2002 road king classic front brake problem
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Stage II
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: oceanport, n.j.
2002 road king classic front brake problem
My road king classic has a problem with the front brakes not stopping well.
checked the fluid level, roughed up the rotors bled the calipers and still the brake lever is not holding. I can pin the lever on first pull ,but if I pump it it will come back a little. Kind of scary when you can't stop.in time, blew a red light skidding through on back brake.
checked the fluid level, roughed up the rotors bled the calipers and still the brake lever is not holding. I can pin the lever on first pull ,but if I pump it it will come back a little. Kind of scary when you can't stop.in time, blew a red light skidding through on back brake.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 208
Likes: 8
From: Terlton, Ok
Did this start after a tire change? A year and a half ago I had my tires replaced. The shop that did it slightly bent one of my brake rotors. When the front tire would turn, the bent rotor would spread the brake pads apart. The first pull of the lever would go all of the way to the grip without slowing, as the pads were being pushed back into place. Brakes would come back on the second or third pull. Then it would repeat.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
if the master cylinder seal is gone- it won;t hold pressure.
so if you grab the lever and pull and hold it ...you will feel the lever get soft.
where this happens alot is with old seals getting cold and stiff...when they warm up they get a little flexible and may work just fine.
Those of us in warm climates sometimes get a surprise taking our cars up into the mountains for an over night.
mike
so if you grab the lever and pull and hold it ...you will feel the lever get soft.
where this happens alot is with old seals getting cold and stiff...when they warm up they get a little flexible and may work just fine.
Those of us in warm climates sometimes get a surprise taking our cars up into the mountains for an over night.
mike
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Hi from the UK and welcome to HDF. A number of things come to mind. One is that IIRC your bike should use DOT5 brake fluid. There is a serious possibility that POs have used the wrong fluid, which can have serious consequences. I agree that your seals may be old and not holding pressure, another possibility is that one or more of your caliper pistons are hanging up.
So time for a thorough overhaul I suggest! Remove the master cylinder, strip clean and fit new seals (buy a repair kit). If you get out anything other than dirty fluid check the internal bores very closely for corrosion or erosion. Let us know what you find. Once that is rebuilt and working properly set about cleaning the caliper pistons, so they all move smoothly.
So time for a thorough overhaul I suggest! Remove the master cylinder, strip clean and fit new seals (buy a repair kit). If you get out anything other than dirty fluid check the internal bores very closely for corrosion or erosion. Let us know what you find. Once that is rebuilt and working properly set about cleaning the caliper pistons, so they all move smoothly.
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
From: Madrid, Spain
I had a similar problem on my 02 RK. Previous owner had not maintained the brakes properly. The "travel" on the brake lever had been reduced to nil. Like you, I could pin the brake lever to the grip.
My inidi suggested a master cylinder rebuild but that did not help.
The problem was simply lack of proper service. 12 years of built up grime was impeding the retraction of the cylinders. This causes poor braking and increased brake pad wear.
I took the caliper off, and cleaned it thoroughly. In my case I didn't need to take the cylinders out and replace the seals. Just thorough cleaning. One of the important parts of this service it to grease the brake pad retaining pins.
My inidi suggested a master cylinder rebuild but that did not help.
The problem was simply lack of proper service. 12 years of built up grime was impeding the retraction of the cylinders. This causes poor braking and increased brake pad wear.
I took the caliper off, and cleaned it thoroughly. In my case I didn't need to take the cylinders out and replace the seals. Just thorough cleaning. One of the important parts of this service it to grease the brake pad retaining pins.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,976
Likes: 49
From: Northern California
I had a similar problem on my 02 RK. Previous owner had not maintained the brakes properly. The "travel" on the brake lever had been reduced to nil. Like you, I could pin the brake lever to the grip.
My inidi suggested a master cylinder rebuild but that did not help.
The problem was simply lack of proper service. 12 years of built up grime was impeding the retraction of the cylinders. This causes poor braking and increased brake pad wear.
I took the caliper off, and cleaned it thoroughly. In my case I didn't need to take the cylinders out and replace the seals. Just thorough cleaning. One of the important parts of this service it to grease the brake pad retaining pins.
My inidi suggested a master cylinder rebuild but that did not help.
The problem was simply lack of proper service. 12 years of built up grime was impeding the retraction of the cylinders. This causes poor braking and increased brake pad wear.
I took the caliper off, and cleaned it thoroughly. In my case I didn't need to take the cylinders out and replace the seals. Just thorough cleaning. One of the important parts of this service it to grease the brake pad retaining pins.
This is probably it. Very easy to do and cheap. I would also flush the old brake fluid.
Also look over the flexible brake lines, I replaced some once with braided ones and the brakes felt much better. Braided lines can hav e a smaller ID and there is no balooning.
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 959
Likes: 5
From: Oswego, IL
Dirty stuck caliper Pistons are a know occurrence on the 07 and older systems. There are no dust boots around the caliper Pistons so you may have to pull them to get them completely clean. Harley sells a rebuild kit per caliper with everything you will need to freshen them up back to new condition. Lyndall used to have a great write up on their site to help but I cannot find it now.
You still may have a master cylinder problem but the calipers are a good place to start.
And make sure you get the right brake fluid. Harley used DOT 5 in the older bikes and DOT 4 in the newer. They do not mix at all!
You still may have a master cylinder problem but the calipers are a good place to start.
And make sure you get the right brake fluid. Harley used DOT 5 in the older bikes and DOT 4 in the newer. They do not mix at all!
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Georgetown,Texas
from nrakes
This happens on my 03 FLHRCI all the time. About once a year I have to remove the caliber bolts and shoot brake cleaner in the pistons and depress and expand 4-5 times and then they work fine as I get all my lever action back. They just get stuck in there and the lever goes almost all the way in before it brakes, Best part this is pretty much a zero cost fix!
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