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I have an 09 street glided and I am in the process of puttin on 14 inch apes and was wondering if anybody has used la choppers extended brake line kits and can I bleed the brakes my self or do I need to take it to the dealer, any info on brake line it's and clutch cable kits would be greatly appreciated thanks D
The general consensus on this subject seems to be that you can bleed the brakes at home the same as any other brake system but if you get air into the ABS unit (which is between the front and rear master cylinders and the brake calipers) that you may need to take the bike to the dealer to have them use what's called the digital technician to activate the ABS module to help get any trapped air out of it.
I do not recall seeing anyone post on here that they got air into the ABS module and then had any brake issues. That doesn't mean it can't happen, I just don't recall seeing anyone report any issues.
I have seen posts indicating that you may be able to back fill the system after replacing brake lines such as when changing handlebars. This means putting brake fluid in through the bleeder valve and forcing any air in the system back up through all the lines and into the master cylinder. If you replace the lines on your handlebars, that sounds like it might help prevent introducing any air into the ABS module, but I've never tried it nor do I know anyone personally that did it.
I'm not sure if that answers your questions or not but I hope it helps a little.
The general consensus on this subject seems to be that you can bleed the brakes at home the same as any other brake system but if you get air into the ABS unit (which is between the front and rear master cylinders and the brake calipers) that you may need to take the bike to the dealer to have them use what's called the digital technician to activate the ABS module to help get any trapped air out of it.
I do not recall seeing anyone post on here that they got air into the ABS module and then had any brake issues. That doesn't mean it can't happen, I just don't recall seeing anyone report any issues.
I have seen posts indicating that you may be able to back fill the system after replacing brake lines such as when changing handlebars. This means putting brake fluid in through the bleeder valve and forcing any air in the system back up through all the lines and into the master cylinder. If you replace the lines on your handlebars, that sounds like it might help prevent introducing any air into the ABS module, but I've never tried it nor do I know anyone personally that did it.
I'm not sure if that answers your questions or not but I hope it helps a little.
I've done this 3 times now. Once on my bike and on with two friends on theirs. We were all installing bars and replacing the upper lines. One guy was replacing the master cylinder also. We wrapped everything in plastic. The bags from dry cleaners work great for this. We removed the old lines and replaced the lines and connected to the master cylinder and left the end at the ABS module free. We used a vacuum pump to pull fluid through the line until fluid flowed freely from the MC. It really helps to have two people, one to pull and monitor the flow of fluid and the other to keep the MC full of fluid. We added fluid to the hole in the ABS module and then quickly attached the line with the fluid flowing from it. We then flicked the lever to make sure no bubbles came up. Brakes on all three bikes are excellent, no codes, and ABS works like a charm. We were fully prepared to take them to the dealer to bleed if we got air into the abs module. It works the same way if you replace the lines from the module to the calipers. I'd use speed bleeders for that. The key is to not introduce air into the module. If you do take it to a dealer. The digital tech pulses the module to get the air out of it.
I can echo SG Dave's advice. I did this last week and worked like a charm. I did not attach the line to the ABS module. Instead I put it in a clean jar and then filled and pumped the MC and lever until I had fluid with no bubbles coming through the line. If you submerge the end of the line in fluid you can easily see this. Once I was good, I topped off the MC and put the cover on before connecting the line to the ABS module. Finally, pull the MC cover and feather the lever to get any last bubbles to come up in the MC. Top off and you are good to go.
I have great brakes and no ABS issues.
Last edited by steelhead; Dec 23, 2011 at 05:31 PM.
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