Tips for Changing Brake Pads on a Motorcycle
Content
Dismantling and assembly of new brake pads
Kawasaki ZX6R 636 Model 2002 Sports Car Restoration Saga: Episode 26
Brake pads are out of shape on Kawazaki when restored. And don't wait until the pads are completely worn out, which means that the metal of the pads will come into direct contact with the brake disc, and changing the disc costs much more than a set of pads. It's usually pretty easy on a motorcycle to see the level of pad wear without waiting to hear the piercing noise of metal on contact, or notice a decrease in braking performance, or wonder why the disc will get scratched like that!
So it's time to replace them. However, we must not forget about a few parts that are not supplied with news. It is important to restore all parts on the replaced plates. Understand this, remove the thermal / noise barriers well by unsticking them. They are found on the back of the brake pads and are hard to find as a replacement if lost.
I chose a French brake pad. Definitely not because it is French, but because it is of very good quality. And because its price is not excessive. At the very least, this is equivalent to lineage. Indeed, OEM gaskets are priced at about the same price: the 44 € countdown. With the help of my loyalty card, I was able to take advantage of the discount on CL brakes. Yes, you guessed it, I took the Carbon Lorraine off the road range. There is no need for competition venues, they will be effective faster if I don't feel any real difference.
If in real life I used to change gaskets when opening a caliper and replacing seals, my distraction meant that I was not thinking about photographing at the time, everything was focused and happy that I was doing an unprecedented operation. Therefore, especially for you, I repeated the maneuver in later life, without looking for the old brake pads at the bottom of my coin tray, where we will see all those that were used for this fitness and that could be used. Actually, for the visual, it doesn't change anything, but for you, the attentive reader, it explains everything.
The 636 calipers have 6 pistons as we have seen, but only a couple of shims. Some motorcycles once offered a piston gasket. In this case, only the classic and especially easy to replace. The only difficulty: release the pads.
For the purposes of this image, I have dismantled the Homuk.
However, one could also leave it in place. The most important thing in this maneuver is not to touch the front brake anymore: there will be a risk of pushing the pistons and, if necessary, the pads, if they are not removed, which will subsequently prevent posting of news or easy sliding around the disc. Ideally, the disc thickness is maintained, but worn gaskets, more pushed pistons, so you may need to push them away.
This is done by mechanical action and without damaging them and tilting the parts in place, which would damage the joint. Not good, as they say. So take an old pair of shims or a jaw, a multiple clamp that you open wide, protect parts that might mark and repel pistons by applying a force well distributed over the entire surface. If these are old gaskets located in the caliper, you can also slide a flathead screwdriver between the jaws and push them apart by forcing a little. To great evil ...
None of this in my case: I am disassembling the gasket spring that holds them in place along with the retaining bar.
After cleaning, we see the axis. In my case, it is held in place by a pin.
In other cases, it is screwed on. Finally, some manufacturers install a first cover that protects the axle head and threads. Okay, but sometimes it's hot. Long story short, I drag the released, delivered (sorry) axle and the shims can be removed without difficulty. I pick up the plates and put them back on the news.
One can enjoy viewing the pistons and being able to easily access them to transfer them to brake cleaner or soapy water. This is necessary to remove accumulated dirt, including dust produced by platelets. It's fast and doesn't eat bread.
I slide the new brake pads into their location, inside the calipers. Some have places where the front needs to fit well in order to hold them effectively. Precision is (not) useless: be careful to place the laid out part of the plate inside. It sounds silly to say it, but we've already seen the mechanics, even the "pro", making a mistake ... After that, it works much less well.
Finally, this can also be the case with other brands, the pad retention rod can be inserted into the pad spring to hold them in place. Come on, it's okay. I'm finishing winding.
The first time I made this change, during the repair of the clamps, I did a little check. Everything flowed perfectly, happiness! Otherwise, I could change the axis. All that is left is to put everything under pressure, taking care once again not to push the gaskets away ...
By the way, the last one. You can pre-trace the plates, wrapping with sandpaper. This gives noticeable traction during the first braking. Let those who have never "pulled" the brake because of new pads raise their hands! In this regard, remember to press the spacers against the disc, pumping several times in succession until you feel the usual resistance of the lever.
Remember
- The easier it is to change the pads, the more pressure in the brake system.
- Most shims have a wear mark: a groove is dug in their center. More groove = worn panel and disc image in a short time.
Not to do
- Forget to assemble the noise / anti-thermal pad
- Change hoses, collect, discard brake fluid and disassemble to make seals. In mechanics, you can also do it all at once when you “open up”: there is no need to go back to it.
Tools:
- Socket and wrench 6 hollow panels, screwdriver, spout pliers
Deliveries:
- Shoe axles (8 € for 2), 2 sets of brake pads (left and right, etc. :)
