Author Topic: Front brake pads not wearing evenly  (Read 5096 times)

Offline F14CRAZY

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Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« on: October 06, 2016, 05:51:39 PM »
Is this an issue?

For the past while I've noticed that one of the brake pads on the outside is not fully contacting the rotor (floating rotors BTW). This is indicated by the rust on the inside of the wear/contact area. Bike seems to stop fine and there's a good amount of pad left.

Should I be worried about this? How is this fixed?
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • '87 K75C
'87 K75C w/ Pichler V1 fairing. LED's, CATZ driving lights, Audiovox cruise, LT top case, tons of other mods by Drake...


Offline gazman

  • ^ Motobrick Curious
  • Posts: 105
Re: Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2016, 07:00:04 PM »
Sticky pistons?
  • west australia
  • 93 K1100LT

Offline Martin

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Re: Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2016, 09:20:41 PM »
+1 Sticky pistons you can sometimes free them up by removing the pads and the caliper but leave the hose attached. Then remove the boots and find a piece of wood about 1/2'' thick or thicker you need to just expose the dirty part of the piston. Using one of those cheap "G" clamps made out of flat bar clamp the wood over one piston to stop it coming out. Then carefully apply a bit of pressure to the brake lever to move the remaining piston out but be careful not to pop it out all the way. If you pop the piston right out you are in trouble and might have to replace the seals, so be extremely careful. Clean the exposed part of the piston with brake cleaner and possibly an old scouring pad that is not very abrasive. Once clean push the piston back in and repeat on the other side, keep on eye on the fluid level as you may need to remove some of the fluid. Holding the clean piston in with the block of wood and the clamp do the other side once both sides are done replace the boots and after pushing in both pistons replace the caliper and pads. With the caliper on but with the dust cover removed pump the brakes and observe the movement of the pads they should now be equal. While you are doing this you might as well change the fluid if it needs to be done.
Regards Martin.
  • North Lakes Queensland Australia
  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.

Offline jakgieger

  • itinerant farmer
  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 618
Re: Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2016, 09:46:21 PM »
You're being to "easy" on the brakes :hehehe.  If you want her to not rust, you have to really get on her now and again.  If you do several "hard" stops and it doesn't come clean, then you should have a serious look at the caliper.  I have been finding it therapeutic to listen to this when her and I are interacting :bmwsmile http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,9063.0.html
  • Kansas USA
  • 1989 K100rs se
"What we've got here is failure, to communicate.  Some men, you just cain't reach.  So you get what we had here last week.  Which is the way he wants it...Well, he gets it.  I don't like it any more than you men do."

Offline Chaos

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Re: Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2016, 09:54:02 PM »
Rotors are stainless unless yours were replaced with aftermarket iron ones.  Never noticed any rust on mine even after sitting out over winter one year.
  • sw ohio
1987 K75S    VIN 0231
Original owner, Original litter
200,000 miles (plus or minus) and 5 paint jobs
sold 6/23
2023 Ural 2WD sidecar (BMW's bastard step child)

Offline F14CRAZY

  • ^ Quintessential Motobricker
  • Posts: 1091
Re: Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2016, 06:39:37 AM »
I'll check out the calipers soon.

Rotors are definitely steel. If the bike sits in my carport for couple rainy days I might have to tap the rotors as the pads rust themselves to the rotors...otherwise when coming off the center stand it's like you're holding the brake
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • '87 K75C
'87 K75C w/ Pichler V1 fairing. LED's, CATZ driving lights, Audiovox cruise, LT top case, tons of other mods by Drake...


Offline Chaos

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Re: Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2016, 11:12:00 AM »


Rotors are definitely steel.

Mine never rust  :yes
  • sw ohio
1987 K75S    VIN 0231
Original owner, Original litter
200,000 miles (plus or minus) and 5 paint jobs
sold 6/23
2023 Ural 2WD sidecar (BMW's bastard step child)

Offline Inge K.

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  • Posts: 1451
Re: Front brake pads not wearing evenly
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2016, 11:23:58 AM »
Oak?
  • Norway

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