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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> What is the role of that tab on the brake lever??
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Message started by MrPazloe on 10/15/13 at 06:11:23

Title: What is the role of that tab on the brake lever??
Post by MrPazloe on 10/15/13 at 06:11:23

Good morning all,

I've been dealing with brake drag ever since I purchased my Savage. I know these brakes are known to drag a little, but I'm getting major resistance and the piston in the caliper does not retract fully. I've torn everything down to clean and grease parts..same result. bled the brakes and changed to EBC pads.. Before I put a new caliper on there, I would like to know one thing.

What exactly is the job of the tab on the front brake lever?? I know it contacts the black plunger on the master cyclinder. With the brake lever in the resting position, is it supposed to be touching the little plunger??

Title: Re: What is the role of that tab on the brake leve
Post by WD on 10/15/13 at 06:28:57

Always touching is normal. The tab pushes the plunger in to close a connection and light up your brake light.

Get a caliper rebuild kit. Odds are the seal has gotten a bit stiff and is sticking to the piston. Quite common and an easy fix. Once you "overhaul/rebuild" the caliper, chamfer the brake pad leading edges, and relube the caliper bolts and pad mounts, it should be fine.

And get a braided stainless brake hose. The stock rubber one is a piece of junk. They are supposed to be changed out every 3-5 years due the the lining deteriorating. Car rubber brake hoses are the same way. The liner swells up as it ages and can let fluid to the calipers or wheel cylinders, but trickle back (at best) to the master cylinder.

And people wondered why I switched to a cable operated drum front...

Title: Re: What is the role of that tab on the brake leve
Post by MrPazloe on 10/15/13 at 07:09:13

Thanks WD,

I put a braided line on there when I first bought the bike. Thanks for schooling me on the role of the plunger on the M/C. I guess I will order a seal kit for the piston. When I had it apart the seals looked good, but then again passing the sight test never proved much. Good tip for the brake pads as well, I'll make sure to angle grind them and sand the rotor while I'm at it.

Title: Re: What is the role of that tab on the brake leve
Post by Digger on 12/28/13 at 21:16:25

7A4567564D5B5852370 wrote:

..... I've torn everything down to clean and grease parts....

Paz,

Did you clean and grease the slide pins? I recently had a similar problem and discovered that the axle grease I'd used on the slide pins nine years ago had thickened to the point where the brake pads were not releasing cleanly.

I cleaned 'em and their housings and then lubed 'em with good quality synthetic waterproof brake grease. Workin' much better now....

IHTH!

Title: Re: What is the role of that tab on the brake leve
Post by Serowbot on 12/28/13 at 22:34:14

+1, Digger... the slide pins do get neglected...

Brake disc too hot to touch after a ride is normal...
They do drag... on a lot of bikes... and cars...
Can't be good for efficiency,... but it is normal...