Brake Calipers And Pads Fitment

[gaffer77]

hi there i have read different boks ,seen different adverts on ebay,can anybodytell me what the hell is going on!!!!! i have an sf 79 special it seems there are 2-3 different size pads on one bike is this right!!!!! one place on ebay says pads for rear on left side only what the hell does that mean i have a shaft drive on the left side and presume all bikes are the same!!!!!!!!!!! the pads are cheap on ebay and want to know what will fit,but then how do i know if i have the right calipers as its an old bike someone may have put others on from a different year can anyone help or advise my pads are on the limit so need changing asap thanx see you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

[nashville_bill]

The specials have three different sets of brake pads. The left front, right front and rear all require their own special pads. Look at www.partsnmoreonline.com for brake pads. I think they were $12 per set when I bought mine. That's $36 for all three, including shipping.

[Ken Talbot]

Here's a couple of photos of the left side pads for Special. Note the way the pads are tapered, and the spacing of the little nubs on the back of the pads. The nubs are closer for the pad that sits against the piston:





As Nashville Bill points out, the pads for the left side and the pads for the right side are not interchangeable. At the same time, the piston side pad in a particular caliper does not interchange with the pad on the other side of the same caliper.

Much simpler are the pads for the rear of your Special. Both of the pads are the same, and in fact they are interchangeable with any of the six pads on on a Standard. (i.e. front or rear, left or right, either location in caliper):

[dbyers]

Same Pad Problem

I found that out the hard way. I ordered pads from JCW and all three sets were the same. They looked like they would only fit the rear but no where close to fitting the front. Now I have to ship them back. I have seen the correct pads other places on the net but partsnmore has the best prices.

[Jerry]

EBC pads for XS/XJ

According to the EBC catalog:

Model/Year Front Back
XJ '82 Front FA70 Rear FA41
E/F/G/H '78 - '81 Front FA34 Rear FA34
SG/SH '80 - '81
Left Front FA61 Rear FA34
Right Front FA41
LG (MNS) '80
Left Front FA61 Rear FA34
Right Front FA41
LH (MNS) '81 Front FA70 Rear FA41

There is no listing for an SF. MNS = Midnight Special.

[gaffer77]

thanx guys i know im dull just dont get what this left side is, my caliper on the rear is on the right side, what does left side only mean??is it left front or something???? any way prob go with the link for $36.00 safest way i think i havnt taken mine apart yet to get full understanding,can see the taper and the spacing in pics just such a night mare for pads i thort all models would have same front pads and maybe different ones for rear simple,understand the angles etc of calipers causing taper etc but this is the pitts!!!!!!!!something so stupid could lay my bike up for ages,as i live in england so prob hard to get pads without being import sf with heinz 57 variety!!!!!! thanx tho i will sort it

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Gaffer and others,

Just another FYI, I was reading the info in the brakes section, and the REAR pads are different from the front on a Standard as to the actual composition of the pad material, and per the manual, should not be mixed, or braking ability may be very compromised!!

Gaffer, the Left is for the Front, as you noted, there is NO left rear brake! The Specials have that funky slanted brake pad design, and the slant is different for the left and right, hence the different sets, and the rears are all flat!!! HTH.
T.C.

[gaffer77]

cheers top cat ,i saw that thing about composites somewhere before which just added to the confusion,you know what some parts shops /stores are like its bad enough getting the right part even when its straight forward !!!!!!!

i was told by one person on ebay canadian models had a left caliper fitment on the rear WHICH I WAS 99% CERTAIN THERE WOULDNT BE !!!!!!!! and everyone was banging on about the left side and i was left scratchin my head baffled and confused!!!


anyway looked at partsnmore,voi la straight forward no probs
what a great shop you got there,i was like rubbing my eyes ,just in case i didnt see the layout of the site properly,it is awesome,got the best site the best bits the best prices,hey i pay more for bits from a car boot sale autojumble etc some things are 3 times cheaper than than the cheapest price ive found for bits at other shops!!!!! (dont tell em tho ehh!!!!!)

thanx again to all those in the know and for youre time and pics etc youre all great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[uk1.1s]

Brake Pads in the UK

Gaffer,

Never had probs getting pads for an XS11 in the UK. Almost all bike shops worth their salt (apart from maybe the plastic fanstastic dealers) will have an EBC (or similar) catalogue, and all makes feature in there I think.

I know your Special is an import but that shouldn't pose too many probs. I don't think "Specials" had caliper differences that were limited to that model.... it may be an age thing rather than a model thing...perhaps someone on the site knows the differences and can advise. In any case you will maybe find that the catologue lists XS11 Specials too.

I'd try to obtain in the UK first as I've come to grief buying from North America.... prices are good on paper but then......UK side of the courier service charge you import duty (legally they have to), and in my case some £10 extra "administration charge". Made buying my fuel tap seal kits rather pricey in the end.

[gaffer77]

import duty above £18.00 worth of goods i think i got loads of catalogues nothing listed and like i said i havnt got a clue after loads of reading so hows some shop going to know,if you read threads the sf at least has different materials and different shapes and sizes front and back ,and air mail is a killer but surface mail 4-6 weeks is reasonable considering you got to pay post over here anyway from non local stores!!!!!its a price im willing to pay anyway as mst things are very reasonable out there and you got to expect these things on an import

how much was the petrol tap kit if you dont mind me asking that is ..... anyway i will try a few shops but over there $37.00 dollars for the set of three pads whats that £22 thats good i rekon anyway so will see what happpens

[gaffer77]

i saw set of 2 petrol tap kits on ebay for buy now $54.00 about £33 that would be around £40 with post i rekon and if you sent it in 2 packages then import duty wouldnt come into it!!!!!!!!!!!!!


tried to get pads like i thought 3 places tried flogging me xs1100 e
and they wanted £45.00 nearly $75.00 so like i said $37.00 i like allott and surface mail three different packs spot on post i rekon around £10 is $17 so

[gaffer77]

i found some pads IN STOCK !!!! at www.fowlers.co.uk these were made by honda (sounded like or something he said????? )and came out at £53.00 +£8.00 delivery this was bristol shop $100.00 dollars for pads no way man i pay import duty rather than that anyone out there know the inns and outs of customs or cheap pad source????? but then im more than happy with importing them anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[buickyouth]

I understand the compunds may be different from front to rear on the pads. But partsnmore states that the pads they sell for standard fronts are good on special rears as well.

Should I steer clear from buying them?
Or do they do the job well enough to keep me out of the trunk?

[fredintoon]

Still in business?

Gaffer77 sez:-
"i found some pads IN STOCK !!!! at www.fowlers.co.uk - - - -"
>
>
Gawdelpus, Fowlers of Bristol are still in business? I bought a used Garrard Grand Prix sidecar from them at their Stokes Croft location back in '59. No worse a bunch of rogues than any other dealership. They installed the chair onto my B33 for me and Knocker O'Keefe rode pillion on my trial lap around the block. Only now do I realise how brave an act that was.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[gaffer77]

lol fowlers is very hi tec now awesome awesome shop for spares and all sorts great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!