I have a 07 Heritage, need to put a new rear tire on the bike. I thought I would try and save some $$ and just take the rear wheel off myself and take to dealer for the mounting & balance of new tire. In the service manual one of the steps for the rear wheel removal calls for you to remove the brake pads? Could you not just slide or roll the wheel and the brake disc out of the rear caliper and the pads or do you HAVE TO remove the pads first?

Thanks for any help,
Dan

 

Pull the caliper and pads and get it all off to the side out of your way. MUCH easier to work on with it off especially when you go to put the wheel back on.

Rob

 

But could you just leave the pads inside of the caliper and just move the caliper? The service manual calls for you to remove the pads from the caliper & then move the caliper. I have instruction on how to do the pad removal, just more work than this novice wants to mess with unless I have to.

Thanks,
Dan

 

Lots easier to just pull everything as a unit. Try putting a wedge between the pads while the unit is away from the rotor. I find that a wooden "shim Shingle" used to align door and window frames works like a charm for this.
that way should anyone accidently touch the brake pedal things will stay in place prior to re-installing

 

Unless you have a jack and can get the bike very high off the floor, you'll need to also remove the upper belt guard and loosen the lower one so that you can ease the wheel forward enough to get the belt off. To make sure you get the belt straight DO NOT loosen the adjustment bolts on either side of the axle just undo the nut and tap the axle out. Make sure you see which spacer goes on which side...there's a long one and a short one and make sure the axle goes back the right way. You can do it, just go slow and remember where it all goes.

 

Also remember to put the axle in from the other side so you dont need to take off the exhaust again....at least on my Train,

 

Do you have to disconnect the brake line to the caliper like the manual says or is there enough hose that you can leave it all attached? Caliper mountcan be removed once the axle is out right?

 

I have never removed the brake line to take off the rear wheel.

 

I just jacked my bike up high enough that once I pull the Axel out& get the belt off the rear pulley, I can simply drop the tire a bit & take it out the rear of the bike. The entire rear brake will be loose as soon as you pull the axel.