What the feck are my front brakes doing?!

Parts arrived today from MWs... Can't fit them till Sat though...

Have got new wave washers and the shims for both discs. Already i can see a big difference between the new wave washers and the old ones. LH disc must have almost no support! Fingers crossed this cures the story!

Back Saturday!
 
Well, i now know what that fecking clicking was on my front discs. Clearly it was wave washers giving up and breaking (no pun intended!).

Many thanks to everyone's contributions. I have started with the cheapest option first (just replacing the wave washers and fitting stainless shims) and it has sorted everything. Brakes are now smooth, quiet and doing their job.

My next investment will be new brake lines. I would have done it this weekend but after a call to HEL Performance, they said they wanted all the brake lines to copy...so no bike for a week which isn't an option just now. But early in Jan i will get it done.

I have documented a little of the job for those interested. This forum has helped me a great deal already so keen to give a little back, which i will do with any other work i do in the future. Hope it is of use for others. Pictures below.

1. Removed the discs and cleaned off the lug faces
2. laid on the stainless shims
3. placed the disc (any tips on getting the discs centered? I got them to within about 0.3mm but that was a fiddle!)
4. Cleaned off the flanged bushes with some 800 wet & dry
5. found the flats in the bushes, marked with a red pen so i could make sure that when i re-assembled i could make sure a good face was in the right place.
6. Fitted new wave washers, fitted bolts, job done.
 

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  • Wave washers - New & Old.jpg
    Wave washers - New & Old.jpg
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  • Lug faces cleaded - ABS side.jpg
    Lug faces cleaded - ABS side.jpg
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  • Shims placed - ABS side.jpg
    Shims placed - ABS side.jpg
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  • Bushes showing flats.jpg
    Bushes showing flats.jpg
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  • Bushes cleaned of crud.jpg
    Bushes cleaned of crud.jpg
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Some last images...
 

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  • Bolts fitted and disc centered.jpg
    Bolts fitted and disc centered.jpg
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  • Bushes marked for flats.jpg
    Bushes marked for flats.jpg
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  • Shims visible after assembly.jpg
    Shims visible after assembly.jpg
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Nice job! Well done you!

It is a satisfying feeling isn't it, fixing your bike for just a few quid especially when you initially thought you were in for a wallet pasting.....

Couple of answers on your points.

You don't need to 'centre' the disc. They do move about very slightly anyway. Just bolt em down.
Good move re 'turning' the bushes, you get double the wear from them....

Not wanting to piss on your fire but did you use loctite on the disc bolts?

P.S. good photos :thumb2

Steve.
 
Yep, for 19 quid i'm especially happy :) That's both sides and includes the stainless shims which was a good little mod to do while i was at it.

No Loctite used cos i discovered the tube i had was knackered. The bolts are actually gummed up with the old threadlock so i will get some and do one bolt at a time with the wheel on the bike. They will be fine for a couple of days.

Cheers again!
 
Hey Fanx for that guys - now I know what I need for mine !!! Had the same problem earlier in the year and had discs and pads replaced at front (ouch), before doing an Alps trip 0f 2000 miles, BUT the problem has come back so this makes sense - oil git some new shims and bits to see if that cures it - would have thought they should have put new bits on it when replacing the discs though ? Hmmmm :cool:
 


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