Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Front brake "How To"

I have ordered a copy of the Haynes manual for my TBA but it hasn't arrived yet in the mail. Just had my rear brakes serviced (8,000+ miles) and noticed today that my front brake is just starting to make a little sound. I figure I'd like to do this one myself. Anyone out there have some pointers on this?

You can see the thickness of the pads just looking at them w/o removing anything. Check your disc(s) to see if they've been grooved or not. If not you are lucky or maybe the sound you heard isn't the pads going. Usually by the time you hear them scraping the disc will be grooved already. they're simple to change.

Pointers...
Take the plug out that covers the threaded pin that the pads slide on. Throw the plug away. Loosen the pin with the caliper still attached to the bike, then remove the 2 bolts that hold the caliper and carrier to the front fork leg.

Do the brakes just like automotive brakes, then reinstall everything. Find something more user-friendly to stick in the hole where that plug was to keep dirt out of there.

Don't know if you've ever done brakes before...don't disconnect brake line. Don't squeeze lever with caliper off. I use the old pad in place with a C-clamp to press pistons back into position. Make sure they both go back in evenly. If you push one piston in only, other one will pop out. If you've ever topped off fluid, fluid will spill out of reservoir as you press pistons back in. I loosen bleeder screw as pistons go back in, but you have to be very very careful not to allow any air to get in.

Clean everything too. The noise might go away.

Done my car and van brakes before but not my bike. Planning to do the job after the storm blows through! Thanks for the pointers!

I should probably elaborate on the plug I mentioned. I've had my front brakes off about 7-8 times since I've had the bike. 3 sets of pads, and the other times to clean out various crap that finds its way in there. That little plug has given me a fit the last few times, even though I've anti-siezed it to death and just snugged it when putting it back in. (I think the book calls for 3nm...). Anyway, I just had to drill a hole in the thing and remove it with an easy-out - I found a rubber plug in my vast junk collection that fit in there perfectly, so I used that in it's place.

Your results may vary.......