brake caliper removal?? doh!! sf 79 special help !!

[gaffer77]

Might be a stupid question ,dont want to do any damage!!

right my caliper just swings round and round, loose on the fork

how do you get them off?? dont want to tap it, or the bolt until i

know whats what

also when i take the wheel out, the pads fall out as the pad fitting

springs are worn ,i bend them a bit each time and stuff clothes

pegs between the pads to hold em in, (missus dont like it!!)

while i put the wheel back in!!

can you get these clips anywhere?? also 2 small springs just

floating on the round bar, anyone know what they are for??

might be broke or something look totally useless for anything

the way they are,

i know this is dumb arse question ,but its doin my head in sorry,

if i can get the caliper off it'd make wheel change easier !!

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Gaffer,

The Specials front calipers are held in place with a single bolt/nut combo, but you'll need to put a wrench on both ends to get it undone. With it spinning, the bolt is just loosened enough to allow it to spin.

I thought I saw those springs on a parts site, either BIkebandit, Mike's XS, or Partsnmore, but can't remember which, will research.
T.C.

[gaffer77]

Thanx tc mine has a nut on top but the bolt has a fragile looking

flat mushroom underneath ,not an allen head or hex ,really looks

easy to damage?? maybe it has the wrong bolt in it ,so i can smack

it out and put a whole new one in there??

do you know what the tiny circular spring does?? mine just float

on the pin doin sod all??

also thinking the bolt may be well oxidised in the fork so may need allot of work to come out!!

[Hobbit]

Brakes

Hey Gaffer,
The bolt is about 7 inches long and goes all the way through the caliper and may be covered by a plastic plug.
The little spring on the pin holds the pin in the caliper. After you slide the pin through the caliper, put the spring on the pin, then slide the pin through the pads and into the other side of the caliper.

[TopCatGr58]

Gaffer,

I don't know about any spring? The caliper is only held by a long bolt that comes up from underneath, there is a large washer and rubber O-ring before the frame mount, then the lock washer and nut on top. So... from what I can figure from your description, you say the springs are on the pin that holds the pads in place, think the P.O. may have put them there to help keep the pads apart during mounting, or to try to keep the pads from dragging once the brakes are release?? There normally aren't any on there!
T.C.

[gaffer77]

mmmm maybe that flat thing is a plug on the bottom then!! doh!!
no wonder it looked fragile ,i only had a passing glance at it and thought mmm ill leave that alone then!!

the spring is on the pin maybe there is a groove in the pin and it stops it sliding all the way thru then

i still took a nyloc nut off the caliper bolt, without holding the other end of it ,so it must be seized in the fork (the bolt)

i will look at that plate underneath the caliper and see if it is a plug (it figures now!!)

thanx people

[gaffer77]

just so you can take the piss !!it is 2am over here in england
pitch black ,got some pliers went to put them on that flat thing and couldnt do it!! grabbed it with my finger tip and with the most minimal effort the plastic cap i was holding came off revealing a ?????????????? BOLT HEAD!!!!DOH!!!

well there you go !! it looked like wafer thin metal to me the other day!!and i thought thats a bit dodgy for holding the brake
calipers!!! doh,doh,doh,doh!!!

oh well i can get the calipers off now so its worth the piss take!!

thanx again

shhhhh dont tell anyone!!!

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Gaffer,

Just checked those 3 sources, BikeBandit says that individual part is NO LONGER AVAILABLE, but it comes in the brake shoe kits , but only for Standard front or rear sets, so to get new springs you would need to buy 2 kits, and then you'll have a spare set of pads for the rear!!! Only $14.00 a set on Partsnmore or Mike's XS!
T.C.
P.S. That pin for the pads was severely rusted on my 81, so I just found a long chromed bolt and crown nut for a replacement, been on there for 4 years, no problems!

[gaffer77]

thanx tc i like spares anyway bought caliper kits just for the bleed nipple covers!!

read thread above your reply if you missed it you will larf!!

[Hobbit]

spring

T.C.
The spring that we're talking about looks like a the small spring lips that are sometimes used on fuel lines. It fits into the groove on the cross pin that holds the rear of the pads in place.

[gaffer77]

yep thats it exactly!!!

[gaffer77]

Tc i just ordered a bunch of stuff from partsnmore its being delivered tommorow had to pay a refundable shipping surcharge approx $50.00 used em before no probs,this time im told i got to pay $38.00 import duty on $60.00 worth of parts!! i am gutted i worked it out at $6.00 max import duty as after $38.00 we are charged and i thought it was at 20% rate

bit dubiouse till i find out tommorow ,my wife might have got the message wrong!! she didnt even know i ordered anything
right pickle!!

so would like those pads just bit concerned on buying anything else yet!!

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Walt,

Guess it's that 2 countries separated by a common language thing! When he said spring..... I was thinking coiled spring. Chalk it up to Gaffer being sleep depraved, describiing it as a spring instead of a "C" ring clamp type spring like the carb fuel line clamps!!

Gaffer, I thought you had a connection here in the States that could ship parts to you if needed? Sorry to hear about the import taxes....aren't governments wonderful ?
T.C.

[gaffer77]

sorry TC i meant as a spring clip in my mind didnt put it in the txt

you are probably one of the wisest of them all sorry for confusion

yer i got a couple of people but i only go to those depths as a last resort ,feel guilty keep loading people up with my junk to send on, half the time it needs repacked as well and how do you return a favor like that??i know some people are just nice and helping is enough but like i say ,unless its totally necessary i dont like to do it.

come on TC get a set of brake pistons!!you are going to need them and will be gutted if you miss the chance

no dont let me push you into it!!!

[gaffer77]

TC the duties from partsnmore were $12.00 vat (expected)
but the carriers had to pay it first so charged me $40.00 extra for paper work and stuff including my $12.00 ,you live and learn

better to pay someone to buy em and send em especially as you lot get free shipping on your orders!!

oh well got me bits thats the main thing!!!