Brake question for V8 trike

[Iron Maiden]

The rear brake on my trike has been mushy since I bought it. It has been getting worse so Bill and I put in fresh fluid and bled them. Took 1 caliper off rotor to rotate bleeder facing up (the other caliper is already facing up). It still feels soft. Are your trikes the same? Suggestions?

[Harold Blocker]

My brakes are rock solid on my V8 Chopper ... front and rear....but it took work to get it that way. The culprit on the rear was the springs intended to return the pads to open position. Stan removed them and I have good rear brakes. On the front Chris had to trim some chrome off of the hand lever as it was not letting the master cylinder check valve operate correctly.

[hogv8]

So Harold , without the springs don't pads rub the rotor all the time creating unnecessary heat to the rotors ??

[Carl La Fong]

I can't see how the return springs would cause a mushy pedal. It is always, air in the system or bad hoses, Since the hoses are, more than likely, not the culprit, air in the system is probably the problem. Having the bleeder up solves the problem, most of the time, but sometimes there are bubbles that like to hide from us. For some reason, I had problems getting my fronts to work after I re assembled my bike after the big Ranger deal. I finally back bled them and they came right up. I just grabbed a pump oil can, cleaned it real good, stuck a hose on the end and pumped fluid through the bleeder. Watch the master cylinder, as fluid will fill the reservoir and slobber all over the place.
When I used to work on Austin Healeys, the early drum brake cars were a bitch to bleed because of the bleeder screw location. We had to pull the drum and the backing plate off, put them together on the floor and bleed them while facing the bleeders up. It sounds like an all day deal, but it only took about an hour to do a ten minute job.

[Iron Maiden]

Ok - so now I have a stupid question. I have heard about back bleeding the brakes after the standard bleed does not work. If back bleeding solves most issues then why isn't back bleeding the standard? Besides making a mess it seems a lot easier and faster than the 2 person pumping, holding, releasing, tighening method. Besides sounding very sexual what are the benefits and negatives to both procedures. Thanks.

[Buck]

my brakes were a little sloppy so I turned the bars so the offending master cylinder was all the way up then got a bungee cord and tied the brake lever tightly closed and left it for a day or so. Shazaam, no more problem, I had to do this on both my trikes and also Susan's.
Buck

[Carl La Fong]

Yeah, gravity bleeding. I've done it before. The bubbles will rise to the reservoir.
As to back bleeding, I guess it's just another of those things that sometimes work better than the ol' tried an true. There are also pressure bleeders that clamp to the master cylinder and force fluid through the system. I suspect the factories use them on new cars.
I can't imagine two guys, at the end of the assembly line, one pumping the pedal and another hollering, "OK pump! NO, NO.....@&*%*@ don't let off!!!!!!!!

[Harold Blocker]

Jack, no the pads did not rub. The reason for the mushy feel is the springs had the pads so far away from the rotors the master cylinder could not close the gap. once the springs were removed, the pads were close to the rotors, hard brakes resulted. It worked!

[Ponch]

BUCK IS CORECT.
Tying the offending brake lever closed forr a day normally cures the problem.

My brakes are solid/ hard!!

[hogv8]

Actually I use a much heavier spring between my front and rear pads than original just to insure that my pads aren't rubbing my rotors . With the original weaker springs I could sometimes hear my pads clicking on the rotors holes for a while after I had released the brake pedal or hand lever .

[Harold Blocker]

I used the lever clamped down for a day or so also. My Boss Hoss bike will gravity bleed the rears, now that the parking brake is removed and I use a front master cylinder on the bars for the rear brakes. I really like being able to use the rear brakes with both feet on the ground in gravel parking lots! It also is nice having both rides set up the same.....don't have to remember the differences.

[Iron Maiden]

No Shazaaam for me tried the standard bleed and gravity bleed they are a little better but not quite right. I still have to pump them to get a good brake. We will try back bleeding next. My squealing has also come back. Any suggestions or fixes for squeaking brakes. The pads are good and we used that red adhesive on the back, that only lasted a few hundred miles - any thoughts?

[Carl La Fong]

Try filing the edges of your pads. Just round them over a bit. Try a thin coat of RTV on the back of the pad

[petitemoose]

I use a Vacuum Pump to bleed my brakes. A good set-up ( NOT HARBOR FREIGHT ) will run you about $50 - $75. You attach the vacuum pump to the bleed zerk, pump the handle to create vacuum, open the zerk and watch the fluid flow. A second person is handy to have as the reservoir goes dry really fast on bikes. Sometimes the constant flow is enough to get the pesky air bubble to dislodge.

[hogv8]

Summit racing sells what they call brake pad shims that can be stuck to the back of brake pads and it eliminates squealing . They are self stick . I stuck them on the backs of my front brake pads and no more squeal . Look up Brake pad shims a Summit Racing .

I had to cut them to fit my pads with a set of tin snips but they do work .

Jack
HOGV8

[Iron Maiden]

lots of great information in this thread -thank you!! Keep them coming.