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Re: rear brakes



Leatherbiker wrote:
> 
> Saw this comment on the Triumph site today and it reminded me
> that on my way home from town last night, I felt that my rear
> brake had become really spongey and inefficient, after just 1100
> km - anyone else get that feeling? It's due in for a service
> this Monday anyway, but surely this isn't just worn-out brake
> pads already???

	This reminds me - if anyone feels that their brakes are not as good as
they used to be, try cleaning the pistons.  I did this to the front
brakes a couple of weeks ago and WOW!  These are the brakes I remember! 
The problem is that now I think the rear needs the same treatment, which
is a wheel-out job...

	Cleaning brake pistons is not as difficult as I'd feared, although
fairly time consuming.  I used: a 5mm (4mm?) Allen key to loosen the pin
securing the brake pads; a ratchet handle and Torx ?T15? bit to get the
caliper off the bike; a can of brake cleaner (well, not a whole can!), a
toothbrush and a rag to do the cleaning; and some copper grease (back
(repeat BACK) of pads, pin), thread lock (caliper bolts) and a torque
wrench to reassemble.

	I certainly wasn't as slick as a Triumph mechanic, but I took my time
and made sure everything was done correctly.  In both front calipers
three of the four pistons were seized to various degrees, so I'd pump
out the easiest, clean it and then push it back in and hold it in place
while doing the next one.  G-clamps would have made the job easier but I
got by with hands and the toothbrush I was using :-)

	Does anyone know why the Sprint brakes should be particularly prone to
seizing?  Previous bikes I've ridden through British winters (including
a T3 Daytona) haven't suffered nearly as badly.

                Jim
- -- 
      jim@         ,'_                There is nothing you can do with a
  ixion.org.uk    / -.--.    ___      router that the skilled and brave
                 _\_  ~-.`--'_.-'     can't achieve with a chainsaw
                / /\\    \--'_ \\ 
 '99 Sprint ST  \__/ `---'  \__/                        -- Andy the Pugh

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