Brake dragging.

[phideux]

I just put new pads front and rear, a breeze on these bikes, no issues doing them, but now the front right is dragging. You can feel it trying to push the bike and if you pull in the clutch while riding it will slow you down and stop like you lightly applied the brakes. After about a 5 mile ride it was pretty warm but not really hot. Will they wear in or should I take it apart again? They worked fine, no dragging with the old pads in, but they were getting pretty thin.

[98valk]

by design disk brakes always lightly drag the pads on the rotor. however should not be pulling. re-check correct wheel installation if u pulled the wheel.
but mainly the caliper might not be retracting. either bad fluid might be able to flush out or a rebuild is in order.

[Bone]

Check the caliper pistons for crud build up. The thicker pads will need to push the piston farther into the caliper.

[Chrisj CMA]

Did you clean the exposed parts of the pistons before pushing them back in?

Also, did you clean, make sure any ridges were smoothed out on the retaining pins?  That can cause the brakes to hang up

[phideux]

One of the pistons is stuck, it was sticking out of the caliper a little bit, I tried to pop it out with the brake lever but it wouldn't budge, I pushed it the rest of the way in to see if that would break it up, but now it is stuck all the way in. I guess it's time to rebuild the caliper.

[RudyF6]

Did you clean the exposed parts of the pistons before pushing them back in?

^^^^^This! The one time I didn't do this (during a tire change), I couldn't even roll my bike out of the garage when I was done. I knew immediately which step I forgot. 

[phideux]

Do the rebuild kits basically contain new O-rings and seals, or do they have new pistons too? What is the preferred source for them??

[bentwrench]

A dremmel with a fine brass wire wheel does great job cleaning the seal grooves.just tread lightly.

[hubcapsc]

Do the rebuild kits basically contain new O-rings and seals, or do they have new pistons too? What is the preferred source for them??

SEAL SET, PISTON   06431-MA3-405

You'll likely be able to reuse the pistons...

-Mike

[Solorider]

If you can't get the brake caliper piston out of housing by applying lever, use this tool from Harbor freight - bearing puller - works great on those small calipers cups    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27YCUMzKcfE

My was flooded and left for 5 years and every one of the caliper cups were stuck ...I bought this tool  tightened it inside the caliper cup and used the tool and it pulled the cups out perfect... You not need new pistons  they are stainless steel and you just use brillo to clean outside surface  and remove the old seals with an ice pick ..be careful not to score the soft aluminum casing

I would rebuild both front ..if I were you

Bought my seals from red eye .com

Good luck ...very simple job

[phideux]

The front brakes are my morning project. I'm gonna try popping them out with the lever first, air compressor second, if that doesn't work I'll head to HF and get one of those bearing pullers. Thanks for the heads up on that. I'll have to ride the Harley up there to HF though, it is beautiful riding weather here.

[phideux]

Finished my brakes yesterday, rode a bit with no problems, gonna saddle up and take a morning ride in a few minutes. Brakes working great.

[Hook#3287]

Finished my brakes yesterday, rode a bit with no problems, gonna saddle up and take a morning ride in a few minutes. Brakes working great.

Well, so, how did you get the pistons out?

[Solorider]

phid  great...where's  here.. being in New Orleans myself the weather is perfect...dry and cooler this weekend ...Got the Valk front end off she's still in pieces ..I'm painting the front forks ,tank and rear fender flat black, then going to paint a skull with wings on tank.... ratting it slightly....get away from all the chrome of my Harley's  guess I'm on the Fatboy this weekend.  Got to give that Baker OD-6 transmission I installed a workout.....

VOODO FEST  coming up should be some great bands playing this year......

Happy trails

[flash2002]

This is my home made tool I made, it works great for pulling stuck pistons.


       

       

       

       

[phideux]

[/quote]Well, so, how did you get the pistons out?


[/quote]

2 of them came out hitting the brake lever, the other 2 popped out with the air compressor.

[phideux]

phid  great...where's  here.. being in New Orleans myself the weather is perfect...dry and cooler this weekend ...Got the Valk front end off she's still in pieces ..I'm painting the front forks ,tank and rear fender flat black, then going to paint a skull with wings on tank.... ratting it slightly....get away from all the chrome of my Harley's  guess I'm on the Fatboy this weekend.  Got to give that Baker OD-6 transmission I installed a workout.....

VOODO FEST  coming up should be some great bands playing this year......

Happy trails

Here is Murrells Inlet SC.

[Blackduck]

Most grease guns will put out way more pressure than air plus the pistons don't fly out.
Just messy to clean up after

[phideux]

Weather was beautiful today, had to go in today to get all our yearly shots/screenings/etc done. Work is about 75 miles each way, all told, with some wandering, I put 198 miles on the Fat Girl, brakes worked fine, she ran great.
The poor Fat Boy is getting more shed time while the Fat Girl goes out.

[falconbrother]

Murrell's Inlet..??  I have been there more times than I can count.  I was stationed at the air base back in the 1980s when HD of MB was still down there.  I have been to the bike rallies many times since the 1980s, SBB, BB, etc..  On the Valkyrie I find it pretty easy to do a day trip to MB, Surfside, MI for some seafood.  My wife likes Dead Dogs.

[phideux]

The good old days, I've been here since the 80s. My Dad was Air Force, retired by then, we used to hit the NCO club once a week for lunch. They had the real bike rallies back then too, I used to play in a band and we were the house band at a biker bar called PJs in North Myrtle, we played during bike week there for about 5yrs. The Pagans and the Angels, the feds set up across the boulevard from Holiday Inn, where the Angels stayed, with the video cameras set up. Tons of vendors and swap meets. Nowadays the hotel parking lots have more trailers than you can count, and the only vendors sell T-shirts, LEDs and cheap leather crap. Used to love watching those A-10s chasing each other, my brother actually worked for Fairchild while they were making the A-10s, great airplanes, not the fastest out there by any means, but God can those things pull off some maneuvers.

Were you still stationed there for Desert Shield??? I had one friend that was stationed there, I think he was one of the ordnance guys that loaded up the planes. He got sent to Iraq and blew out his knee while playing football over there. Got out on a medical and opened up a Biker bar in the plaza just outside of the back gate, just down from Smugglers. If you were stationed there you have to remember Smugglers???