paralelism shifted as well. Is the disk rotor a floating rotor? If so make sure it's not locked or stuck off center with new pads.
 

bdmridgeback

Low Down Chop Shop
Sounds like the brake mechanic needs schooling!

New brake pads are normally the same thickness for both the inner and outer pads. If the (Service Technician?) removed any shims, then you can bet the original factory centerline alignment and paralelism shifted as well. Is the disk rotor a floating rotor? If so make sure it's not locked or stuck off center with new pads.
What he said:2thumbs:

Those spacers are there for a reason and most all pads are the same thickness, and for sure from inner to outers.
 

Vegas

Well-Known Member
These guys are correct....once a caliper is centered it should never need messed with. He probably removed the caliper to push back the pistons and the shims fell out and he said whoops. I can't believe he gave them to you.:loony:
 

T.Byrd

Well-Known Member
The caliper looks to centered perfect the rotor is dead center. But when I got to looking at it the spring that rides on the center pen you pull out has the long arm of it going up and its o.k. but the short arm going down is rubing on the rotor, is this wrong and could this cause the noise.
 

Raywood

The Pirate
Staff member
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Troop Supporter
Could the spacers being taken out cause this. The pads I had put on was the LRD ZPlus. Plus they wern't doing this before I changed break pads. Any help appreciated:
T, tell me more about these spacers? I put the Z Pads in mine years ago and never had a problem but I never pulled out any spacers.

Do you mean maybe a shim?
 

T.Byrd

Well-Known Member
Yes Ray they look like shims probably from the two bolts that hold the cal. on there are still one shim on the top one that I can see you can't see in to the bottom one installed. But the rotor looks dead center of the cal. it just looks wrong with the spring touching the rotor on the down side.
 

Raywood

The Pirate
Staff member
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Here is a diagram of your caliper. Note the spring should be no where near the rotor. It would rest on top of each pad. This is to quiet them down (rattle). If yours is touching a rotor then pull the pin and re-arrange it so that each side of the spring strattles the pad.

 

T.Byrd

Well-Known Member
This digram looks to show the spring arm that goes over the pads the same length on mine one is about half as long as the other. The digram is showing 6 spacers but I would think you would use just as many as you need.
 

pig pen

Well-Known Member
I just replaced my rear pads today. I have 2 shims between the caliper and the bracket.(2 at each bolt). The anti-rattel spring should not be touching the rotor.
 

T.Byrd

Well-Known Member
Pulled pen and rattle spring is broke. I've only got one spacer between cal. and bracket in mine now.Can I ride it with out the rattle spring until I can get one.
 
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pig pen

Well-Known Member
Pulled pen and rattle spring is broke. I've only got one space in mine nopw.
That sucks, It most likely had a spot worn on it from rubbing making it weak. Wonder if you really need it in there? Did it damage the rotor?
 

Raywood

The Pirate
Staff member
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Troop Supporter
Pulled pen and rattle spring is broke. I've only got one spacer between cal. and bracket in mine now.Can I ride it with out the rattle spring until I can get one.
Yeah, should not be a problem.
 

T.Byrd

Well-Known Member
I pulled the pads and sanded them and the rotor got all the glaze off both. I also pulled cal. and reinstalled the spacers now have 2. When I pulled the pads they both had some ruff places on the bottom of them like something ate them up a little. When I took for a test run they squelled worse than ever.Got to go to work, guess I'll pull pads back off tommorrow and try to see what ate on the bottom of them. Do you think something could have gotten down in there and ate them up and caused all this noise. The rotor looks fine.
 

Raywood

The Pirate
Staff member
Calendar Participant
Troop Supporter
I pulled the pads and sanded them and the rotor got all the glaze off both. I also pulled cal. and reinstalled the spacers now have 2. When I pulled the pads they both had some ruff places on the bottom of them like something ate them up a little. When I took for a test run they squelled worse than ever.Got to go to work, guess I'll pull pads back off tommorrow and try to see what ate on the bottom of them. Do you think something could have gotten down in there and ate them up and cause all this noise.
When you get home pull the pads again and then pull the lever and see if both puks move in. I've had a stuck puk before that could be the cause of your squealing.

:cheers:
 

T.Byrd

Well-Known Member
Ray I wonder what would cause them to get eat up some on the bottom edge of both pads.Not just on the edge but up to about a .25 in. or so. and about in the middle of the pads on both of them.
 
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