Rear brake fade
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 33
Likes: 16
From: Spotsylvania, VA
Rear brake fade
I have a 2014 Wide Glide with ABS and roughly 3,500 miles on it. The rear brake will not engage properly as in I press down hard and get a faded response with great effort put on the brake peddle. The break rotor itself has changed to an amber color as in it appears to be overheating. The fluid in the caliper is fine, but still takes more pedal to reach the friction point where the pads clamp down on the rotor. Not spongy at all, just "late" on the take up. I cannot engage the rear ABS at this time. I read somewhere that the brakes on the wide glide with ABS can be tricky to work on? I was going to order a new set of brake pads and flush the brake fluid. Can anyone shed some light on this? Thank you, Eric
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,623
Likes: 698
From: nowhere
Sorry to say but, welcome to the club! My13 wg back brakes are terrible. Of course Harley said they all do that. I then got a lecture from a snot nosed, 25yr old "service manager" about how the back brake provides only 25% of total braking. After explaining to him that I was rebuilding juice brakes on panheads 35 years before he was born, he agreed to have his 22yr old "master tech" look at it. Even though I can, at 30mph, literally stand on the rear pedal and not lock the wheel, they found nothing wrong.
I've changed the line, rotor, rebuilt the mc, installed a PM caliper, went to Lyndall pads and bled it till my fingers bled...no change.
Let me know if you find an answer.
I've changed the line, rotor, rebuilt the mc, installed a PM caliper, went to Lyndall pads and bled it till my fingers bled...no change.
Let me know if you find an answer.
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 33
Likes: 16
From: Spotsylvania, VA
Sorry to say but, welcome to the club! My13 wg back brakes are terrible. Of course Harley said they all do that. I then got a lecture from a snot nosed, 25yr old "service manager" about how the back brake provides only 25% of total braking. After explaining to him that I was rebuilding juice brakes on panheads 35 years before he was born, he agreed to have his 22yr old "master tech" look at it. Even though I can, at 30mph, literally stand on the rear pedal and not lock the wheel, they found nothing wrong.
I've changed the line, rotor, rebuilt the mc, installed a PM caliper, went to Lyndall pads and bled it till my fingers bled...no change.
Let me know if you find an answer.
I've changed the line, rotor, rebuilt the mc, installed a PM caliper, went to Lyndall pads and bled it till my fingers bled...no change.
Let me know if you find an answer.
Supporter
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 15,788
Likes: 5,621
From: along the shore of Mishigami
If you think you have overheated the rotor it's quite possible the pads have maybe glazed over. In the past I have taken pads out and run a medium grit sand paper on them and scuffed up the rotor. There is some truth as to the amount of brake force the rear provides, I've been riding since 1971, so I'm not going to insult any ones experience here. But if the dealership opened an RO to look at the brakes then it's on file if it gets worse. To me the dealership doesn't want to take care of a customers newer bike. Have you tried an indy shop, sometimes the older guys have a fix.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 78
Likes: 5
From: PENNSYLVANIA
My 12 wide glide you also had to stand on the rear brakes to even get them to slightly grab. I took them off, looked at them and put them back together. Bled the system, which it did not really need. But now they work a lot better then they did.I do not know. I am thinking someone had them apart before me and just did not have them installed correctly. I have no real explanation for it.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 78
Likes: 5
From: PENNSYLVANIA
I have a 2014 Wide Glide with ABS and roughly 3,500 miles on it. The rear brake will not engage properly as in I press down hard and get a faded response with great effort put on the brake peddle. The break rotor itself has changed to an amber color as in it appears to be overheating. The fluid in the caliper is fine, but still takes more pedal to reach the friction point where the pads clamp down on the rotor. Not spongy at all, just "late" on the take up. I cannot engage the rear ABS at this time. I read somewhere that the brakes on the wide glide with ABS can be tricky to work on? I was going to order a new set of brake pads and flush the brake fluid. Can anyone shed some light on this? Thank you, Eric
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,371
Likes: 667
From: Texas
Reading Oneshot660's post, reminded me that a couple years ago my brake light didn't work right. Brakes were soft, but could lock up with extra pressure. Found a lot of junk in the rear reservoir that had worked it's way into the brake switch. Cleaned all that out along with fresh-up entire brake system and new brake switch. To lazy to go look now, but I believe I used Bel*Ray Silicone DOT 5. Happy with how they work.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 5,801
Likes: 809
From: South Carolina
Crazy question...
When was the last time you changed your fluid?
And made sure there are no bubbles in your line?
Changed mine and bled the hell out of the line and it stops nice now.. I was having to double tap the brakes before.
When was the last time you changed your fluid?
And made sure there are no bubbles in your line?
Changed mine and bled the hell out of the line and it stops nice now.. I was having to double tap the brakes before.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 19,893
Likes: 8,002
From: poway
The 08-up (maybe as far back as 06) brakes on dynas suck. Got a riding buddy that has like a 2012 dyna and he hates it. I have an 2000 FXDX and the rear brakes are fine.