Brake rotor bolts clipping calipers

Started by The Prophet of Doom, May 22, 2011, 04:43:26 PM

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The Prophet of Doom

Recently I stripped the forks and added a fork brace.  It's all back together, but I have a strange problem.  The rotor bolts clear the caliper by only 0.5mm on on the left side, and on the right actually scrape across the caliper ever so lightly, making a click, click sound as the wheel rotates. 
I have newish pads, but have ridden it since these went in and never noticed this before I re-did the forks.

How much clearance should I expect between the bolts and the floating part of the caliper?  and can anyone think why it would suddenly be touching?




Raj1988

I had the same problem. I solved it by tossing the lock wasker/strip of aluminium with folds and blue loctight the bolts
Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Rikugun

#2
If everything else is the same (and the bolts are the correct length) it almost sounds as if the problem may be the fork brace installation. I installed a brace on my GPz many years ago and recall the instructions being very specific on the order in which all the various elements were tightened - fender bolts, axle pinch bolt, axle nut, and the brace bolts themselves. There was also a check to insure the two forks were in alignment. There may have been some jouncing of the front end during the procedure to verify no binding occurs as the forks were compressed. That brace assembled with slotted holes to allow for slight adjustability.

My brother's Nighthawk has a factory brace that is integrated to the front fender. The factory manual asks for a check of caliper bracket to rotor disk on both sides whenever front wheel R&R takes place. My guess this is to avoid potential binding as well. Slight manufacturing discrepancies may allow misalignment of the tubes upon reassembly. In some cases, one may have to pull out on the lower leg prior to tightening the pinch bolt in order to establish the proper disk clearance and avoid binding of the forks.

edit Just thought of another scenario that being the tube(s) were slightly bent. Upon reassembly, it was oriented differently (IE 90 degrees) causing them not to be parallel?
It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is then to persist in delusion, however satisfying or reassuring.  Carl Sagan