Hard
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: SE Louisiana
Hard
There's an earlier thread here about a soft brake lever... I've got the opposite problem. I replaced the front pads on my '05 FLSTN a couple of days ago, followed the manual step by step, no problems with the job (once I got the darned caliper bolts broke loose!), no need to add any fluid to the master cylinder. The brakes now seem to function properly, smooth stops, no squeak/squeal, no evidence of drag (I can lay my bare hand against the rotor after a 50-mile ride) -- but the lever has no more than maybe 1/2" of travel. I did not specifically note the lever travel before the pad change, but I'm quite sure it was more.
Is this just the result of new thicker pads, or is there some adjustment I should make?
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Is this just the result of new thicker pads, or is there some adjustment I should make?
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Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,906
Likes: 145
From: SE Louisiana
HARD Brake Lever(!)
Sorry -- my initial post went too quickly, I hit Enter key before I was thru editting post.
I meant to say that there is a thread in Maintenance folder about a soft brake lever... but I've got the opposite problem. I posted it in that forum, but nobody replied, so I thought to put it here for a larger group to see.
I replaced the front pads on my '05 FLSTN a couple of days ago, followed the manual step by step, no problems with the job (once I got the darned caliper bolts broke loose!), no need to add any fluid to the master cylinder. The brakes now seem to function properly, smooth stops, no squeak/squeal, no evidence of drag (I can lay my bare hand against the rotor after a 50-mile ride) -- but the lever has no more than maybe 1/2" of travel. I did not specifically note the lever travel before the pad change, but I'm quite sure it was more.
Is this just the result of new thicker pads, or is there some adjustment I should make?
__________________
I meant to say that there is a thread in Maintenance folder about a soft brake lever... but I've got the opposite problem. I posted it in that forum, but nobody replied, so I thought to put it here for a larger group to see.
I replaced the front pads on my '05 FLSTN a couple of days ago, followed the manual step by step, no problems with the job (once I got the darned caliper bolts broke loose!), no need to add any fluid to the master cylinder. The brakes now seem to function properly, smooth stops, no squeak/squeal, no evidence of drag (I can lay my bare hand against the rotor after a 50-mile ride) -- but the lever has no more than maybe 1/2" of travel. I did not specifically note the lever travel before the pad change, but I'm quite sure it was more.
Is this just the result of new thicker pads, or is there some adjustment I should make?
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,581
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From: Rolla
Yep, your new pads are thicker than your old worn out ones. So, it's normal not to have quite as much travel in your brake lever.
As the pads wear, the piston will travel farther in the caliper bores allowing slightly more lever travel.
As the pads wear, the piston will travel farther in the caliper bores allowing slightly more lever travel.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 279
Likes: 0
From: Middle River, MD
PPBART -- Your brakes sond right to me. Firm with little pull is a good thing.
RollaMo -
Absolutely true.
False. There is no return spring on disk brakes like there is on drum brakes. The pads on disk brakes are pushed away from the rotor only slightly because the rotor isnt perfectly flat (known as run-out). This is why the fluid level drops in the master cylinder as the brakes wear, but re-appears when you install new pads.
Why it seems firmer now? The old pads were probably worn unevenly (different lining thickness front to back). When the brakes were released, the rotor pushes the pads against the closest part of the pads, leaving a larger gap on the worn sides. When the brakes were re-applied, it took more piston travel for the caliper to squeeze out the wider gap on the worn sides of the pads.
RollaMo -
As the pads wear, the piston will travel farther in the caliper bores
allowing slightly more lever travel.
Why it seems firmer now? The old pads were probably worn unevenly (different lining thickness front to back). When the brakes were released, the rotor pushes the pads against the closest part of the pads, leaving a larger gap on the worn sides. When the brakes were re-applied, it took more piston travel for the caliper to squeeze out the wider gap on the worn sides of the pads.
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