Motorcycle Racing Forum

Motorcycle Talk => Wrenching => Topic started by: Fat_Nate on March 28, 2005, 02:47:47 AM

Title: Brake drag
Post by: Fat_Nate on March 28, 2005, 02:47:47 AM
Hey all,

Swapped out wheel sets (putting on a new set of tires), and noticed a lot of front brake drag where there used to be done.  How to fix?  Thanks,

Nate
Title: Re: Brake drag
Post by: Bernie on March 28, 2005, 02:54:05 AM
With the front end up on a stand, losen the axle pinch bolts on each side. Wack the bottom of the fork tubes (from the bottom, upwards in the direction of fork travel) with a rubber mallet.  Retorque your pinch bolts and then marvel at how freely your front wheel spins.
Title: Re: Brake drag
Post by: Fat_Nate on March 28, 2005, 05:25:50 AM
Excellent -- thanks.  But wait . . . my front stand lifts from the bottom of the forks.  (Ingenuity ensues.)
Title: Re: Brake drag
Post by: R1abuser on March 28, 2005, 10:33:13 AM
QuoteWith the front end up on a stand, losen the axle pinch bolts on each side. Wack the bottom of the fork tubes (from the bottom, upwards in the direction of fork travel) with a rubber mallet.  Retorque your pinch bolts and then marvel at how freely your front wheel spins.

No kidding ?  I will try that...
Title: Re: Brake drag
Post by: gpstar1 on March 28, 2005, 10:52:55 AM
QuoteExcellent -- thanks.  But wait . . . my front stand lifts from the bottom of the forks.  (Ingenuity ensues.)
Yeah, I have the same kind of stand, sooo hows that gonna work??  :-/
Title: Re: Brake drag
Post by: Scott on March 28, 2005, 10:59:25 AM
I had trouble too, here's what I did:

1.  Install wheel and axle
2.  Install brake calipers and tighten and make sure wheel turns freely before doing anything else (this ensures the disks are centered in the calipers)
3.  Tighten the pinch bolts and spin the wheel again to make sure it's still free.
4.  Tighten the axle nut.

This worked for me.  What I had done previously was to tighten the axle nut and pinch bolts before installing the calipers, since the wheel has some play from side to side on the axle it wasn't centered when I locked it down so that made the brakes drag.

Worked on my F4i, no guarantees on anything else...
Title: Re: Brake drag
Post by: gpstar1 on March 28, 2005, 02:50:08 PM
Sounds like it'll work. I'll give a shot.
Title: Re: Brake drag
Post by: Eric Kelcher on March 28, 2005, 03:14:03 PM
Method I use.

Install wheel and calipers titghten calipers thenremove from stand grab brakes and bounce up and down on the front 3-4 times. then tighten axle and pinch bolts.

Also I have seen more drag from EBC brakes then from other makes. Don't know why(heard EBC backing plates had tendency to warp but never verified this I switched brands befroe I had heard this) but they always seemed to drag with EBC; Ferodo or Vesrah spun freely.