Leave the linked rear brake pads alone?

[Hppants]

I use the front brake for about 90% of my stopping. The front brake pads on both calipers are near their service life. However, the pads on the right front caliper that are linked to the rear brake are nearly new. Rear pads are also in good shape.

Any reason to replace the linked brake pads on the right front caliper? I'm thinking let it ride.

Also, by the time they are replaced, I will have gotten 55K out of the front pads, and even so, they are just replaced at the wear interval (still a wee bit more to go before metal to metal). I'm certainly satisfied with the stopping power. I'm inclined to replace with OEM. Thoughts?

[bill lumberg]

Interested to see the responses. I haven’t paid much attention to my pad replacement intervals. Too busy trying to ignore what I spend on rubber.

[1911]

They are surely past their expiration date by now even if still thick. Don't risk cross-contaminating the new ones.

Replace them!

Send the old ones to me for proper disposal

EBC pads for me. OEM is just too darn $$$$$

[wheatonFJR]

I must be doing something wrong. I just changed my front tire at 42 k and I still have about 40% left. I use 90% front when stopping at an intersection of stopping hard. In the twisties I adjust my speed with gear shifts...if riding harder I will brake at the end of straightaway before changing gears. I don't typically ride hard though in the straights and more than one rider has told me I rider faster in the curves than the straights...sometimes that's the product of leading group rides, but I do that if I am by myself. Now if I am chasing jwilly, I'm trying to catch up in the straights.

All that to say, when I lived near corn country, my pads were changed at 40k or so. More stops, less curves.

[gixxerjasen]

I just did mine and found some were more worn than others. I replaced all the fronts. Rear ones still have lots of life left in them so I hung up the new pads and will check at next tire change.

[ionbeam]

The right front linked brake has its own actuator piston. The front piston gets pressure only when the rear brake is applied with enough force that it overcomes a proportioning valve which then makes the front piston move. That's a lot of words to say that the front linked brake almost never gets applied so it should wear much less than any brake pad unless the piston is sticking or there is a problem at the front caliper.

You can inspect the brake pads without having to remove anything. I'd guess that the front linked brake pad would last a very long time unless something is wrong with the brake system -- or the rider's riding style

[rbentnail]

I've always replaced as needed rather than at some specified time interval. I have used OEM in addition to a couple of others over the yrs & bikes and long ago decided to stick with EBC HH Sintered pads: similar stopping power to OEM but much cheaper, dust similar to OEM- but if you like the OEM there's no reason to not use them. Internet lore says not to use the EBC due to rotor wear but I have not experienced this. At 117K miles my rotors are fine. If the linked set aren't worn, I let them ride. I do however suggest this regarding the front right bottom linked brake pads: while there for other maintenance, swap them inside to out. Mine wear slightly unevenly so swapping them greatly lengthens the replacement interval. I've found I had to replace the linked ones only b/c one pad had worn down but the other pad was still ok.

Also keep in mind that you may have to remove some brake fluid from the reservoir if you replace multiple pairs of front brake pads.

On the side, everyone has his/her/its comfort limit for brake pad wear. Me? Experience has shown me that if there's any brake pad material left at all then I'm replacing them too soon. The material, unlike tires, doesn't mysteriously evaporate near the end of life.

[raYzerman]

This is one of those things for annual maintenance list or an interval like when you're changing the second set of tires (everything is conveniently apart) .... look at the pads, remove them, clean them and the pins they slide on, clean the caliper pistons with a toothbrush and some brake fluid, and if any are worn excessively to not make it to the next set of tires, swap them out. Uneven wear seems to be a feature of FJR fronts, so you can always swap in a new set of pads and keep the old ones to swap out when one gets too thin...... etc.
Not using your rears at all??!! I'm a fan of using both front and rear brakes, it keeps things working, and full braking power available when you need it in that oh shit moment, or nor over-using one over the other... yes fronts get used 75+% of the time is quite normal. Check you don't have a sticky rear pedal and annual greasing wouldn't hurt.
Not going to debate OEM vs. EBC vs. xyz.... use what turns your crank, but I am biased towards the OEM's having tried others.

[Hppants]

Thanks for your replies. I suppose I didn't word my question correctly, but Alan got pretty close to answering it. I gather that it's not necessary to even consider replacing the linked to the rear pads that are on the right caliper if they are hardly worn (they are) just because I am replacing the other front pads.

As for the rate of wear, I'm not sure if I'm doing it quicker or not. I know with my Gen 1, it was about the same rate of wear.

[BkerChuck]

I check my brake pads pretty regularly and obviously at every tire change. I think nothing of moving individual pads around to maximize the mileage I can get out of them. I think all of my front pads were changed out the first time at 56k miles and the rear close to that same time. I did have some issues with my ABS block a couple of years back and as a result had a pretty screwed up rear caliper which hung up and ruined more than one set of pads and warped my rear rotor before I got it all squared away. Took a lot of flushing and testing the ABS to get it to come around but been fine ever since. I replaced the rear caliper and rotor at that time as I just never felt comfortable with my rear brake after that. OEM pads only and have gotten good life out of them. Considering my attempts at riding every day and the weather this means I subject my FJR to I fully expect to eat up brakes a little more than most of you.

[Harald]

My pads get swapped around to maximize wear and I regularly leave the rear actuated set in place while replacing/rotating the others. No problems in over 135,000 miles of braking.

Actually, I take that last statement back. I did destroy a set of front rotors by installing a set of Carbonne Lorraine pads that wore the rotors below limits in short order. OEM for me now. I also have one of the Pad Pins with a stripped out head installed in one of my front calipers. The pads are still good there (although I had planned on rotating sides on them by gave up because I don't have a spare pin laying around). New pins on the shopping list......

[Geezer]

I would not change the pads that are not worn. I would, as Ray said, remove the pads and clean the caliper. That way you can prevent excess corrosion from binding the hardware making it more difficult when you do need to change the pads.

[raYzerman]

Those internal hex pins can strip out if locked in there with bimetal corrosion (mostly on the tapered seat)..... so replace them all with something decent and way cheaper than Yammie's..... reviving ancient thread.
http://www.fjriders.com/forums/viewtopi ... =60&t=2343

[jwilly]

I rotate the pads and wear them out and replace them all at the same time. I like 1911's idea above, you guys can send your old parts to me and I will finish them off! Except Wheatie, don't trust that dude..

[Uncle Hud]

I use the front brake for about 90% of my stopping, because the front brake alone works fine when you're braking in a straight line ... like pretty much everywhere in Louisiana.

You'll be using up plenty of rear brake pads after your retirement, sir.

[Harald]

Rayzerman - Thanks for the reminder of your previous Pin post. I even commented on it back then, but completely forgot when I needed that info.
Adding the Honda number to my shopping list. My FJR already has Honda ST1300 heated grips on it, along with Harley highway pegs and an automotive cruise control so I'm clearly not a Yamaha snob.