Rear brake caliper shims

[GordonBH]

Hi all,
New rear tire going on, eventually got the wheel out, finding you have to force the left side down and remove the big spacer before you can get enough wiggle room to remove the belt and only then roll wheel rearwards to slide out the brake bracket. I assume it's a classic reversal of removal job with some force to get the left spacer inboard of the swingarm.

Any tricks for getting it back in? as the swing arm had a tight grip on the left spacer?

Anyway, to go back to the start (and the thread), to ease things on my Harleys I always removed the rear caliper first (they were floating calipers) so when I slipped down the Hoss caliper I heard the rattling of washers and shims falling out!

Of course I don't know which were where but I see the thicker 'washer' ones (2) are first to go in the recesses in the inside of the bracket and my guess is the remaining 4 shims are divided evenly next to the bracket washers: 2 between the top of caliper and bracket and 2 at the bottom bolt - effectively pushing the caliper inboard of the bracket evenly.

Looking from the rear =
Caliper-shim-shim-washer-bracket

I'll get the micrometer out when I put the wheel back in but any tips welcome.

[CanuckHoss]

Hi all,
New rear tire going on, eventually got the wheel out, finding you have to force the left side down and remove the big spacer before you can get enough wiggle room to remove the belt and only then roll wheel rearwards to slide out the brake bracket. I assume it's a classic reversal of removal job with some force to get the left spacer inboard of the swingarm.

Any tricks for getting it back in? as the swing arm had a tight grip on the left spacer?

Anyway, to go back to the start (and the thread), to ease things on my Harleys I always removed the rear caliper first (they were floating calipers) so when I slipped down the Hoss caliper I heard the rattling of washers and shims falling out!

Of course I don't know which were where but I see the thicker 'washer' ones (2) are first to go in the recesses in the inside of the bracket and my guess is the remaining 4 shims are divided evenly next to the bracket washers: 2 between the top of caliper and bracket and 2 at the bottom bolt - effectively pushing the caliper inboard of the bracket evenly.

Looking from the rear =
Caliper-shim-shim-washer-bracket

I'll get the micrometer out when I put the wheel back in but any tips welcome.

Gordon ,

My techs always change my tires...lucky me...but to lighten up your day a bit....maybe some "tapping" in the right places beforehand may have solved the issue you are having....?????????

Good luck with getting the answers you are looking for here...should work

[Iron Maiden]

Gordon - it is a royal pain in the ass!!! You will need two people - Bill and I tried several times and spent countless minutes/ even hours , then all of a sudden it just slid right in!!! Good luck!

[Buck]

then all of a sudden it just slid right in!!!

can you not keep sexual innuendoes out of this conversation?? You should be ashamed!!
"the unknown biker"

[V8Bikers]

Buck,
I've warned her in the past about that but she won't stop

[V8Bikers]

Gordon,
what we do is I stand over the bike and lift/force the wheel over to the right as far as it will go while Sue sets the left side spacer in the hole of the pulley. I rock it a little L/R, F/B and eventually the spacer will slide up against the swingarm. I put some lube on the spacer as well.

As for the caliper, I am trying to picture what you are describing. On mine, there are the two mounting bolts with no washers or lock nuts on the outside where they meet the bracket. The other washers or shims are there to align the center of the caliper to the rotor. Most likely they are divided 2 and 2 but i have had all different combinations. Each bike was different.

[Buck]

Buck,
I've warned her in the past about that but she won't stop

That's just horrible-------lucky guy
Buck

[GordonBH]

(then all of a sudden it just slid right in!!! )

Agreed Sue, "you will need two"

Seriously, thanks for the tips I will get my wife to help, though unlike Sue she's not mechanically minded. But at least she takes orders well

And I'll put a small chamfer on the top of the spacer and lube it well

Re washers, I wasn't clear, the washers are inboard of the bracket, not under the mounting bolt heads, I'll start with the washers and shims even and align by eye - when I get it right the disc will spin in the middle with pads evenly spaced so trial and error should do it.

[GordonBH]

Well, put I rear wheel back in yesterday, no wife assistance due to bad back, so I was on my own. There is a trick though for solo wheel-fitters.

With the axle stands just ahead of the footpegs the balance is so you can easily raise the rear wheel by hand so the load on the axle will be at its lightest.

Then jack up the swingarm, slide the wheel in without the previously chamfered spacer, easily slip on the belt, lube the chamfer, pop into pulley and let the jack down. The spacer will be touching the swing arm.
Check right spacer and brake bracket are positioned OK and jack up the wheel using the left SPACER and it gently slides up into position inboard of the swingarm.

Let off jack, rubber hammer precisely to final position and everything stays in place then the axle can be TAPPED fully in by hand.

Oh yes, and remember if you have removed the axle adjuster blocks from the swingarm do put them back in with the cover bolt threads uppermost, don't ask why I know,

So I fitted caliper shims and found the caliper was just touching the disk on the right hand side, so I removed 1 top and 1 bottom shim and alignment is perfect. As Bill said, def'nit'ly a job best done by eye.

[Iron Maiden]

WOW - I just love you engineers!! Thanks for the detailed description - I am sure it will be helpful to the next guy that has to put it back together. Glad to hear she is all back together. Now let's hear about the next ride- especially around those round abouts!