315r front brakes are worthless?!?!?

[woodsrider]

If anyone has some pads laying around! I need some front 315r brake pads. Late model 2004. I will be at Dallesport. White truck/trailer/popup camper. New used what ever...will be better than what we have!
I can buy them or order you some new ones! My brothers bike has some worthless front brakes and we have no new pads!

Matt

[dwertsch]

Hey Matt,

Are the pads just worn out or are they contaminated with fork oil?
If they are contaminated you could try getting them clean with brake cleaning fluid then putting them on and riding with the brakes on to heat them up  - them squirt water on them - do this cycle a few times and it often helps but new is best.

If the pads are shot, new are your only option. hopefully someone in the club has some laying around.

David

[woodsrider]

Hey David...they are basically new pads on the bike. But they have NO BITE at all. We tried everything to get em working better. I think they are just a funky super hard compound or something. You can barely lock the front up. Super weird. We even tried to scuff up the rotor/pads with some sandpaper. Nothing got em biting at all.

[Tawmass]

My friend Gordon has the same problem with his 315R, and this is with new pads. If you find the solution, please let me know so I can pass it on.
-Tom

[woodsrider]

We did multiple brake drag runs to get em hot followed by water quenching on Saturday. Also pulled pads and hit em with some 80 grit. They were quite a bit better but no where near as good as my 315 with identical brakes.
I think it may be just crappy pads with a compound that does not work. Thats all I can figure out.
We at least got my brother through his 1st ever trials event...and he loved it. So thats good!
I am going to check and see what pads I have on my 315 and get a set ordered for him. His were galfers.

[m wirth]

one other thought, is the piston traveling its full range? or is it stuck?

[woodsrider]

The caliper was completely rebuilt new pistons and fresh seals. Lever has decent feel...not squishing to the bar or anything.
Keep ideas coming! Besides trying different pads...we are out of ideas!

[dwertsch]

Only other thing I can think of is air in the system. I've often thought I had decent feel in the lever when I still had enough air in the system that the brakes would not bite well.

Try putting a clamp on the brake lever so it has a very hard pull on it and leave it on for at least 24 hours. Preferably with the caliper removed so air can bleed up the line to the master cylinder. Many of them it is very difficult to get the last bit of air out of the caliper.

[Tawmass]

Nice tip Dave, in fact I think that's a common practice for the road race bikes. I bled my friend's 315R from the bottom up using large, vet syringes, so no air detected, but will follow up with this too.
-Tom

[johnishy]

Make sure the plunger at the lever is not wound in too far, or it won't come back enough to allow more fluid in.