replacing front tire - still having problems

[tab1324]

Hey guys,

I wrote a thread a few weeks ago about my front brakes dragging after replacing the front tire... I did what the response was and no luck. I've been trying to get it aligned without any luck. I don't think it's the caliper since that has been working all summer after a rebuild in March.

Tonight I got it to where I was pretty happy, by adjusting the axle ever-so slightly... Then when I tightened the axle pinch bolt, the problem came back. I loosened the pinch bolt and the brake dragging comes back.... Does this mean something is messed up either with my axle or pinch bolt connection? I'm so frustrated - I just paid a bunch of money for new tires and now I haven't ridden the bike in a month because of this friggin alignment issue.

Plllleeeeaaase, somebody, help.



Tom B.

[tab1324]

correction - pinch bolt

Sorry - when I loosen the pinch bolt up, the brake dragging goes away. When I tighten it, the dragging comes back.

Tom B.

[pathfinder]

Pinch Bolt

Is the bike hard to push or backup? Does it pull slightly while riding? You probably wont be able to feel that without letting go of the handle bars at about 40 mph. Don't get cocky make sure to cover the controls. If it pulls that will tell you which side you are having the problem with. Left side problem will pull to the right. Does it sound like metal to metal?

These directions are for a Standard model with the left bracket dragging, not a Special.

I don't remember how the book say's but this is how I have done it in the past. I leave the pinch bolts loose and screw on the castle nut by hand to where you could install a cotter key then on mine I pry over the left fork ever so slightly to get the 1/8" gap between the speedo pickup then tighten the pinch bolts. That 1/8" is plus or minus just make sure to center the discs in the calipers as much as possible. Make sure to tighten the front pinch bolt to 14.5 FT Lbs then the rear to the same torque on a Standard model. This will give you a 1/16" gap at the rear which it should have. Now go back to the right side an torque the castle nut to 77 FT Lbs and install a cotter key. Actually I think that spec is ludicrous as you will be installing a cotter key anyway. If you over torque you will overcome the strength of the lower forks and bend them together causing the bracket to rub not your caliper.

Your bracket is what I think your problem is. To make sure the bracket is the problem remove them and they should be painted inside not scuffed off.

I just checked your profile and you have an XJ, the above may help but you will have to figure out the differnces I've never even seen one.

[pathfinder]

Forgot to add you may have to shim over the lower fork tube before you torque the castle nut then remove the shim.

[skids]

And if you have a forkbrace, do all of this with it loosened, then adjust the width of the brace at the end of the process.

Originally posted by pathfinder
Forgot to add you may have to shim over the lower fork tube before you torque the castle nut then remove the shim.

[prometheus578]

I'm not familair with the XJ, but I have an experiment that I don't know if you've tried. I can't figure this as being a brake prob, but I'm not there to see what you see. Remove both calipers from the forks and redo the bit with the pinch bolt. If the tire doesn't drag then it was the calipers. If it still drags with the brakes off, I'd look at your axle.

[pathfinder]

Even with that it could still be the bracket, did you pull the bracket to see if they were scuffed?

[pgg]

Talking pinchbolts, I rode 100 miles round corners and bumps with no friggen pinchbolts or caps at all. Got a fright when I noticed. Had just clocked 180 scary KPH's and was damn near locking up the front end trying to stop before a train track. Rattled over the railtracks at 140 KPH and carried on oblivious. Found the bolts and nuts lying on the lawn 20 minutes later where dumbass (me) had forgotten them.

[tab1324]

I think it's fixed...

Well, I thank you all for the advise and after much head scratching, a few prime cuss words and tools flying around the garage, I think the bike is fixed. There is still a very slight drag of the brakes but I don't see how there could physically be none at all. To test it out I rode about 5-6 miles at highway speed and stopped at a parking lot (without using the front brakes at all) and then I checked to see if the rotor was hot. It wasn't, so I'm happy.

The tourque settings on the axle castle nut.... IF I were to shim the axle when I tourque it, then remove the shim, wouldn't the tourque be worthless? I would think that the cotter pin is your safety here, not tourque. Just my 2 cents.

Tom B.

[pathfinder]

Tom

Glad you got it fixed. I think your right about the torque. Actually I've never torqued the front axel in my life. Did you check the caliper bracket? Mine was so bad afer having a shop work on it that the aluminum that was scrubbed off the bracket was melted, stuck, welded to the left caliper. It's just not something you normally check.

[tab1324]

bracket

When you say bracket, are you talking about the piece of the caliper that's rigidly mounted to the fork? Mine seems ok if that's what you're meaning. It just seems to me that the space between the pads is a snug fit onto the rotor. Each are about 1/4".

Tom B.

[pathfinder]

Yeh that's what I mean by bracket. But I must have been half asleep when I said aluminum was stuck to the caliper, I meant rotor but you knew I wasn't that dumb, I hope. And yes it would be a snug fit about 1/4", measure your rotor and see how thick it is, it's about 1/4". The pads on any break system I know of are always touching or you would not have any resistence to give you imediate brake response. Also the hydraulic system can't back off any more as the fluid fills the void as the pad and rotor wear. Does that make any sense or have I confused you even more? I hope not.