Was backing up the bike and noticed it got hard to pull backwards and squeaked like the brakes were being locked up. IF I turned  (while backing) left it got really tight, turn right , it eased up.

So I stuck it up on a jack, spun it forward, like glass.... spun it backward, 1/2 rotation it started getting tight, 3/4 got squeaking, by one full turn in reverse it locked up....and took a lot of force to even move it backwards.

What could it be? is there a spring set on the pads? Don't have time or in shape enough now to look further, so thought i'd ask what to check.

Should I just jack it up and pull the caliper set off and clean up the pistons? and see if anything is coming loose?

Sorry, it's normal.  

There is momentum wedging that takes place when your pads hit your rotor when it is rotating forward normally (moves the locked pads forward in the pad holder).  Wear and seat in in takes place in the "wedged forward" position.  

This is where your pads normally stay in normal riding.

Clearance when your brakes come off is normally only a couple of thousandths per side, but all is well.

Do it backwards (roll your bike backwards and hit the front brake lightly) and expect some noise and rub after that until you roll it forwards and hit the brake again a couple of times.  The pads were freed up and getting wedged the other way in the holder for a bit and that new alignment and fit up takes up some of the tiny running clearance.

Using rubbery stuff anti-squeal on the backs of your pads actually can make this worse as it takes up some of your clearance space making your brakes more "touchy" to the backwards rub situation.  

Think of it like this, you make seating grooves in that rubbery stuff when braking normally.  Then when you apply the brakes backwards you move the pads in the brake holder recess all the way the other way and the leg forms and the cup circle don't hit the old rubbery grooves exactly right any more until you re-seat everything with some correct direction braking.

Don't sweat it, as long as it "heals" with some correct braking it is normal.

If it gets tight braking backwards and stays tight after correctly braking forward 3-4 times hard  -- you got problems of another sort.

But try it out a time or two and tell us what you got.

Will try that WD..

Not that I mind it much, but I don't like the fact that the brakes "self apply" when I back up the bike, my lower back is bad enough without having to use my legs to force it to back up in neutral with no brake applied.

Thanks for the replies fella's, I will get to the removal soon as I can, I just hate working with any brake system.

I've never had a problem like that on a bike with disk brakes.  How are the pads getting c0cked enough to grab and hold like that?

My 98 was the same way, finally sold the wheel, gave Lancer the caliper, hose and master cylinder, and the bike has a drum older than I am on it.

The 2003 front brake doesn't do that. But the rear brake seems to self loosen, and the idle speed screw resets itself at random. Oh well, it IS a Savage, nothing unexpected. Did drain a fresh T6 fill out today and put regular 15W40 Rotella in, too hot for 5W40 already. Dang bike sounded like a 2 stroke falling down a cliff with the thin stuff in it.

WD wrote on 04/11/14 at 00:19:36:


Ha. That might be why mine is so noisy. We're already at 100 degrees and I'm running 5W40.