my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

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Jesserkugelman
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my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Jesserkugelman »

Well it started about a month ago my front brake just started locking on me(by this i mean i can no longer squeeze the brake lever as it s hard as a rock) I was on the freeway when it decided to do this the first time going about 75 mph. about 15 minutes into the ride it just locked it got the rotors so hot they warped past the point of fixing them. Now i can see this happening if i was using my brake but i never even had my hand on the lever. I thought it was a piston stuck so i replaced it along with the brake pads, hardware kit including pistons and seals. After bleeding the system it was great for about 2 hours of riding then it happened again, but this time it was gradually doing it the more i would brake. when it got to the point i could feel the pads dragging i would stop and open then bleeder squeeze the lever close the bleeder and release lever. that fixed it so i could nurse it home. i thought this time it could be the master so i rebuilt that flushed the system and same problem except now when the bike sits for a few hours ill go to get on and they are locked. tried the overnight holding the lever in trick still no go...anyways im about to beat the shit outta the bike so please help i thank you in advance...Id ride it off a cliff if i could but the brakes wont let me lol

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WintrSol
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by WintrSol »

There is a tiny pressure relieve hole between the master cylinder and reservoir; if this is blocked, pressure will build up as the slave cylinder heats the fluid, resulting in a sticking or locked brake.
Florissant, MO
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Jesserkugelman
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Jesserkugelman »

WintrSol wrote:There is a tiny pressure relieve hole between the master cylinder and reservoir; if this is blocked, pressure will build up as the slave cylinder heats the fluid, resulting in a sticking or locked brake.
i cleaned that out when i rebuilt the master. thats when it started locking when sitting for a few hours...also my other 1400 reservoir has a gasket (thin black same shape as the metal plate) and a metal plate (Thin with bent 4 bent corners shaped like an H) in the lid but this one doesn't. i cant find it on any of the parts pages either...does anyone else have it

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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by WintrSol »

Just a wild guess - the reservoir is only 1/2 full, right? I can't figure where the pressure comes from, just sitting, unless it is over-filled or that relief hole has been re-blocked, and the temperature has gone up where you keep it.

Give this a try: open the reservoir and draw some fluid off, then press the pads back into the caliper. Fluid should be forced back into the reservoir. If there is pressure, this could be tricky, unless you slide something into the gap as you move the caliper away from the rotor; maybe something wedge-shaped that you can use to push the pads in with.
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Lechy
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Lechy »

Just an idea. Remove the hose, drain it, wrap some clean light coloured rag loosely around the banjo and blow through with high pressure air. Check the rag for any debris especially bits of rubber. The inside cladding can become deteriorated and can break down causing a blockage. If this is the case, replace the hose.

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WintrSol
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by WintrSol »

Lechy wrote:Just an idea. Remove the hose, drain it, wrap some clean light coloured rag loosely around the banjo and blow through with high pressure air. Check the rag for any debris especially bits of rubber. The inside cladding can become deteriorated and can break down causing a blockage. If this is the case, replace the hose.

[emoji41]
+1 Failing hose, or grit in the system, is why I suspect the relief hole - Suzuki says the lines should be replaced after 7 years. Seem a bit much, but age is certainly a factor. I replaced mine with the stainless-wrapped kind, which give a better brake feel; they don't expand under pressure like the OEM kind.

Still don't get how they build pressure just sitting, though.
Florissant, MO
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Jesserkugelman
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Jesserkugelman »

THANKS ALL FOR THE REPLIES AND IDEAS WILL TRY TO WORK ON IT TONIGHT OR TOMORROW AFTER WORK... THE RESEVOIR IS FILLED TO THE LINE AND THE TEMPS ARE HIGH 40S AT NIGHT AND HIGH 70 DURING THE DAY.

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Jesserkugelman
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Jesserkugelman »

I took the whole front Brake off (ie master, hose and caliper) took everything apart and blew air through the hose and all the holes in the caliper. Didn't see anything that would have blocked anything and made sure that hole in the resivoir wasnt blocked. put it back together. mity vac'd yo bleed them worked well for a few miles then started building pressure till completely locked up just like before...had to work and didn't have time till today to ride...but when my truck wouldn't shift into gear this morning had to take th e bike first 20 miles to the office I had to stop and open the bleeder 1 time as that's been the usual lately...took her to the job site 80 miles first 2 hours were stop and go and I didn't have to stop at all to open the bleeder....
Thanks wintrsol and Lechy for ur help...will keep you posted about any further updates

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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by WintrSol »

Random idea, and not very likely, but does the lever return all the way on its own? Just thinking 'out loud' here, but if it doesn't, the seal in the MC wouldn't move past the relief hole, so pressure could build up. I've never seen or heard of this, but I suppose it *could* happen, if something is blocking the lever, or causing the lever the stick. Or, the lever and/or MC plunger is wrong, and it can't return all the way.
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Jesserkugelman
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Jesserkugelman »

WintrSol wrote:Random idea, and not very likely, but does the lever return all the way on its own? Just thinking 'out loud' here, but if it doesn't, the seal in the MC wouldn't move past the relief hole, so pressure could build up. I've never seen or heard of this, but I suppose it *could* happen, if something is blocking the lever, or causing the lever the stick. Or, the lever and/or MC plunger is wrong, and it can't return all the way.
Genius it was the lever wasn't letting the master cylinder return all the way a few minutes with a file and haven't had the problem happen again thanks wintrsol

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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by WintrSol »

Wow! Really? :lmao:
I guess Sherlock was right, when he said, once you eliminate all the likely causes, what's left, however unlikely, must be it.
I'll remember this one, for certain!
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Lechy »

@ WS, outstanding Sir. :clap: :clap:
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by WintrSol »

I always say, better to be lucky than good. [emoji2]
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Lechy »

The OP may want to check one more thing just to make sure everything is hunky dory.
Remove the lever and dust cover if fitted, shine a light inside the bore and make sure the anti extrusion circlip is still in place.
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Jesserkugelman
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Jesserkugelman »

Lechy wrote:The OP may want to check one more thing just to make sure everything is hunky dory.
Remove the lever and dust cover if fitted, shine a light inside the bore and make sure the anti extrusion circlip is still in place.
[emoji41]
Circlip is still in place thanks

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Jesserkugelman
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Re: my brakes are getting the better of me please help!!!

Post by Jesserkugelman »

I had totally forgot about the new levers as I was pretty much buying the whole braking system and didn't notice the difference in them till I traced an outline of the new lever and put the old lever on top was only off by a few mm but was enough to cause the problem...still haven't had any issues with it

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