How hard is it to change front brake pads?

[Jet86]

Is it any harder then changing rear pads? i just put new rear pads on yesterday, 10min job.

I ask because on this bike i have never changed the front brakes, any tips for me? thanks.

[MAN OF BLUES]

Is it any harder then changing rear pads? i just put new rear pads on yesterday, 10min job.

I ask because on this bike i have never changed the front brakes, any tips for me? thanks.

45 minute job... ez

just make sure once you remove the calipers, you clean the pistons with brake kleen spray and a toothbrush prior to pushing them into the caliper.. please...

put a towel over the tank and fairing before removing the reservoir cover, suck some fluid out using a turkey baster, don't suck it dry, just remove enough fluid to leave about 1/4" in the bottom of the m/c.

normally I do this before anything, I remove fluid, then flush and bleed, and flush the system again, repeatedly, prior to doing the pads, that way when you push the pistons in, you don't push crappy fluid upwards to the hoses and m/c, then I do the pads.
I also lube the brake pins with silicone brake grease, sparingly, before reinstalling them. clean the rotors with brake kleen and a scrubby scotchbrite pad before installing the calipers... 45 minute job.
go for it.

[Jet86]

Very good information, Thank You!

I forgot to clean the piston or lube the pins on the rear brake yesterday but i was on a time limit, Apartments suck, think i will strap on my long flat piece of card board and find a spot on the river bank somewhere. not ideal with dirt every where but at least i can take my time.

[Jet86]

the piston popped out so i cleaned it and the caliper but now i can't push it back in, it will go about half way and that's it, i have always been able to push the rear piston in with my fingers but the front won't budge.

Nothing is blocking it and i made sure it was going in flush so there is something im not doing right.

[connie_rider]

Are you saying the piston came all the way out?
  (All the way out, to the point of loosing fluid)?
  Or; (Out more than you expected. (With no fluid loss).

NOTE: I've never been able to press the Pistons in by hand.
          I have used a couple of screw drivers to push against the pad/piston.
             Do-able, but not EZ.
          A C-Clamp (Available at Harbor Freight etc) is the easiest.
          Put the C-Clamp over the piston and caliper, and gently push the piston back.

Ride safe, Ted

[Jet86]

yes the piston came all the way out while i was squeezing the brake, Not my intention but since it popped out i cleaned it real good.
i tried a rubber mallet gently tapping but no go. Do i need to squeeze the brake to let fluid into the caliper then try to push the piston back in??

[MAN OF BLUES]

seeing as it popped out, you have air in there now.... simply remove the bleeder valve and install the piston. reinstall the bleeder.

[connie_rider]

Arghh, never squeeze the lever until the caliper (w/pads) is back on the bike.

Because you pushed the piston out, your going to have lot of air in the system.
Brakes will feel bad until you get it all out.
So, plan to spend an extended period of time getting all the air out.
I suggest an inexpensive (hand) vacuum pump from Harbor Freight or Walmart.

Ride safe,

[Jet86]

Well i wanted to push the piston out far as i could so i could clean the crud off befor i put the new pads on, I just went a little to far, anyway it was pretty bad, the front brakes has not been touched in 8 years and 40,000 miles and that's just since i owned the bike, the brakes could be the same ones from since the bike was new, that would mean they have over 86k on them.

I do flush and bleed them every year along with the rear.. the old pads that came off looked pretty good and still had another 20k or more left on the pads and they was wearing pretty even witch was a surprise, but the age of the pads was my main reason to finally do the job and clean them up.

So now the piston is back in with new pads but i have air in the line, For now i will have to do this without a pump.
Can you tell me how to get the air out?? i never let air in the rear brakes so they was never a problem and i have heard the fronts can be a pain once you get air in the line. 

PS.. even tho the left front brake put up a fight i was able to get it back together without letting air in the line, its the right side i'm having trouble with if that makes a different. Do i have to bleed both??

[jirod]

:snip:
I do flush and bleed them every year along with the rear...
:snip:
Can you tell me how to get the air out??
:snip:

Same way you do it every year.

[Jet86]

OH goody, I thought it might be different since there is 2 brakes up front, Thanks.

Do i need to do the left one again? i bleed the left one once i installed the new pads then the right one i let air in. 

the way i do it every year i never let air into the line so this time is different.

[jirod]

OH goody, I thought it might be different since there is 2 brakes up front, Thanks.

Do i need to do the left one again? i bleed the left one once i installed the new pads then the right one i let air in. 

the way i do it every year i never let air into the line so this time is different.

I would start by bleeding the right side, and do the left side only if you can't get a firm lever. Make sure you have enough fluid on hand. Good luck.

[connie_rider]

Jett, my apologies, I didn't realize you were pushing it out to clean a larger area of the piston.
That does make sense. But very EZ to push it out too far.

I would bleed both sides. Right side first, but your probably going to have to bleed both sides several times to get out all the air.. May have to bleed, wait a day,, and bleed again. (The vacuum pump thing helps)

Keep working on it,, you'll get it.

Ride safe, Ted

[Jet86]

All done & working at 100%  i just did both of them, didn't take long. Thanks all for input. 

[ManWorkinghere]

I was reading your thread of messages after the fact.

I place a thin wood shim between the brake pads when I am working on them.  And when I take off the pads, I try to place the wood shim back again.  The shim prevents your issue of the piston coming too far out when you use the lever or an air compressor to move out the piston.

My two cents...

[connie_rider]

I was reading your thread of messages after the fact.

I place a thin wood shim between the brake pads when I am working on them.  And when I take off the pads, I try to place the wood shim back again.  The shim prevents your issue of the piston coming too far out when you use the lever or an air compressor to move out the piston.

My two cents...

Great idea!
I always inadvertently squeeze the brake lever.
Luckily (so far) the pistons have never gone out too far, but my time is coming..

Why didn't I think of that?

Ride safe, Ted

[Jet86]

I will put that in my log book.

My problem wasn't so much that the piston came out it was getting it back in, even hammering on it with a mallet it would not go back in no matter how evenly i tried to push or hammer the piston in it would go about a quarter inch and then not budge.

MOB said since it popped out i needed to remove the bleeder valve, befor i did that i tried one last thing that worked and that was to squeeze the leaver and let fluid into the caliper, it slid in like butter once i did that.