softail front brake lever travel issue
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Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 26
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softail front brake lever travel issue
hi fellows.
i have a 2005 softail.
front brake lever travel is very soft and hits the handle if i squeeze.
i did the following today:
- removed the caliper,pumped the lever until both bads touching..pistons we out quite a lot without removing completely. cleaned with brake cleaner properly. repeated a few times..in-out, clean... until all 4 could be pushed in with my fingers etc...
-installed new factory pads, cleaned the pins, etc..
-replaced brake fluid with dot 5 2 times...spotless..
-blead the system perfect..
-still, the lever when squeezed has lots lots of travel before it starts resisting , then if i squeeze hard, it hits the lever..
I AM LOST AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE !!
-the master and the brake line is what is left ..
the master shows no signs of being damaged as the brake lever always has pressure and never goes dead... and pumps the same even after a week... so no internal leak...
- the brake line is what i question ? can it be that with 20k miles, the line is expanding and therefore doesnt stay solid when i apply pressure and it bulges , sending more oil into the line that it should ? which would ex plain the extra travel and sofetness ? i cant get the lever to give me a stiff feeling when pulled... it goes from regular to resistance.. then you can pull more and it goes to the handle when applying a decent amount of squeeze...
please , ideas !
i have a 2005 softail.
front brake lever travel is very soft and hits the handle if i squeeze.
i did the following today:
- removed the caliper,pumped the lever until both bads touching..pistons we out quite a lot without removing completely. cleaned with brake cleaner properly. repeated a few times..in-out, clean... until all 4 could be pushed in with my fingers etc...
-installed new factory pads, cleaned the pins, etc..
-replaced brake fluid with dot 5 2 times...spotless..
-blead the system perfect..
-still, the lever when squeezed has lots lots of travel before it starts resisting , then if i squeeze hard, it hits the lever..
I AM LOST AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE !!
-the master and the brake line is what is left ..
the master shows no signs of being damaged as the brake lever always has pressure and never goes dead... and pumps the same even after a week... so no internal leak...
- the brake line is what i question ? can it be that with 20k miles, the line is expanding and therefore doesnt stay solid when i apply pressure and it bulges , sending more oil into the line that it should ? which would ex plain the extra travel and sofetness ? i cant get the lever to give me a stiff feeling when pulled... it goes from regular to resistance.. then you can pull more and it goes to the handle when applying a decent amount of squeeze...
please , ideas !
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 8
From: Powder Springs, GA
I have been there before and I know it sucks. Have you ever tried to reverse bleed from the caliper using a special syringe with a tube over the bleed screw? Open the MC cover and then loosen the bleeder screw. SLOWLY force fluid back up. Sometimes this will do the trick for me. However be careful you don't shoot fluid up out of the MC or it will skeet all over your bike...
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,205
Likes: 3
From: Mebane, NC
Had a similar thing happen to me.. It turned out some very small particles had come loose inside the master cylinder, probably from the chroming process, and clogged the hole in the piston. The hole is extremely small. There was alot of "trash" in the bottom. The master cylinder is pretty easy to take apart. Get this..after I put it back together it would not prime...tried and tried. I left it full of fluid and went to get a rebuild kit. when I got back it primed fine. Re-installed it and bled the system. It has worked fine since.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,400
Likes: 267
From: Southern California
OK, so you made me go out to the garage and stare at the bike again . . . life ain't so bad . . .
Anyhow, I have a nearly new single disk FLSTC (1,500 miles). I can squeeze the front brake lever to within about 3/8" of the hand grip without too much effort. Now, understand that this is way harder than I'd ever grab a handful on the street. Much less than this and I'll lock the front wheel . . . entertaining for others to arive crossed up at a stop light . . . but I digress . . . the real question is how it feels and how it stops on the street. What you can do with the lever parked in the garage may have little to do with how it works on the street.
Anyhow, I have a nearly new single disk FLSTC (1,500 miles). I can squeeze the front brake lever to within about 3/8" of the hand grip without too much effort. Now, understand that this is way harder than I'd ever grab a handful on the street. Much less than this and I'll lock the front wheel . . . entertaining for others to arive crossed up at a stop light . . . but I digress . . . the real question is how it feels and how it stops on the street. What you can do with the lever parked in the garage may have little to do with how it works on the street.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 545
Likes: 1
From: Miami, Florida
Had a similar thing happen to me.. It turned out some very small particles had come loose inside the master cylinder, probably from the chroming process, and clogged the hole in the piston.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,114
Likes: 28
From: Kokomo, IN
I just had this happen on my FatBoy and it was the front brake rotor. It was warped and pushing the pads back as I rode. Didn't figure it out until I rebuilt the master cylinder...
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Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 26
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lyndall racing brakes are a real class act .. paul and mike are great .
after a long conversation about all i did, 2 items left untouched... master and line... the line showing no sign of expanding leaves the master as the last issue...
paul asked questions ..and all points towards the master seal letting oil through under hard pressue and coming back into the container through the 2nd hole in the container .... i did see some bubble through there.
tomorow is master cylinder day ! hope it corects the issue...
after a long conversation about all i did, 2 items left untouched... master and line... the line showing no sign of expanding leaves the master as the last issue...
paul asked questions ..and all points towards the master seal letting oil through under hard pressue and coming back into the container through the 2nd hole in the container .... i did see some bubble through there.
tomorow is master cylinder day ! hope it corects the issue...
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