Fireblade caliper alignment

[bikemonkey]

After a week of using the bike everyday it got very dirty so today was cleaning day.

Whilst cleaning the front wheel I noticed that the brakes felt like they were binding slightly. So I took them off and got the pads out to find pretty much perfectly clean pistons that moved pretty freely.



Then the brake discs caught my attention, and where the pads were contacting them.The dirt line shows it all....



They seem to be very far into the disc, is this right? It seems to me like it'll cause a massive wear groove over time, and it's possibly the cause of them feeling like they're binding.

[benny]

Just replying as I've just picked mine up and want to keep and eye on the thread.

[CMSMJ1]

Have you not got slightly different looking brackets?

[bikemonkey]

Yeah I do, I think they might be the wrong ones....

[bikemonkey]

Well I've just e-mailed Rick O, may have been my fault though, might have asked for SP1 brackets as I e-mailed him whilst very tired.

[bikemonkey]

Got this back from Rick O:

Hi, Oliver

Those are the correct calipers and properly fitted - try slightly slackening all four mounting bolts, lifting the back end of the caliper so that the clearance in all the bolt holes is taken up in the same direction and then retightening the bolts while still pulling gently upwards on the caliper - you may find this will move the pad track out those last couple of millimetres and get it aligned dead on with the disc edge...

Cheers,
Rick

So it is my muppetry in one way or another! Something new learned everyday

[Neosophist]

That doesn't explain the binding though.. its clearly NOT been rubbing on that part of the disk or it would be shiny right?

You need to clean all the crap off the tops of ths pistons too, they wont retract that much into the calipers until you put new pads on, but the longer you leave baked on brake dust and crap the harder it will be to clean in the future.

[bikemonkey]

I did thoroughly clean the pistons yesterday while I had the pads out.

It could be binding on a small lip on the inside of the disc which may have been caused by previous use, I don't know.

Either way if it doesn't get solved by what Rick advises then I already have a full rebuild kit sat in my parts drawer

[bikemonkey]

Just had another go at this, trying out what Rick O said and unfortunately is hasn't worked.

Pulling back the calipers only moved them a tiny tiny bit, then when tightening back up they just moved back to where they were anyway.

Plus I noticed it's only really the left caliper causing problems, but it isn't the pads or the braking area of the discs that is at fault.





The outside edge of the disc has been grinding into the caliper itself. Not good at all.

So unfortunately I have had to put back on my scabby old NC30 brakes while I get this sorted out.

[benny]

Dam :s I presume you let RO know? Let us know what he says