[jb12]

Hey guys,

I just had my bike in for an oil change and the service guy pointed out that my rear brake caliper is bent causing one pad to grip more. He also said that it has rotated a bit.

They said it's going to be about 200 if they can fix it, 500 to replace it (300 just for the part). I looked on eBay and found some used parts, but have two questions:

- How easy is it to replace a rear brake caliper?

- Would you trust an ebay caliper?


I'm thinking I should just pay them the $500 and get it fixed right the first time! Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks!

 

[MikeGyver]

If you put the bike on a rear stand does the rear wheel spin freely in neutral? The caliper is bent, or the bracket holding the caliper is bent? The caliper is a large block of aluminum, so I doubt it is bent, more likely the bracket.

Replacing it would consist of taking off the rear wheel. Draining brake fluid. Swap calipers and or brackets. Put the wheel back on. Fill and bleed brake system.

I would trust an eBay caliper if they states it is in working condition.

 

[MikeGyver]

I am assuming we are talking about the GS500F listed under your username. What year is the bike and has it ever been down/crashed?

 

[vilago]

Maybe I'm dumb but why would you need to take the wheel off to swap the caliper? I don't recall needing to do that just for the brake...


Sent from my iPhone using MO Free

 

[pothiawala786]

The bracket on the SV I believe is held in place with the axle

Not sure what bike the OP is referring to

I would trust a caliper if I bought it on here and claimed it was good from a reputable seller

 

[jb12]

Wow. I totally forgot to update my profile. I'm runnin' a 2008 SV650SF. And yes it has been down on that right side. The guy said that the exhaust hit the caliper.

I believe he said the pin (?) inside the caliper is bent. Also the bracket is a bit bent, so it's sitting at a weird angle.

Thanks for all your help!!

Here are a couple pics of the caliper:

 

[pothiawala786]

One other option if you're not comfortable buying a used caliper like myself is having it rebuilt

Call up Phoenix Caliper : 773.277.7772

I've used them to rebuild quite a few calipers, 3 of them being for my 91 MR2. I'm not sure if they do motorcycle calipers but I'm sure they do.

Turnaround time is pretty quick (usually 1 hour if you're waiting and local) and prices are reasonable.

The other option is buying a rear caliper on here with the bracket. I would trust SVR before ebay/CG.

Call up Phoenix and get a quote. If your bracket is bent though they can't fix that.

Hard to tell from the pics though if anything is damaged, maybe someone else can.

 

[jb12]

It is my understanding that the gold metal piece is supposed to be flush and it is bent in. This has caused that pad to have more contact, so it has been wearing down faster than the other side.

I just called and talked to another guy. He said 170 for the part and 77 for the hour of labor. For 300 bucks I think I am just going to play it safe, get the brand new part, and have them do the work.

Don't really want to f**k around when it comes to brakes and my safety is worth a whole hell of alot more than the $200 I save by going used and trying to do it myself!

Just means I have to hold off on getting my new exhaust until the next paycheck!

Thanks for all your comments and help guys!

 

[pothiawala786]

Ehh, instead of $300 you could honestly do it yourself for about $50-75.

Get a Delkevic exhaust for $150 (huge thread on here) and for $200 your back in shape.

I see what your saying about that part being bent. Are you sure its not just the brake pad.

If you were near Chicago I'd do the labor for free, so you can learn how its done. Maybe someone local might give you a hand.

Of course in the end it is what you feel most comfortable with.

 

[pothiawala786]

BTW, $77 for labor sounds pretty fair. The part itself I guess is just pretty expensive, make sure he knows it might be the caliper, bracket, and pad that may be bent, either 1, or a combo of the 3.

 

[MikeGyver]

Hard to tell what is bent by those photos. I still have a hard time believing the caliper itself is screwed up since it would take a lot of force to damage something inside the caliper. The bracket is most likely the culprit. If you replace the caliper with a used one I would also do the bracket as you could probably find the whole setup for not much more than just the caliper.

Very inexpensive on eBay for the caliper and bracket
$19.80 shipped
$36.50 shipped and the cleanest

 

[jb12]

Well shoot. If it's just a bracket, that should be a pretty simple fix for me... Is there a better angle I could take the pictures of that would help you guys diagnose better?

I'm willing to move the exhaust if that gives a better shot.

Thanks again guys!!

 

[pothiawala786]

Its just hard in general to notice a bend with pictures. Heck sometimes its hard to tell looking at it first hand.

How mechanically inclined are you? I can practically walk you through the entire process since I've done it too many times.

 

[pothiawala786]

From an earlier post:

Replacing it would consist of taking off the rear wheel. Draining brake fluid. Swap calipers and or brackets. Put the wheel back on. Fill and bleed brake system.

You need a rear stand, remove the wheel, unbolt and swap calipers and brackets. Swap pads onto new caliper. Reinstall wheel. Bleed brakes, and adjust chain. Torque everything down and you're good to go.

Would take me an hour, if its your first time, leave yourself about 2.5-3 hours.

 

[pothiawala786]

Also, the one for $36.50 someone linked earlier is exactly what you need, bracket and caliper, and it includes pads. All you have to do is bolt your current brake line to it.

 

[Graham09]

Sorry to here of the brake issues... They did come from the bike being sideways?

I can see the bracket being bent, especially if the mechanic said it was rotated, but the only damage i can see to the caliper is the pin holes (caliper to bracket bolts) being oblonged from the exhaust pushing in (anybody correct me if they see how please ). The gold/brass piece is actually the brake pad backing and it being bent will prevent it from sliding properly (which would cause premature wear). I again can't see how it got bent, but it is never-the-less.

Keep posted on what your figuring out.