Hey guys just want to get you input on an issues I am having and find out how I can remedy my braking woes.
I have a 1988 fltc, the main problem I am having is with the rear brakes. On occasion they will drag, If I step on the pedal once or twice they will free up. This first happened to me about two weeks ago and again today. The first time it was noticible when riding because it felt like the bike was losing power, i pulled over and figured out it was the rear brake, gave it a tap or two and it was free and i was back on my way home. Today I noticed it again, I could not "feel" it at speed just noticed my milage had dropped and when I made it to a stop I noticed the bike was not rolling as free as it could be. I pulled off the hard bags and checked it yesterday. The brake pads and caliper look ok. I tried to get it to bind on the stand but no luck. the rear wheel turned smoothly and it did not appear that the piston/caliper was sticking. The pads were able to move in the caliper, but it did not seem out of the ordinary. Thanks for any input you can provide, this problem is bugging me as this is my main transportation right now.

 

I'll spare you the long personal story(s) ... pull the caliper off and remove the brake pads. It's not un-hard of for a pad to get broken loose from the steel. They'll brake fine but will cause the symptoms you described.

If the "binding" comes on when you're driving down the road and all of a sudden the brake feels like it's being applied and slowing the bike - you BETTER pull the wheel because you have a wheel bearing going out!

 

Could also be dirt in the master cyl, it has been known to clog the return hole and this causes the brake to bind.

 

My back brake on my 87 FLHTC started to stick and drag. Had to pry it open with a screwdriver to get home. It ended up being the rear master cyl. I rebuilt it and it stopped. To be safe I also rebuilt the caliper. It's not that difficult to rebuild them. They sell a kit for the master cyl. You need snap ring pliers.

 

Thanks guys for the great info!! I will look at the possible issues described. I really appreciate the knowledge pool and experience shared here. Thanks again.

 

When I did my Mcyl rebuild it only took me an hour or two total including bleeding the system. Kit was straight forward. I didn't disconnect the brake line and did it while it was still connected. I just laid on the ground. I had cheap snap ring pliers at the time and it was a little bit of a pita. With good SR pliers it should go easy. My bikes an 87. I want to say it was at around 70,000 when it happened. It was real hot the day it acted up. Kind of like a an AZ day?

 

It is not to hot up here in this part of AZ, it has been in the 70's- 80's.

The wierd thing is that I do not use the rear brake when I am riding and the rear brake will start to slightly drag (almost unnoticible) once I have put about 20 mi on it. I dont think it is a sticky caliper or MC because I do not use the rear brake or apply it in any way before it starts to stick.

Could there not be enough play or clearance in the pedal so when it get hot/ warm the brake it slightly applied?

When it does start to drag the pedal is hard and has no play in it. once the bike cools the pedal is normal, even a tad "mushy" and the wheel spins free.

I checked the wheel bearings by grabbing the wheel and pulling on it to see if there is any play or lateral movement, and nothing. It feels really tight with no play.

I am gonna pull off the caliper now to check the pads.

Do I need to take the bearings out of the wheel to see if they are bad since i did not even get a slight wobble or play in the wheel?

I hate to start throwing $ at it by replacing/rebuilding parts without finding out the exact cause.

 

oh yeah the bike has 31,000 mi on it.

 

Sounds like the pads are binding but if they have dished the disc you will never cure it until you replace the disc.

The binding may be caused by a sludged up caliper though.

 

Start with the cheapest..........flush and bleed the fluid.