Right/Left specific pads?

[Gyrogearloose]

Howdy all. I'm having a _elluva time getting my new brake pads on the front of my 80' special. I finally got the right side ones on, after trying the left side so.....many times. The pads I got from the Bandits': 2 have RO stamped on one side (on the top tab), and 2 have RI on them. Does that refer to "right outboard" and "right inboard"? If so, shouldn't there be a "LO" and a "LI"? I've read other posts that say these Special pads are right and left specific. I'M not computing this info correctly. I'm stumped, and have finally come to the last option: the Bandits' shipped me two sets for the same side (right side). Can you help me here? I'm stopped in my tracks as I've seemingly tried everything to get the left side on; the geometry of the mating surfaces of pads and disks are completely wrong. Thanks to all that answer.

[bikerphil]

Maybe match the new pads up with the old ones. They are a bit confusing to install. The old pads should have wear marks on the back of them telling you if they were inboard or outboard. If you can't match one of each, then I'd say they sent you 2 of the same side. According to this site, there is a left and a right set for the 80 Special. Scroll down to bottom of page.

https://www.partsnmore.com/cat_index...tegory=chassis

[XSPastor]

Yup...

Dude, I'd say the Bandit shipped you 2 sets of right side pads. There should be a LI and an LO. Bummer.

[Gyrogearloose]

Thanks for your replies, and yes, they did ship me 2 sets of pads for the same side....none for the other side. Huh. ...well, not bad mouthing here, but this is the second part of a five part order that I've had to have "readjustments" with. I'll call their supervisor tomorrow, and see if we can't come to some agreement. (they don't want to take the parts back and make it good with the correct ones because of their "return policy" limiting the time elapsed since I placed the original order.) So....Your replies did help and sent me digging thru the "recycle bin" to match numbers on old vs new. Yup, there should have been a set marked LO, and LI.

[fredintoon]

I bought new front pads for my Special from the local Yamaha dealer.
They didn't have any factory markings on them at all that I could see that said which set was which.
But some helpful fellow had written "left" and "right" on the packages with a ball pen.
I only wish he'd either got it right or not bothered.

[Gyrogearloose]

Well, the Bandit' and I arrived at a conclusion: They will credit me with the cost of one set of pads. They claim they cannot get these left hand pads for an 80' special anymore from Yamaha. So....I'm shopping for left hand specific pads for the front of my 80' special. Anyone know whom still has these? Thanks.

[DGXSER]

Try PArts N More. They list both sides separately. Perhaps I should check the sets I bought from them??

[fredintoon]

Why tapered anyway?

OK, apart from spending a small fortune on a complete front end swap I am stuck with my Special's Weird Harold front calipers and their tapered pads.
I read they are ATE style calipers which I believe are a German design.
That country is notorious for complifexing a simple design. (See everybody else's 5-piece twist grip vs BMW's 125-piece version that's got cams, gears and a chain inside it.)
But why tapered pads? Nobody else does it. The bastards wear quick enough without 50% of them being ground off at the factory.
Anybody have a sensible explanation?

[XSPastor]

Swiveling calipers

OK, apart from spending a small fortune on a complete front end swap I am stuck with my Special's Weird Harold front calipers and their tapered pads.
I read they are ATE style calipers which I believe are a German design.
That country is notorious for complifexing a simple design. (See everybody else's 5-piece twist grip vs BMW's 125-piece version that's got cams, gears and a chain inside it.)
But why tapered pads? Nobody else does it. The bastards wear quick enough without 50% of them being ground off at the factory.
Anybody have a sensible explanation?

Because the calipers swivel. The outside edge covers more distance in the swivel so the pad must be thicker there.

[Rasputin]

cyclebrakes

Gyro, I got mine from http://cyclebrakes.com/. They were fast efficient and no problems at all. I talked to a guy named Ed from there and they confirmed shipping same day. I would say give them a try.

[fredintoon]

Because the calipers swivel. The outside edge covers more distance in the swivel so the pad must be thicker there.

>
Hi Tim,
so the pads are tapered because the calipers swivel. That only takes my puzzlement one short step in a long journey.
So why in the name of several things the list's obscenity censor won't print are the calipers made to swivel?
If it was a better arrangement than floating calipers or floating disks Brembo would do it. So would all the other custom brake builders. So would everybody. But they don't. Seems to me that as the Victorians used to say "Someone is putting on airs to be interesting."

[prometheus578]

I was gonna write the same thing that XSPastor wrote.
Question is: Did they design the caliper for the pads, or design the pads around the calipers?
You know how it is with engineers... they'd lose their jobs if they don't find other ways to do things.
Might have been an innovative design at the time... but was soon faded out.
Sort of like the self-cancelling turn signal. Can't recall too many bikes afterwards having them, either.

[XSPastor]

"Someone is putting on airs to be interesting."

I'd say you got that about right. We're the lucky guinea pigs. They seem to work well enough though...