Brake caliper (rear) will not reassemble! HELP!!!

stuarto49

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Jan 8, 2019
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Just replacing the rear Michelin Road 5 - after 12,400 miles - with another. Put the bike ('12 ST) on my lift, pulled off the rear wheel, and took it over to my friend's place to mount and balance the new tire. This morning I reassembled the dampers, added a bit of grease to the splines, and spent the next 2 hours struggling to get the caliper to fit over the disk and into position.

< I've only done this a few dozen times since I started riding (and maintaining) bikes 50 years ago. >

Sometimes this is a little difficult, usually pry the pads apart, drop it over the disc, maybe wiggle around a little. Insert the axle, tighten it up, etc.

This time - absolutely will not go together. I have the axle partially installed in the left side, to hold the wheel and all the dampers from coming loose. It appears that the disc is binding against the inner frame of the caliper assembly. Then how did it come apart so easily?

Stuart in Richmond, VA
 

Squibb

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Is this any help? ...................


Something has got itself out of position - I remember when my dealer did the same thing fitting some new tyres on my FJR, which has a similar set-up. I suggest you remove the caliper completely, leaving the hydraulics attached & tie to one side; refit the wheel & loosely bolt things up with the caliper mount in place - then refit the pads/caliper as shown.
 
Last edited:

blitz11

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I did something goofy in a hurry last summer, and if i recall, i had the spacer (#19) on the wrong side of the caliper carrier. (In my defense, I was running on 4 hours of sleep, and i don't remember exactly). The brake went on, but it drug.

Maybe you have that spacer in the wrong side of the caliper carrier. .

 

stuarto49

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GOT IT. Took the caliper apart by removing the two bolts. Installed the caliper frame with the axle bolt and the torque rod bolt, then re-installed the pads and clips and bolted it all back together. Just surprised that it came apart so easily without disassembly of the caliper.

Thanks to all who replied.
 

Paqard

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I see you got it back together but did you get part #22 above correctly indexed? There is a locating tab on it to prevent it from spinning and damaging the ABS sensor. There is a video on here somewhere detailing the whole procedure.
 

EricV

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Glad you got it sorted. The biggest cause of this is not removing the bolt on the torque arm so that the entire assy can move to match up with the not perfectly aligned rotor. I say not perfectly aligned because you can't get it lined up perfect until the axle is fully in place.

I always remove the front torque arm bolt as part of my wheel removal process. If I have issues, like you, I spread the pads a bit more and make sure the torque arm isn't getting hung up on the mount. Once the caliper/mount is in place and the axle is completely in, nut on, but loose, then I install the torque arm and tighten that bolt/nut. Then torque the axle nut, tighten the pinch bolt last and done.
 

stuarto49

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Thanks Eric. Agree with your torque arm (removal) process.

However, it is remarkable how easily this caliper was removed - I had the wheel off the bike in about 2 min!

Stuart
 

Don in Lodi

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Been a few folks with spacer #19 problems. Binds the whole mounting bracket against the rotor if installed on the wrong side of things. Glad you got it sorted.
 
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