New brake pads = Sticky front wheel?


CAL

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Jul 19, 2000
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I've installed many sets of brake pads in my life, but I've never had this happen.  I installed new EBC brake pads front and rear on my 426.  My front pads have so much drag on the front wheel, it has basically ZERO free wheel.  If you spin it hard by hand it will make about two revolutions before abrubtly stopping.  It is enough drag that I can feel it while riding.  Has anyone had this happen?  Is there anything I can do?  I've thought about contacting EBC, but not sure if they'll do anything.  They are sintered metal pads, by the way.

 :think:
 

David Trustrum

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Jan 25, 2001
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Excuse the all over the place cut & paste answer but I save old ones;

Check the vent hole in the master cyl cap is clean.

Sometimes the calliper pistons get a bit seized up & don’t want to move or return fully. Take the pads out (sorry) & Pump them out a little, clean them (& use a thin rag) & push them back.

You can carefully use a cheap wood sash or G clamp for this, but don’t go crazy. Sometimes the fluid picks up dust that becomes sludge & this falls to the bottom of the system. . . which is just behind the pistons. Often on an old bike I will remove them by pumping them out evenly & this gives you a good chance to clean the pistons properly & any gunk in the calliper + inspect the seals. Obviously on a 426 not so likely.

what is happening is the pads aren’t retreating (nothing new there), occasionally aftermarket levers vary in quality & might not allow the return hole in the master cylinder to vent fluid back after is has pushed. The fluid gets hotter & expands forcing the brake on more. Check there is freeplay at the lever to piston. Test remove lever & recheck.

Right, clean out your master cylinder lid & check all the vents are clean from grunge. See the vents? Check the rubber is ok.

Just a point when disc rotors warps the metal gets too hot & expands, either they get a buckle in them or the outside gets bigger than the inside they can ‘cone’ - the outside moves to the left or right. This will flex somewhat. Check the rotor is flat with a straight edge to be sure.
 

CAL

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Jul 19, 2000
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Thanks, but I'm 99.9% sure my problem is completely related to the pads.  Everything was fine until the new pads were installed.  It would be a very strange coincidence if the piston just happened to get dirty enought to stick, during the two minutes I had the caliper off the bike. :think:   My situation was:  originally, a perfect working front end (just needed brake pads), then, ubolt caliper, install new pads, bolt on caliper...end up with sticky wheel.  I'm thinking more along the lines of the pads being too thick.  I may go ahead and clean them just to see what it does, though.

 
 
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B

biglou

My guess is too much fluid in the MC res. Take a few cc's out and see if that does anything. If the pads are much thicker, you may have pushed more fluid back up into the res than it can handle. Riding it like this will cause the pads to expand a bit and possibly lock the front wheel. Not good!
 

Jaybird

Apprentice Goon
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Mar 16, 2001
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Charlestown, IN
I'm thinking the same thing as these guys, Corey. I would completely drain the sytem, refill and bleed, see if that doesn't change things.
 

CAL

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Jul 19, 2000
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Ah, I see.  The thicker pads pressing the pistons farther in displacing the fluid, causing higher pressure.  I can see how that could happen.

Thanks guys.

 
 
B

biglou

On a related note-You remember Greg? Mr. "Riding Chadwick with the burned up clutch and getting stranded in the woods"? Well, he had the same thing happen to him at the Topeka harescramble last October. He said he would ride a while, then the front wheel would lock up. After a few minutes, it would roll again, so off he goes. About a mile or so down the trail, locked again. Repeat cycle... Lucky for him it was a monsoon and he wasn't haulin' ass through the trees. He had asked me what could be causing that. I asked what he had done recently, and his answer was, "Nothin'. Just changed the front brake pads." ;)
 

Rcannon

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Nov 17, 2001
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The now dirty pistons are being asked to return further in the caliper. I also think the aftermarket folks might not be as concerned about the proper pad thickness than the oem pads.

I found brake cleaner to do a great job on the caliper. It seamed odd to me. I have been buying the cleaner for years...never used it on brakes!
 

CAL

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Jul 19, 2000
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Originally posted by BigLou
On a related note-You remember Greg? Mr. "Riding Chadwick with the burned up clutch and getting stranded in the woods"? Well, he had the same thing happen to him at the Topeka harescramble last October. He said he would ride a while, then the front wheel would lock up. After a few minutes, it would roll again, so off he goes. About a mile or so down the trail, locked again. Repeat cycle... Lucky for him it was a monsoon and he wasn't haulin' ass through the trees. He had asked me what could be causing that. I asked what he had done recently, and his answer was, "Nothin'. Just changed the front brake pads." ;)

Yeah, I remember that.  That tranny oil was blacker than night.  I think it had two complete clutch plates disolved in it!:scream:

The diff. in his situation and mine is that mine never frees up.  It drags the entire time, but doesn't lock up.  I need to change the fluid anyway...

 
 

atc3434`

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Nov 1, 2001
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Yeah, I would think if the pads are a little thicker than normal, you might have to much fluid in the resivor. When ever I do brakes on my car, I have to pop the cap on my master cylinder, and then slowly (It will squirt if you go quick) compress the piston back in with a C clamp and the old pad still on. (To avoid actually damaging the piston) A little fluid will usually need to come out between the two calipers on the front. Obviously, you may need to top off when those pads are pretty far gone, and you want to get the last out of them without having to stomp to the floor. (Or squeeze to the bars in the this case) I would check that out, the master resivor that is.
 

David Trustrum

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Jan 25, 2001
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Yeah my points were that with the older worn pads the pistons are further out & get scunge on them, possibly corrosion.

Then you put new pads in & you push the cruddy part of the pistons back into the calliper, meaning they may stick.

Also if the disc has ‘coned’ (outside to inside) it will appear thicker & you may run out of clearance with the thicker pads.

Checking the breather in the cylinder (& obviously the level) is probably most pertinent.
 

CAL

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Jul 19, 2000
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Fixed it!  I removed some fluid, but that didn't help.  I then shot some brake parts cleaner to the pistons and presto!  Back to normal.

Thanks guys! :thumb:

 
 

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