Brake pads stuck to rotor

[mhoecker]

I have been having a problem with my brakes and am wondering if anyone here might be able to help us. It might require a shop visit but I thought I'd tap into the brain trust here first. I haven't really ridden it since October because of this. The spyder is kept in a semi-heated garage year round.

The brake pads appear to be resting on the rotor of the back wheel, even with the emergency and foot brake off. I've done a couple of test runs up and down the street to see if putting on the brakes quickly releases them, but it doesn't seem to. The brakes squeal loudly when I back up. Not so much when I go forward. I have photos on my flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mhoecker/sets/72157644775274849/

If there is a simple adjustment the hubs can do, great! Otherwise, I guess I'll have to trailer her up to my preferred repair shop in PA. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!!

Madonna

2012 RT-S

[Motorcycledave]

If your brake pad was stuck to the rotor you would not be able to move the trike.
brake pads are normally very close to the rotor you may not even be able to see
between them, you would know if there was a problem real soon because the rotor
would glow red "red hot" and you would smell burning brake pads.
but to set your mind at ease go to any brake shop and have them take a look..
the brakes on the Spyder are very automotive in design.
Ride safe Dave



I have been having a problem with my brakes and am wondering if anyone here might be able to help us. It might require a shop visit but I thought I'd tap into the brain trust here first. I haven't really ridden it since October because of this. The spyder is kept in a semi-heated garage year round.

The brake pads appear to be resting on the rotor of the back wheel, even with the emergency and foot brake off. I've done a couple of test runs up and down the street to see if putting on the brakes quickly releases them, but it doesn't seem to. The brakes squeal loudly when I back up. Not so much when I go forward. I have photos on my flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mhoecker/sets/72157644775274849/

If there is a simple adjustment the hubs can do, great! Otherwise, I guess I'll have to trailer her up to my preferred repair shop in PA. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!!

Madonna

2012 RT-S

[Bob Denman]

:agree: Take the bike out for a good five mile ride...
Bring it to a nice, gentle, coasting stop. ;)
Shut it off, and put your hand (Cautiously!), to the rear rotor... :shocked:
The rotr should (At WORST), be only a little bit warmer than maybe the caliper...

[BajaRon]

I have been having a problem with my brakes and am wondering if anyone here might be able to help us. It might require a shop visit but I thought I'd tap into the brain trust here first. I haven't really ridden it since October because of this. The spyder is kept in a semi-heated garage year round.

The brake pads appear to be resting on the rotor of the back wheel, even with the emergency and foot brake off. I've done a couple of test runs up and down the street to see if putting on the brakes quickly releases them, but it doesn't seem to. The brakes squeal loudly when I back up. Not so much when I go forward. I have photos on my flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mhoecker/sets/72157644775274849/

If there is a simple adjustment the hubs can do, great! Otherwise, I guess I'll have to trailer her up to my preferred repair shop in PA. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!!

Madonna

2012 RT-S

Disk brake pads usually do not separate completely from the rotor. There is no 'Return' mechanism like with drum brakes. So Disk brakes rest ever-so-lightly on the rotor even when released.

The easy way to tell is to jack up the rear wheel and spin it by hand. It should spin freely. If it does not then you know you need to adjust your parking brake (or you left the Spyder in gear! :yikes:).

[Dan_Ashley]

Sometimes new brakes squeak for a little bt-- maybe 500 miles or so. Sometimes seldom used brakes squeak too--probably due to dust and a little oxidation. Your photos look fine. Go Ryde your Spyder. Have fun.

[Mad Mac]

An old street biker trick w/brakes that would "squeel" was that we would take a regular #2 pencil and draw lines in acouple of areas on the rotor and the graphite in the lead would quiet the squeel. Ride safe!

[Chupaca]

if it has been sitting you may have accumulated grime around the pistons keeping a bit of pressure on the pads. Some times rapping on the caliper will loosen this up. Sometimes some brake cleaner sprayed on will help. If the problem returns when the brakes are applied then the piston is not able to return and maybe the o rings/seals have gone bad...:thumbup:

[cptjam]

Get a toothbrush and some brake cleaner. Lie down facing the brake caliper. Scrub the two pins the pads rest on. Brake dust accumulates on those pins. That keeps the pads from releasing completely. Scrub. Squeal goes away. If squeal comes back, scrub. Squeal goes away. Make cleaning those pins a regular maintenance item. No more squeal!!!

[Highwayman2013]

Yes this is a normal thing on spyders. you have to clean the brake dust off once in a while (or when the squeak returns). Should be nothing but if you aren't comfortable cleaning the brakes take it to someone. Try putting some brake cleaner on a rag and cleaning as much of the rotor surface that the pad contacts as you can. Take it for a ride and if the noise is lessened or eliminated you have "fixed" it. 10,000 on our 2012 and it still squeals when the brake rotor needs a cleaning.

[gnirtsnod]

if it has been sitting you may have accumulated grime around the pistons keeping a bit of pressure on the pads. Some times rapping on the caliper will loosen this up. Sometimes some brake cleaner sprayed on will help. If the problem returns when the brakes are applied then the piston is not able to return and maybe the o rings/seals have gone bad...:thumbup:

I had the same issue last fall. The rotors would burn you if touched and gas mileage dropped significantly. A dealer checked the brakes, burned his fingers, adjusted the parking brake, charged me $84.00, and sent me on my way no better off. As quickly as the problem appeared, it went away; therefore, I think Chupaca's assessment deserves first focus. ...Don

[BajaRon]

I have been having a problem with my brakes and am wondering if anyone here might be able to help us. It might require a shop visit but I thought I'd tap into the brain trust here first. I haven't really ridden it since October because of this. The spyder is kept in a semi-heated garage year round.

The brake pads appear to be resting on the rotor of the back wheel, even with the emergency and foot brake off. I've done a couple of test runs up and down the street to see if putting on the brakes quickly releases them, but it doesn't seem to. The brakes squeal loudly when I back up. Not so much when I go forward. I have photos on my flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mhoecker/sets/72157644775274849/

If there is a simple adjustment the hubs can do, great! Otherwise, I guess I'll have to trailer her up to my preferred repair shop in PA. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!!

Madonna

2012 RT-S

As far as the pictures. Pretty much all pads are going to look like this. They are going to very ligthtly ride on the rotor. Doesn't mean they are ok because it's impossible to tell from the pictures if they are too tight.

A side shot of your rotor might help some as if your pads are 'Stuck' it should be heating the rotor to where it has bluing (a sign that the rotor has gotten too hot).

[Highwayman2013]

I had the same issue last fall. The rotors would burn you if touched and gas mileage dropped significantly. A dealer checked the brakes, burned his fingers, adjusted the parking brake, charged me $84.00, and sent me on my way no better off. As quickly as the problem appeared, it went away; therefore, I think Chupaca's assessment deserves first focus. ...Don
I forgot about the park brake adjustment. That was a pretty easy one to do your self, I just backed it off as much as possible but still holds.

[Tazzel]

my brakes squeal when going in reverse. This is an on and off problem and seems to be quite common with spyders

[Dan_Ashley]

my brakes squeal when going in reverse. This is an on and off problem and seems to be quite common with spydersmine too. The way I fixed hearing the squeal when backin up is via ear plugs.

[NZSpyderRyder]

Brake squeal in reverse is a common phenomenon, the pads move back in the callipers and that's what causes the squeal.

[Bob Ledford]

The brake pads appear to be resting on the rotor of the back wheel, even with the emergency and foot brake off. I've done a couple of test runs up and down the street to see if putting on the brakes quickly releases them, but it doesn't seem to. The brakes squeal loudly when I back up. Not so much when I go

disk brakes use disk pads to create the necessary friction to bring our Spyders to a halt. The brake pedal generates the forces to slam the pistons out of the calipers generating the friction to decelerate the rotors which in turn stops the Spyder.

First thing to discuss is construction of the caliper and what it does for us... The caliper is made of heavy cast metal to hold in place to anchor it place. It would not work well if it were flimsy made. The calipers hold what are called pistons, shaped like cups. These cups push out wards when we mash on the brake pedal.

What the piston cups do is press against the brake pads. The biggest difference between disk brakes and drum brakes is in the construction an activation and release actions. Drum brakes have brake shoes in lieu of brake pads. Brake shoes are returned to their neutral position by brake shoe return springs. Disk brakes don't have anything to return the pistons to neutral again. So when you release the brake pedal the pressure releases the pistons. So what you are seeing when you look at the brake disk and caliper is normal. Not being a brake engineer I am not up to speed on the clearance between a released brake pad and the disk rotor. But you can see it is not much probably in tens of one thousand of a inch.

Disc brakes make strange noises when lightly applied regardless of direction of rotation. Go look at the wheel that you can see the best. If you have a mirror on a rod or even a dental mirror will work, look at both sides of the caliper assembly and observe the mounting bolts. When you go forward the caliper resets itself to the front side. When you back up the caliper repositions it self to the rear of the mounting bolt holes. Both actions give you a slight clunk when the brakes are applied.

Disk brake squeals are the results of metal to metal vibrations caused by light applications of hydraulic pressure to the brake system. Irregular metal surfaces like between the pad and disk, metal pad backing plate and piston cup edges where try meet up cause squeals and chattering vibrations.

Disk brakes were designed to reduce heat and weight of the brake assembly sitting on he end of the axle shaft. Also to improve all around braking in hot, cold, wet and dry conditions and self clean and adjust themselves. Drum brakes need to be adjusted, cleaned at regular intervals.

disk rotor heating can be the result of several different things. One or both pistons not being released by the piston o-ring seal(s). Age, rust or debris build up on the smooth outer wall of the piston. One time I decided to change brake fluids on a dirt bike so I flushed the system really good and changed the fluid. Bled the air out. Tested the brakes. It stopped on a dime and gave me change so I went for a long ride. The o-ring seals swelled up reacting to the non-standard brake fluid and put the brakes on automatically on the first pull of the brake lever. But I could force the pistons back to a neutral position with a very big lever in the caliper. Needless to say I never did that again!

Hope this helps some or some one out

[mhoecker]

I so appreciate the knowledge everyone shared with me here. I now know to make cleaning my brakes part of the routine maintenance AND know how to do it. I know that it isn't unusual for the bike to make screeching sounds when I back up (time to clean those brakes again). I relearned just how smart and generous the members of this board are. Thanks so much for relieving my concerns and encouraging me to take action. I can only tell you that your real thanks will be the big smile on my face as I ride down the road!

Madonna

[BajaRon]

I so appreciate the knowledge everyone shared with me here. I now know to make cleaning my brakes part of the routine maintenance AND know how to do it. I know that it isn't unusual for the bike to make screeching sounds when I back up (time to clean those brakes again). I relearned just how smart and generous the members of this board are. Thanks so much for relieving my concerns and encouraging me to take action. I can only tell you that your real thanks will be the big smile on my face as I ride down the road!

Madonna

We want everyone to enjoy their Spyder. I'm sure you'll be able to help someone out with a post in the future. That's what it's all about! :thumbup:

[gnirtsnod]

my brakes squeal when going in reverse. This is an on and off problem and seems to be quite common with spyders

It's funny to hear all the squealing going on when a Spyder event dismisses and the riders mount up to leave at the same time...!