Lost Rear Brake Pad.... 2007 FJR

[mmonroe]

Bike is a 2007 FJR with about 23,000 on it...

I had been on the freeway for about an hour. Temps had been high - most 95-97F while I was riding. Was exiting at fairly high speed and was using mostly front brake and then slowing fed in some rear brake. The rear brake pedal went all the way down with zero rear brake. Pumped the pedel 6-7 times and finally got something. Pulled up to the next stop light and used all rear brake to see how it was working and heard significant grinding.

Luckily I was on my way home and only a couple of miles from home. Tried to use only engine braking and then only the front brake (understanding that even the front brake is going to use the rear some). I checked the rear caliper and brake and - sure enough - the inside pad is missing with the caliper pressing directly against the rotor. The rotor feels fine does not appear to have any damage from the incident.

I will tear it apart and take pictures. Hopefully the caliper piston seal will be ok after extending out so far. Hopefully the rotor will be fine. It feels fine but we will inspect it closely when apart. I have never had the rear caliper off an FJR so it will be interesting to see what failed. I suppose a retaining clip or pin has fallen out or whatnot.

Needless to say this type of failure could give a person a really, really bad day. Anyone else have this happen? Thoughts?

 

[Texan]

Do you have mafia connections?

 

[Geezer]

Did you just have the rear wheel off for some reason? It is easier to understand how both pads got on the same side of the rotor than it is to understand how a brake pad, and it backing plate, fell off.

 

[reecebike]

If it was installed wright to began with ??? There is no way to fall off!!!

 

[mmonroe]

If it was installed wright to began with ??? There is no way to fall off!!!

Had a new tired installed at 18,500 and have been riding the bike since. Nobody has touched the rear brake.

 

[wfooshee]

Front brake does not link to the rear, BTW. Rear links to one set of front pistons. Rear is a single piston sliding caliper, no place for the front lever to add to the fun.

And unless the backing plate breaks, or the wrong pad was installed in the first place, the pad cannot come out with the caliper attached to the bike.

Obviously somebody needed a set and stole one of yours, and is looking for another FJR to raid for the other one.

 

[Pauls927]

"Tried to use only engine braking and then only the front brake (understanding that even the front brake is going to use the rear some)" This is incorrect. Front brake only activates the front calipers. The rear brake uses some of the front.

Regardless, this one is strange. Maybe the pad was removed at your last change and improperly installed.

 

[Geezer]

Is there any material left on the remaining pad? I wonder if it is possible for the backing plate to slip out if there was no friction material left on either side.

 

[wfooshee]

If the piston was squeezed all the way into the caliper for some reason (i.e. wheel removal) and not reset, I'm not sure if there's enough play to get the pad to flop out. It would explain his "no brakes" symptom, though, for sure.

 

[Bustanut joker]

I suppose anythings possible Geezer. But after a once over glance at Mine, I don't see how that could happen.

I think somebody done somebody wrong...

just sayin'

:jester:

 

[majicmaker]

I suppose anythings possible Geezer. But after a once over glance at Mine, I don't see how that could happen.I think somebody done somebody wrong...

just sayin'

:jester:

I think you make a fine point here SIR!! Something sounds wrong here!

 

[mmonroe]

I will take pictures and whatnot when I take it apart. I ordered new pads, clips, spacers and whatnot and will tear into once I get the parts. I could be "mis-seeing" the condition, however, it does appear to my eyes that the caliper is rubbing directly against the rotor and that the pad is missing. Maybe I will be able to tell what the deal is.

 

[mmonroe]

Ok.. I just had to take some pictures.

https://www.addaplate.com/camera/20090626_fjr_brake/page.html

The pad is clearly gone. From the looks of the rotor, it looks like the pad might have ridden up closer to the hub at some point.

That area of the bike has not been touched since 18,500mi and the bike now has about 23,000 on it. Those miles have been good ones too with plenty of curves and speed involved. In fact just a couple of weeks ago I did a two day, 1000mi loop through the Smokies, up through TN, Virginia and whatnot. The brakes worked flawlessly. They worked fine today as well up until the last 2 miles home.

So give me some feedback on the pictures..

 

[madmike2]

I don't think there's a way that could "fall" out. I'll admit that when changing tires I installed my rear caliper with both pads on one side of the caliper (I heard it when I moved the bike and knew what I'd done).

I s'pose, if the bike was "jarred" before the piston was extended when re-installing the caliper.... But, you should have known it before now.

This is getting curiouser and curiouser. :blink:

 

[Geezer]

Who's the beneficiary of your life insurance?

Actually, even if someone messed with them it would have shown up sooner. I'm running out of guesses.

Any chance you might be able to find the missing pad along the road if you went back and looked?

Were you running Yamaha pads?

 

[Bustanut joker]

Catastrophic Failure? for lack of better words.

I once had a rear brake shoe fail on an old Pickup truck and take out everything inside the drum... Only thing left was the Backing plate.

No wheel cylinder, springs... nuttin.

But I knew when it left :blink: Busted the drum in half and aboot tossed me inta the ditch

:jester:

 

[FJRBluesman]

With all due respect there is no way in hell that can come out short of some real dorky installation FUBAR, or....

The only other thing is catastrophic failure. Those pads are well wedged into that area as you can see from the other pad. That's a first!

 

[Knifemaker]

Gremlins.

Big ones.

KM

 

[painman]

I currently have my rear wheel off and clearly the inner pad has almost twice the wear as the outer. I don't know the reason on this wear. Also I have heard of the fiber pad portion coming off a backing plate but never heard that happening on a bike.

If that would happen, and that is possible, it does look as though there "is enough" room for the pad portion to exit the caliper. Even though it would have to come "up" and then exit out. That doesn't seem likely but possible IMO. But if the backing plate and clips are gone as well, then the only other reason could be it wasn't put back in last time it was apart and the rear brake was never used until the noise was heard. And as mentioned the rear brake is not linked to the front brake lever. Just pure speculation on my part of course. Hope you figure it out. PM. <>< :dntknw: