Rear Brake Centering

[lukehan]

Hello,

I'm doing some needed maintenance (fork seals and rear brake pads) and in replacing the rear brake pads something doesn't seem quite right. With the pads out, the caliper doesn't seem to be centered on the disk. I have looked in my factory service manual and clymer manual and neither say anything about an adjustment for this. It seems to me that if I reassemble things like this the disk will be constantly rubbing against the outside brake pad. I have attached a picture taken from behind the bike looking forward. It is a 79 GS850. In the picture there are no brake pads installed. I have rotated the wheel and the spacing doesn't change so I don't believe the brake disk is warped (the disk actually rubs a little when rotated). Is this normal?

Thanks,

Luke

[chef1366]

You have a spacer installed wrong.

[lukehan]

Do you know which one? That is reassuring (in a not very kind of way), as the last person to have the rear tire off was a mechanic at a local bike shop.

Thanks,

Luke

[chef1366]

Take a better pic showing your spacers. Is #5 on my picture in the right spot?

[lukehan]

Here are a couple more pics, one is again from the rear and the other is from the rear, but kind of underneath the bike.




Luke

[chef1366]

I can help you with the pic but I don't know much about the shafties.
Something is pushing the rim to the right. Go through it and try and figure it out.
Sorry I can't be more help.

[8trackmind]

Question: Are those washers I'm seeing between the caliper and the caliper bracket?

[8trackmind]

I don't know if this will help you but, here's what mine looks like. It looks close, but it does not touch the caliper.

[Pearson]

Question: Are those washers I'm seeing between the caliper and the caliper bracket?

Don't know what I did but about burned my brakes apart tonight. Remembered this thread and so looked at mine. My rotor is also very very close to the caliper. In fact it dawned on me my feeler gauge may tell me for sure if I'm touching. Here's a pic of when I was working on the rear and to me lukehan's looks right. Is this possibly an alignment problem we're having?

[lukehan]

I guess it's ok now

Well, I couldn't find anything that looked out of place, no extra washers or anything like that, so I put everything back together and put the pads in, it is very close, but it is not rubbing, so I guess I'll keep an eye on it as the new brake pads wear in. Thanks for the suggestions/help.

Luke

[Pearson]

Well, I couldn't find anything that looked out of place, no extra washers or anything like that, so I put everything back together and put the pads in, it is very close, but it is not rubbing...
Luke

In your first pic it looks like it's not only touching but it's worn a groove in the caliper. I'm still curious if anyone has any suggestions into ways to adjust that gap.

8track clearly has much more clearance on his caliper than yours or mine.

[randallscott]

my two cents

looks to me like the cisk is not sitting square to the caliper. either the wheel is sitting tilted to one side, or the caliper has been slightly bent. i'm no pro, but that's how it looks.

i can see the groove worn in the caliper as well.

[ptm]

There is no 'adjustment'. If things don't line up, either parts are missing, or in the wrong place, or backwards, or something is warped or bent...

[lukehan]

I think that perhaps the caliper bracket got tweaked at some point, the clearance looks normal on the front side. Any ideas on how to check the bracket for square?

Luke

[SqDancerLynn1]

Can't tell what is wrong, MY 850 the disk is centered in the calaper
Have you checked the calaper adapter axel hole ??? It looks bent