Brake pad won't go on

Hello. I am installing new pads and am having trouble getting one of the pads to fit properly. If you are sitting on the bike, it is the pad on the left. The tab at the top is getting stuck on the ant-rattle shim at the top of the caliper. If I press on it, I can force the tab into place, but I don't trust that solution. I don't want to wedge the pad into place and have it fail on me when I need it. Any ideas?

 

It might be something as simple as flipping the Anti-Rattle Spring around.

If the New Pads are mounted on Plates that were Drop Forged, ... you might need to "Clean-up" the edges of the Ears to make the Plate more precise.

Use the time to Chamfer the Pads and the won't squeak.

 

The shims didn't come out when I pulled the pads, so I doubt they are in backwards.

What is the best way to chamfer the edge? Just use a file?

 

I use the Fine Wheel on my Bench Grinder or the Dremel.

You don't have to take much off ... just round-off the edge.

 

Any other ideas on why the pad won't go in?

 

Are they 100% for sure the correct pads? Directly compare them to the originals and see what the difference is. You may have the wrong parts; there are different "style" Yamaha brakes out there, you may have pads intended for a different brake.

 

I looked for the differences and I can't really find any. All of the details on the metal body look the same. I just put the calipers on the tab and the new tab is 10-20 thousandths wider, depending on where it is measured. The body of the new pads are painted black. That could compensate for the difference in width. The new pads have Yamaha part number 4H7-W0045-09. Yamaha's online parts catalog and the latest XJCD show the pad part number as 4H7-W0045-12-00, but I looked around the web and I think that the new part number is 4H7-W0045-09. The number 6H23 is stamped onto the back of the pad, but I am not sure what that is. It may be a date code. So I think that I have the correct pads.

Should I try taking the paint off of the tab on the sticking pad? The other new pad goes in smoothly.

 

It doesn't seem like that should matter, but you might want to file it a little bit.

You'll have to forgive me here, remember what I said about different styles? Your brake caliper is quite different than the ones on my 550s and also different than the ones on my 650 Seca (which are different from the 550s too.)

I re-read your original post. If this is simply a matter of needing to compress the anti-rattle spring in order for the pad retaining pin to slide in, then it is probably correct. I know with the styles I have, the pads have to be pressed against and compress the anti-rattle spring slightly before the pin will slide in.

 

Does it make it a really tight fit when the anti-rattle pin has to be compressed? The pad on the right side will just about fall out because it is so loose. That is how the old pads were too.

 

Place the Old Pad and the New Pad ... back to back.

If they match-up, ... you got the right one.
It might take some prettying-up ... but, It'll go.

Just be sure they don't bind where they need to have travel.

 

Are you sure that you have the antirattle spring installed (oriented) correctly? The smaller "tab" (and skinnier spring "arms") fit "towards" the piston.

 

I haven't checked it to be honest. The spring didn't come out with the pads so I left it as it was. Maybe the PO messed it up.

 

The spring is in correctly. I pulled out the top piece that the pad is getting hung up on. Yamaha calls it the "RETAINER, CALIPER" but I thought it was an anti-rattle shim. Anyway, the retainer/shim looks to be in good condition so I think I am may file off a little of the tab on top of the pad body so it will go in there. Should it be a friction fit but nt too tight or should it be loose and ready to fall out?

 

No, no, no! The "retainer, caliper" does not go WITHIN the caliper body, it goes ABOVE it, it is placed in-between the caliper body and the mounting flange on the fork leg. It's sort of a shim/spacer for the caliper body against the fork tube!!

The parts diagram is very confusing.........

 

The "retainer, caliper" is bent so there is a square notch. If I am sitting on the left side of the bike looking through the caliper the notch looks like an upside down U and it is on the right (back) side of the caliper. The pad has a "tab" at the top that will fit into that notch, supposedly with some clearance. The pad on the left is a very tight fit whereas the pad on the right goes in without much contact at all. I was just playing with it and it is only really tight if the pin is in the bottom of the pad. That forces the top of the pad forward so it has trouble clearing the "retainer, caliper" piece at the top of the pad.

 

The Anti-Rattle ( 13 ) is "Inside" the Caliper and Provides Constant Pressure Upon the Brake Pad Plates.

The Retainer ( 14 ) is held by the Spring. It provides the Brake Pads with a HOLDER that has a Smooth Surface allowing the Pads to have the ability to be held in place and still have a Surface upon which to TRAVEL as the Caliper Piston applies pressure to the Inboard Pad ... and Allow for movement as the Pads become worn and the Brake Pad Mounts move closer to the Rotor.

 

Thanks for diagram Rick. I should have done that from the start to clear things up. It looks like the retainer and spring present and in place correctly.

Here is what is happening: With the tab on the top of the pad lined up with the retainer, the pin at the bottom of the pad does not slide through the center of the hole in the pad. Instead, the pad has to rotate forward a little for the pin to be able to get through. As the pad rotates forward, the front of the tab on the top of the pad gets very tight against the retainer.

I am not sure how tight is too tight for the hydraulic pressure to overcome and I don't want the pad to bind when I need it. Should the pad "rest" against the retainer or should it be forced against the retainer by the pin?

Sorry for all the newbie questions but this is my first time going the brakes and I want to make sure they are safe when I am done.

 

The Pads don't fit in there "Loose"
They should be under the tension of the Anti-Rattle Spring.
You should have to apply pressure on the Paads to line-up the Pads and get the Pin through the Holes on the Brake Plates.

Do what you can to prevent the Pads from binding in the Retainer or Pin.
"Dress" the Surfaces that the Pads need to Travel on.

"Shoe-shine" -- "Spin" -- "Twist"

Use 400 Wet-O-Dry and dress the surfaces that the Pads need to move on.
Then do them with 600 or 800

The Pin should look like Jewelery.
Twist some 400 in the Holels on the Pads.

 

Could be a case of modern inferior parts manufacturing.

I bought a top notch set of pads for my daughter's Subaru and could not for the life of me get the left side to go in the notches. I tried everything, finally took it to my bench grinder and touched it a few times. Voilla! It did the trick.

Had to do the same thing with the other side.

Perhaps these brakes were made on a Monday or Friday somewhere in Indonesia and the tolerances were off due to a hangover or a hankering for some booze on a Fri night..

Rob