Front Brake Seized

[Hotboot]

My front pads adhere to the rotors. This happens after a good washing with water and after the bike sits overnight. Total seizure that requires a good deal of force to break loose. Scared the crap outta me as it feels like someone glued it to the garage floor !

Some history: the first time this happened, I used our lovely city water that has high content of gunk, but drinkable (no way). It actually left a RUST imprint of the pad on the rotor. The second time I used car wash water with the same seized up result, just no rust.

My question: Has this happened to other FJR's ?

Did my city water somehow damage the metallic content of my brake pads ?

BTW: The brakes perform as normal with no abnormal noise. This city water has eaten and rusted all steel on the property since I have lived here.

Any thoughts Gents ?

 

[FJRocket]

Seems just about every bike I've owned has done this. Usually after parking from riding in the rain. I almost always ride my bike to dry if after a wash. If I don't, yes the brakes sometimes stick. Scarey, huh!?!

 

[smthng]

Never had the FJR seize the pads, but my FZ1 did it if I even thought about water. Some times it stuck REAL good. It's the semi-metallic pads that do it. Either switch to a non-metallic pad (there are other pros and cons to that of course) or take FJRocket's advice and go for a quick ride after you wash it. It's generally a good idea to go for a short scoot after washing anyway... it get any water off the engine and out of the exhaust that may have wandered it's way in there.

 

[FJRocket]

Hey smthng, you left your signal on.

 

[yanktar]

You may also check your master cylinder (espec if you have non-abs). There's a little bleed hole in the bottom of the M/C reservoir that allows the fluid to return to the reservoir. If this hole gets partially blocked off, due to a crystalizing brake fluid or a bad M/C plunger, it can prevent your brake from releasing completely.

If this bleed hole gets FULLY plugged with crystalization, you can be royally screwed. Guess how I know this... <_<

It was on my '81 Maxim and nobody at the local Yamaha shop could spot it--including the in-house racer--a fellow named Randy Renfrow.

I eventually found it--the crystalization was so complete and smooth it didn't look like there was a hole in the reservoir. Cleared it and no more problem! (with that piece of that @#$%$^&^% bike!)

 

[Hotboot]

Thank You oh wise FJR pilots. Since I never washed the bike and rinsed with water, let alone my shitty water, I did not know. Plexus only goes so far.

I will check that breather hole YT, thanks for the tip.

FYI: I did a thorough ride and dry after each wash, which included a very serious heat cycle on the brakes. Hmmm

 

[C&C]

I think you're just talking about "flash rust" between the rotors and brake pads. Next time you wash you'll need to dry them out better or take a quick ride and heat up the pads a little. It has happened to me a couple times as well.

 

[markjenn]

As others have said, it is a REALLY good idea to go for a short ride after any bike wash. You'll save yourself no end of issues - the water left after a wash causes all sorts of corrosion and electrical issues over time. If your water is hard or has a high mineral content, it makes things worse.

- Mark

 

[escapefjrtist]

Yep, my cars will even do this. Take it for a ride to get her hot and remove the residual water from all the nooks a crannies. Also a good idea to drag the brakes if coming in from riding in the rain. This will put some heat into the pads / rotors and evaporate any water before parking. Reduces the rusting.....

--G

 

[EastTNFJR]

smthng are you gonna turn or not...........Mine looked like a deserted '41 ford rotor when I rode it to work this weekend and it sat outside overnight in the rain, Took care of that this AM with the ride home. Warmed 'em real good. Haven't had it stick yet...I'll go move it in a moment just to make sure I haven't spoken out of trun. Look forward to seeing everyone that can come to the EOM.

John

 

[twowheelnut]

@Hotboot,

Where do you live? If you have a high mineral content in your water, spray white vinegar on the rotors after you rinse it off, then wipe dry. The vinegar will neutralize/dissolve the minerals without harming the bike.

Vinegar is also good for cleaning the crud off of your plumbing fixtures in high mineral content water areas. Glasses etching in the dishwasher? Vinegar. Mineral build-up on the pasta pot? Vinegar. Windows dirty? Diluted vinegar and newsprint. Stainless steel barbecue exterior caked in grille crud? Vinegar. Toddler just learn the 'F' word? Vinegar.

Of course, there is always Her Highness for all things for cleaning:

The Queen of Clean

 

[yamaholic]

My local water is decent, but I know what you mean about the brakes sticking.

Here's a few tips to prevent this:

1.) DO NOT WASH OR SPRAY THE FRONT CALIPER WITH SOAP!!

If you stick to this, you've fought half the battle. Also, soap WILL make your pads glaze faster, decreasing performance. Trust me on this.

2.) Use a wheel cleaner such as Westley's Blech White. Spray on, brush it in, hose it off completely. Work fast, one caliper at a time. This dissolves the crud sitting on the rotor and pads.

3.) Rinse the wheel cleaner off again completely. 30 seconds spray each rotor is plenty.

4.) Use brake cleaner to dry and clean the rotors. ( a clean, STIFF rag is needed, eye protection is mandatory as well)

5.) Spray a tiny bit of brake cleaner at the pads (from the rear portion of the caliper) when you are done washing. Wipe up residue with a rag.

6.) Go for a short ride or use compressed air to remove some or all of water. Len the bike over far to the left, then right to drain.

#4 and #5 will also improve braking performance. Nothng quite like a clean rotor and pad set to provide opimal friction!!! :assasin:

Never tried vinegar! It works, huh??

 

[markjenn]

1.) DO NOT WASH OR SPRAY THE FRONT CALIPER WITH SOAP!!

This seems a little ridiculous to me. If this were truly an issue, I'd think we'd see some issues with the hundreds of thousands of cars that go through car washes every day.

Rinse your bike well to get rid of any residual soap and go for a ride afterwards. IMHO, that's the special precautions you need to do.

- Mark

 

[twowheelnut]

Never tried vinegar! It works, huh??

Smells funny, but it does for me. You have to play with the filtered water to vinegar ratio for some stuff, but if it removes the cooked on deposits left on the bottom of a cooking pot...

 

[Hotboot]

Thanks for the tips gents, READ where I have ridden the piss out of it to dry things off. It is also 100 degrees here too. I douche the German Shepards ears with vinegar, I'll try that to remove any film from my water.

Thanks again !!

 

[Ramblin Man]

You know that mr clean spot free wash thing has a filter cartrige to remove minerals from the water.

With that in mind after rinsing the soap off the bike after my last wash, I rinsed the bike with a gallon of distilled water and had no spots at all.

 

[yanktar]

1.) DO NOT WASH OR SPRAY THE FRONT CALIPER WITH SOAP!!

Do you think WD-40 on your brake discs might not be a good idea either?

 

[Captain Obvious]

My local water is decent, but I know what you mean about the brakes sticking.
Here's a few tips to prevent this:

1.) DO NOT WASH OR SPRAY THE FRONT CALIPER WITH SOAP!!

If you stick to this, you've fought half the battle.  Also, soap WILL make your pads glaze faster, decreasing performance. Trust me on this.

2.) Use a wheel cleaner such as Westley's Blech White. Spray on, brush it in, hose it off completely. Work fast, one caliper at a time. This dissolves the crud sitting on the rotor and pads.

3.) Rinse the wheel cleaner off again completely. 30 seconds spray each rotor is plenty.

4.) Use brake cleaner to dry and clean the rotors. ( a clean, STIFF rag is needed, eye protection is mandatory as well)

5.) Spray a tiny bit of brake cleaner at the pads (from the rear portion of the caliper) when you are done washing.  Wipe up residue with a rag.

6.) Go for a short ride or use compressed air to remove some or all of water.  Len the bike over far to the left, then right to drain.

#4 and #5 will also improve braking performance.  Nothng quite like a clean rotor and pad set to provide opimal friction!!! :assasin:

Never tried vinegar! It works, huh??

If I have to do all that, then I'm either never washing the bike again, or I'll just put up with the slightly sticky brake pad for the first two feet I try to stop.

 

[Windjammer]

If I have to do all that, then I'm either never washing the bike again, or I'll just put up with the slightly sticky brake pad for the first two feet I try to stop.

How could ya be so lazy dude?? (J/K)
I'm perplexed. I've NEVER had rust on bike rotors, or any brake sticking issues, although I've seen a bit of rust on car rotors. Never more than just flash rust.

I don't wash daily (the bike that is). I've used soap on the wheels, no problem, I've also used Bleche White since it's faster and easier. Sometimes I ride the bike after a wash, sometimes just start it up and run the motor until it warms up. Could this be climate related - restricted to coastal areas perhaps? Even the rotors on my old Norton only had light surface rust on the areas where their plating wore off, and that was after years of sitting idle.

You guys aren't using those new fangled pot-metal rotors now are ya? :haha: