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01-01-08, 03:40 PM

Last winter, I noticed my brake pedal started to get a bit 'sticky'. It would take more than the normal amount of pressure to move it, and then I cold feel it was a bit notchy in use. I figured I needed to take off the footpeg and clean and re-grease the shaft on the peg that the pedal rotates on.

Trouble is, I found there wasn't enough clearance betwen the swingarm and the back of the footpeg hanger to get a hex key or ratchet & socket onto the bolt that holds the foot peg on. So I removed the hanger itself (2 bolts into the frame and one on a little bracket coming off the subframe), and then managed to get the thing apart. Cleaned and greased up, it all worked fine again.

Then I had the same problem in the spring, but as it coincided with a service, I got my dealer to do the job at the same time.

Just this week, it's started again! So yesterday, I tried to take it apart, but this time I couldn't get the bolt that holds the footpeg on undone. I guess the dealer has done it up tighter, plus when you get the hanger free it's still attached to the bike with the brake line and brake light wiring, so it's hard to apply any force to the bolt without putting too much stress on the wiring & tubing.

Simple, I thought: I'll remove the brake pump thingy (not sure what it's called!) and disconnect the brake light harness, and then I can clamp the hanger in the vice on my workbench to get the bolt undone. But when I tried to undo the two bolts that hold the brake pump thingy to the hanger, I rounded one of them out (grrrrrrrr, cheap Suzuki fasteners). So in the end, I had to just put everything back together again, and try to squirt as much WD40 into the brake pedal/footpeg area as possible and hope that it frees it up a bit.

So, questions:

Does anyone else have lots of problems with the pedal jamming up?

Is there an easier way to get the footpeg and pedal off without dismantling the whole assembly?

And does anyone know how to undo those horrible little bolts without rounding them out? I always manage to do it, like the ones on the chain guard, and the ones that hold the fairing on. Are my hex keys and socket sets not good enough quality maybe? Or should I just have a supply of stainless fasteners to replace them with whenever I have to remove them (if I CAN remove them, that is)?

01-01-08, 03:40 PM	#1
catdog Guest Posts: n/a	Removing RH footpeg & brake pedal Last winter, I noticed my brake pedal started to get a bit 'sticky'. It would take more than the normal amount of pressure to move it, and then I cold feel it was a bit notchy in use. I figured I needed to take off the footpeg and clean and re-grease the shaft on the peg that the pedal rotates on. Trouble is, I found there wasn't enough clearance betwen the swingarm and the back of the footpeg hanger to get a hex key or ratchet & socket onto the bolt that holds the foot peg on. So I removed the hanger itself (2 bolts into the frame and one on a little bracket coming off the subframe), and then managed to get the thing apart. Cleaned and greased up, it all worked fine again. Then I had the same problem in the spring, but as it coincided with a service, I got my dealer to do the job at the same time. Just this week, it's started again! So yesterday, I tried to take it apart, but this time I couldn't get the bolt that holds the footpeg on undone. I guess the dealer has done it up tighter, plus when you get the hanger free it's still attached to the bike with the brake line and brake light wiring, so it's hard to apply any force to the bolt without putting too much stress on the wiring & tubing. Simple, I thought: I'll remove the brake pump thingy (not sure what it's called!) and disconnect the brake light harness, and then I can clamp the hanger in the vice on my workbench to get the bolt undone. But when I tried to undo the two bolts that hold the brake pump thingy to the hanger, I rounded one of them out (grrrrrrrr, cheap Suzuki fasteners). So in the end, I had to just put everything back together again, and try to squirt as much WD40 into the brake pedal/footpeg area as possible and hope that it frees it up a bit. So, questions: Does anyone else have lots of problems with the pedal jamming up? Is there an easier way to get the footpeg and pedal off without dismantling the whole assembly? And does anyone know how to undo those horrible little bolts without rounding them out? I always manage to do it, like the ones on the chain guard, and the ones that hold the fairing on. Are my hex keys and socket sets not good enough quality maybe? Or should I just have a supply of stainless fasteners to replace them with whenever I have to remove them (if I CAN remove them, that is)?