Caliper seize!

[Moojuicepez]

Rolled out my drive this morning. all seemed fine. coming to a traffic light i throttle off.

start pressing both frint and rear breaks.

Nothing happens. i just keep on rolling.

hafing to release the clutch and let it stall to stop before i run into the lanes of traffic ahead.

manages to get my front breaks to work but the back ones just never sorted themselves out.

this is my work horse and i do alot of hacking of traffic and need that rear break.

if anyone could help that would be great.

Cheers
Perry

[maviczap]

Sounds like your calipers need a god service, tooth brush, bake cleaner to clean up the pistons, and then some red rubber grease on the pistons will sort them out

[Moojuicepez]

i need new pads too. can anyone recommend a set? any red rubber grease do?

[yorkie_chris]

Did the levers just drop through or what? Or did they feel OK but no braking effect.

[maviczap]

i need new pads too. can anyone recommend a set? any red rubber grease do?

Wemto for both, would save you looking around

[yorkie_chris]

Whatever pads you use I suggest you have a serious word with yourself before even considering riding a bike again if you let the brakes get to that state.

[Moojuicepez]

i dont even know what to say back to you yorkie. im sure im not the only one thats had trouble like this?
just happens that some poepl know when to service thir calipers. like yourself i would suppose.

They felp like they where breaking but no effect.

Thanks for the help Mavic

[yorkie_chris]

Don't say anything back to me just don't let them get in that state again, as maybe next time you won't be so lucky as to have them fail at low speed. Imagine the trouble it would cause if they failed as you're leaving the motorway at 90mph heading towards the traffic lights at the bottom of the slip road!


So there is pressure at the lever? Have the pads actually worn through down to the metal?

First thing I'd do is touch the discs, are they contaminated with oil or something? Then check the pads, are they worn down to the metal?
Then report back. Even with oil contamination you still get some braking effort just very little, however it should be enough to slow you from the low speed you describe.

[2hys]

my rear calliper sezied due to poor/lack of maintance http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=146871 ended up buying a hole new rear calliper and carrier off fleabay as one of the mild steel bolts is welded to the alloy carrier. the lesson ive learnt this year is regular cleaning/greassing, more so through winter....

[Moojuicepez]

I have about 6mm of pad left from what i can see and the disks feel normal. i had washed the whole bike down yesturday. could this have contributed.

only pads i can find are the HH ones on ebay?

[Stu]

Sounds very strange to me. My calipers always bind onto the brakes when they need servicing rather than give no braking.

[Stu]

I have about 6mm of pad left
Pads sound like new then

[yorkie_chris]

Have you ACF50'd it or something?
The brakes being covered in soap could cause this but I'd be surprised.

If you've got 6mm of pad left then they probably don't need replacing.

Hit the discs with some brake cleaner and see if that gets some bite back in them

[Moojuicepez]

any old brake cleaner? muck off do one i think.

[yorkie_chris]

Brake cleaner is just a high flashpoint solvent, they're all pretty similar.

Don't spray the caliper directly, I don't trust it on seals myself. If you want to clean the pads remove them first.

[maviczap]

any old brake cleaner? muck off do one i think.

Go to Halfrauds, they'll do brake cleaner

[punyXpress]

How cold was it this am?
Were your discs wet last night?
Was it the first time you used them ( tried to ) today?

[Moojuicepez]

may have been wet after the clean and was about -6 over here and yes it was first time

[punyXpress]

You've got all the ingredients for iced discs there, Mjp
Oh, and how's yer trousers?
That wasn't nice & just hope it doesn't happen again.

[yorkie_chris]

If it was simply ice on the discs I retract that particular statement of you being a nugget :-P

[speedplay]

If it was simply ice on the discs I retract my statement of you being a nugget :-P


YC, You obviously havn'y had the pleasure of meeting this nugget.

You don't need to retract the statement, You have just got it in early ;)

[yorkie_chris]

Edited :P