Grrr... Rear brake sticking, again!

I know it's been discussed before, but is there an easy answer for a sticky rear brake?

I just had this bloody thing apart less than 4 months ago; I can't have put more than a couple thousand miles on it, but it's already sticking again!

I can't believe everyone is pulling their rear caliper every couple thou to clean it, so what am I missing?

Thanks,
-Kit

[MotT3]

I ended up totally rebuilding mine after it stuck...new pistons, seals, pad pins, pads, hose, bleed nipple the lot....are the pins the caliper slide on corossion free and copper greased up....I found a cotton bud allowed me to poke plenty of the stuff into the pin slider...I'm a heavy user of the rear brake but it's been fine I just clean up the pistons/ pins etc every 6K or on a pad change..

Some models of Triumph have it over slung as opposed to under slung....this has got to be preferable...I wonder if it's possible to do that?

Anyroad hope you get it sorted :wink:

[zippythehog]

The carrier is different for the over-the-swingarm v the under-the-swingarm. I would think that with a quick check of part numbers, it would be an easy procedure.

It also might have something to do with the type of riding you do. Clearly, long distance touring v stop and go city would change the wear.

3M brake cleaner is great stuff. And Kit, since you live in the City, you might find it handy for killing rats too.

Zip

[daveforty]

Strange its the back one binding, I havent (yet) had that trouble on mine. Fronts are a different story, regular cleaning required. Usually use a strip of rag, an old toothbrush and paraffin (kerosene). There is a different grade of brake pad for the rear - harder material, do you have those? Can not remember the part no. but the EBC rear brake pads have the same part no. as the front brake pad but with a /2 suffix.

[MotT3]

I've just picked some Renolit Red rubber grease today..comes highly recommended to lube the seals with in your breaking system...also good for the rubber gromets that hold the body work on too.

Well, I guess it's been 3k since I put this cleaned up caliper on the bike. I had to do it to pass inspection, which was at 36,400, so that means the brake went on at 36,398 or so. The odo is right around 39,400 now, since I put an atypical 700 highway miles on it last week.

MotT3: I'll look for that grease. I guess I'll also keep the old right front brake for spares instead of eBaying it. BTW, my Trident has the overslung caliper.

Zip: I'll look for 3M brake cleaner as well. The Auto Zone stuff I have does not seem effective. As I mentioned above, I have an atypical 25% highway in the mix since I put the brake on, but it may have been binding a bit before that.

Dave: My fronts never needed attention in the nearly 2 years I had them, but this is the 3rd time around on the rear. I put a fresh set of EBC FA215(?)/2 pads on last time. I didn't realize the compound was different, I thought the only difference was that the wheel-side pad is 2mm thicker on the /2s.

Okay, I'm off to see how much I can do w/o disconnecting the hydraulics...

Cheers,
-Kit

Not sure where 39,400 came from, my odo actually reads 38,740, which means it's been 2,340 miles since I put the brakes on. (Slacking! Not even 600 miles a month!)

So, 1640 city, 700 highway since a no-new-parts rebuild.

I saw a piece of gravel fall out while attempting to clean the caliper on the bike, but it doesn't seem sorted as the wheel still doesn't spin in neutral with the bike up on the center stand.

Guess it's time to see if the right front will do as a replacement...

Cheers,
-Kit

[OGSpeed3]

Are you sure its the caliper,,,maybe your m/c isn't letting enough fluid return as to let your pads slack off the rotor??

Thanks, John. The pistons looked pretty skanky before I cleaned them up a bit. I also bled a bit of fluid out of the system as well. It's a bit better now, but still not as it should be.

I'm starting to wonder if the rotor is warped or something, & aybe that's why I keep having problems with it?

Cheers,
-Kit

[OGSpeed3]

Its easy to check for a warped rotor,,,all you need is a straight edge like a metal ruler,,,,I remember reading someone else's post about a sticking rear brake,,,,I haven't had any problems with mine but there should be a check valve within the m/c that lets some of the fluid return so that the pads can slack off the disc,,,thats what i would try looking into, but as I said,,,I haven't had mine apart yet,,,so maybe I am way off here,,I just cant see the caliper giving you problems like that so quickly after you just serviced it