Bent brake rotor...

[azcycle]

In changing the fork seals this past weekend, I may have slightly bent one of the front brake rotors.  I did bump one of the rotors once when I was trying to support the wheel horizontally in a large bucket, but I don't think that would be enough to bend one. But I definitely have a low speed squeal from one side, and the rotor is bent ever so slightly... and drags with the squeal.

Because the Kenda knobby tire on there has no direction arrow, and I didn't pay attention to how it came off, I also may have put the wheel back on backwards.  And lastly, as one of you pointed out... for some reason a past PO reversed the fork legs so that the brakes were in FRONT of the of the leg, not behind.  So when I put everything back together, I put it back to it's stock configuration, which meant I had to flip the calipers (because I wasn't ready to take off the hoses/bleed/etc.

So with all this, there is a chance that it is squealing because I changed a number of things... BUT the rotor is slightly bent regardless.  Is there a safe way to try and straighten the rotor?

[Bob_Roller]

One lower fork leg has spacer/shims where the bolts that hold the caliper to the lower fork tube, did you get those in correctly ?

It is the right side assembly that has these, the left does not .

If I remember correctly, you had to criss-cross the brake lines, you didn't remove the lines from them, I think you have mis-matched the brake pads to the rotors, now they have to 'wear in' to the new surfaces, that may be where your squealing is coming from .

I haven't heard of anyone straightening out a bent rotor before .

[nhmaf]

I suspect that Bob's got this one solved - though it might also be that you've got the spacers for the calipers on the wrong sides now.

[azcycle]

I love this site.  

Went out on my lunch hour and took a look... sure enough! The spacers were on the right side but I didn't install them between the fork and caliper but rather outside between the caliper and bolt-head.

Pulled out my "road-kit" of tools and fixed it right there, then went for a ride to run some lunchtime errands. Seems to have solved the problem!

[Bob_Roller]

Nothing I like better, a quick fix when it's 109 F. outside .

[montmil]

Graeme,

Too funny. And what a nice lunch break you had!
Really, if you didn't already have one, we'd chip in to buy you an el cheapo digi camera.

Suggest your new mantra be, "Take pics, make drawings BEFORE picking up wrenches."

What did any of us do before the internet? Well, often we did it wrong!

Monte

[azcycle]

Graeme,

Too funny. And what a nice lunch break you had!
Really, if you didn't already have one, we'd chip in to buy you an el cheapo digi camera.

Suggest your new mantra be, "Take pics, make drawings BEFORE picking up wrenches."

What did any of us do before the internet? Well, often we did it wrong!

Monte

Um... I purposely leave out steps just so newcomers to the website can learn from my mista.... yeah, okay. Guilty as charged.    In my defense, I DID keep the spacers on there... just didn't pay attention to where they went, exactly. Minor detail...

Suggest your new mantra be, "Take pics, make drawings BEFORE picking up wrenches."

I think that will be my new signature...  

[montmil]

Glad to see, Graeme, that your sense of humor remains properly installed. [smiley=beerchug.gif]

Monte

[nothing]

These spacers of which you speak - are they used with ATE as well as Brembo calipers? My 81ish mutt with dual ATE calipers does not have them, but everything seems to line up fine. They are supposed to be on the right side only?

Are they #5 in this diagram? Shaped like a little top-hat? There are several sizes listed in the fiche, I don't even know which to buy if it turns out mine are MIA.

[Bob_Roller]

Yes, it's number 5 in the illusration .

[Mike V]

And as shown (spacers) in the attached picture inbetween the caliper halves on the right side.

http://s428.photobucket.com/albums/qq8/gruntyman66/81%20R650%20Restoration/Front%20Brakes%205-09/?action=view&current=81R65RestorationFBrake05-24-09001.jpg#!oZZ20QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs428.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq8%2Fgruntyman66%2F81%2520R650%2520Restoration%2FFront%2520Brakes%25205-09%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3D81R65RestorationFBrake05-24-09002.jpg%26

[azcycle]

Well that's interesting. I HAD those "top hat" #5 spacers already there.  What seemed to be there before but I put on the wrong way were just simple, thin washers.  I slipped those in between the fork leg and the caliper that THAT is what straightened the alignment out.

Interesting mine weren't lining up correctly per "stock" specs but now they do with two thin extra washers...

[Bob_Roller]

There were various part numbers for this part, the flat or flanged area were different thicknesses to get the proper alignment of the caliper over the rotor .

[nothing]

I assumed you were talking about spacers between the fork and caliper, which mine does not have. So these top-hat spacers are between the two halves of the caliper? And some bikes have thin spacer/washers between the fork and caliper? And these spacers differ between the left and right sides?

 :-?

I think I'm going into DFIIIAB mode now - I'm just going to keep riding it as-is.

[Bob_Roller]

The spacers go between the fork leg and the caliper, they center the caliper over the rotor .