New front discs and pads fitted this morning

[jamm13dodger]

Spent a productive couple of hours this morning replacing the front discs and pads on my GS this morning. Parts came from Sherlocks very quickly and they gave great advice on what I'd need over the phone. Very importantly they didnt try to sell me anything I didn't need.

I did need to get some threadlok and a T45 and T50 torx bits I didn't have, but the job was actually pretty easy once I'd freed up all the bolts. Really pleased as I've never really done much more than oil changes on previous bikes.

Pads had obviously been changed last year when I bought it but the discs showed every bit of the 80k miles the bike had done and were slightly warped. Glad they are replaced now as braking feels much more positive.

Hope everyone else had an interesting biking morning

Cheers, Rob.

 

[ebbo]

Thanks Rob, what discs did you put on?

 

[jamm13dodger]

Not sure TBH, went with what Sherlocks recommended. I'll have a look in the daylight tomorrow and report back.

 

[ebbo]

Right oh

 

[Mr K]

Presumably you freed up the bolts by applying heat, because that's how the OE threadlock releases...

DAMHIK

Been there.

 

[jamm13dodger]

Nah just WD40, brute force and skinned knuckles. Good to know for next time though

 

[Bobbin-Man]

Do you recall what the torque setting is for the disc bolts?

Stu.

 

[jamm13dodger]

It's on this page.

 

[Bobbin-Man]

Thanks Rob, 24Nm

Stu.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

It's always a nice feeling when you doa job for the first time. Did you clean the brake calipers whilst you were there because that can make a huge difference to braking?

 

[jamm13dodger]

Nothing more than a cursory wipe with some Jey cloth. Crap, does that mean I need to strip them down again next week?

 

[Pukmeister]

An hour spent cleaning your calipers and checking it all works nicely is time well spent, especially as the only other option is to trust your dealer to check them each service. I find that mine need regular cleaning between the normal service intervals anyway to ensure smooth and powerful braking performance.

 

[Bendy toy]

On my bikes I one by one push the pistons fully in (watch out for overflowing the fluid reservoir) and take off the dust seals. Then clean out any grud with brake cleaner and a small brush. Now pump the piston out and wipe off any dirt that's stuck to the piston. Finally put the seal back with red grease and move to the next piston.

Its a faff but lots better than having to replace seals.

 

[Pukmeister]

On my bikes I one by one push the pistons fully in (watch out for overflowing the fluid reservoir) and take off the dust seals. Then clean out any grud with brake cleaner and a small brush. Now pump the piston out and wipe off any dirt that's stuck to the piston. Finally put the seal back with red grease and move to the next piston.

Its a faff but lots better than having to replace seals.

When doing so, be careful that as you push one piston in, the hydraulic pressure you generate doesn't pop another piston out. Doing so on an early ServoABS bike can especially be a real pain, requiring the awkward filling and bleeding of the entire system (DAMHIK).

I usually give the pistons a squirt with brake cleaner as they are and then scrub whilst wet with an old toothbrush to clean the worst of the crap off and rinse away with more brake cleaner BEFORE pushing the pistons home.

 

[Steptoe]

On my bikes I one by one push the pistons fully in (watch out for overflowing the fluid reservoir) and take off the dust seals. Then clean out any grud with brake cleaner and a small brush. Now pump the piston out and wipe off any dirt that's stuck to the piston. Finally put the seal back with red grease and move to the next piston.

Its a faff but lots better than having to replace seals.

Be careful how energetically/ham fisted you push the pistons in on servo braked bikes.
It is possible to invert the seals in the servo unit. .

 

[diver1]

Hi Rob,

I would be interested to know what other bits and bobs you replaced with 'new' other than the disks themselves? (and what was recommended)

Regards,
John