Triumphrat

01-07-2006

my bike has been used daily over the spring summer and autum but only fired up once a week over the winter.... now the back brake seems to be sticking on.
its difficult to push the bike forwards or backwards , ...... any ideas ?

Spacecom · 01-07-2006

First, I would make sure it is the back brake... Center stand the bike and check the rotation freedom... The posts that the caliper floats on could have dried out... But, I would also check your tire pressures... Low tires will make the bike feel like the breaks are on, if you are just pushing it around...

Hope that helps...

Foxee · 01-08-2006

Sounds like it could be binding - I know my rear binds quite easily. Whip the caliper off, give the pistons a good clean and lightly lube with a silicon grease - should be much better. They should also slide back & forth easily - if the rubber boots rot then that'll soon go downhill. Worse case scenario is you'll need new pistons and seals, but if this is the first time it's happened or the bike is low mileage then it shouldn't be necessary.

I have been tempted to try a hugger to see if that shields the caliper from the elements. Does anyone know if something like an NWS hugger will do that?

tcowjww · 01-11-2006

I have an NWS hugger and, whilst it does a smashing job in other areas, it's not designed in a way which would protect the rear caliper particularly.

I had to replace the dust seals on my rear caliper because they were a bit shredded, so I decided to replace the fluid seals simultaneously (all the seals can be purchased separately from the pistons) and it's not too much of a job to replace.

When removing the old seals, remove any oxidisation from the caliper body to ensure the new seals seat properly - make sure you use a material softer than aluminium for your scraper though, otherwise you could damage the caliper.

Something I would be grateful to hear feedback on though is the bleeding of the rear brake caliper. I found that when the caliper is mounted on the bike, the bleed nipple is not at the highest point so it seems to make it impossible to remove all the air from the system when bleeding normally. In the end I removed the caliper from its mountings and bled the system whilst a mate held the caliper with the nipple uppermost and a block of wood between the pistons and the back of the caliper. Is there an easier way to do this (short of parking the bike on a steep hill :wink: )

iansoady · 01-12-2006

Quote:

On 2006-01-11 13:59, tcowjww wrote:
....... Is there an easier way to do this (short of parking the bike on a steep hill :wink: )

You could wait till you fall over with it on the left hand side..... :-D :-D

Tigerfeet · 01-30-2006

tcowjww.
Did you buy aftermarket fluid seals or Triumphs own brand?..
Are they expensive?
TF.

BaldEagle · 01-30-2006

ruttle.
you are not alone mine has the same symptons(03). Sounds like a bit of rubber and a good clean will do the trick.

02-10-2006

I had the same problem just before Xmas, only on the front.
After many suggestions from fellow rats I changed the caliper seals and all was well again.
I found that the there was oxidization under the first seal which was pushing it out of its seat enough to tighten up against the piston.
The seals were £20 a pop from JL.
I ended up changing the lot. making sure all parts were clean and crud free.
Use grease which is DOT fluid approved to refit the pistons as mineral grease affects the seals.
Bleeding the rear brake, I fitted the brake pads but left the caliper hanging so that the bleed nipple was facing up and it seemed to bleed OK then.