Replace the Brakes on a Harley
Performing a brake job on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is a necessary task whenever the brake pad friction material falls below 1/16 of an inch in thickness. Pad thickness should be visually inspected every 2,500 miles. When the wear level an a pad is reached, replace both pads on that rotor at the same time.
Instructions
Front Brakes
1. Remove the screws from the front brake master cylinder cover using a cross-tip screwdriver. Take off the top cover from the master cylinder.
2. Remove the two mounting bolts from the front brake caliper using an appropriately sized hex-key. Pull the caliper off of the front disk with the brake line still attached.
3. Unscrew the retainer screw from the inner pad with a nut driver and pull off the inner pad and pad retainer. Push the inner pad free from its retainer spring clip and mounting plate. Remove the outer pad. Discard both used brake pads.
4. Push on the front brake caliper piston to cause it to retract into its housing. Push the new outer pad onto the spring clip and mounting plate. Install the outer pad, spring clip and mounting plate into the front brake caliper.
5. Install the inner pad into the caliper and insert the new self-tapping screw through the pad and pad retainer.
6. Position the brake caliper assembly onto the front rotor. Insert and tighten the upper and lower mounting bolts.
7. Fill the front brake master cylinder with DOT 5 silicone brake fluid to the fill-line. Place the cover back onto the master cylinder and tighten the screws.
Rear Brakes
8. Disconnect and remove the muffler with an SAE socket. Set the muffler in an out-of-the-way location to protect it from damage.
9. Remove the bolt pins from the rear brake caliper. Carefully lift the caliper off of the rear brake rotor.
10. Take off the retainer clip from the caliper and pull off both the inner and outer brake pads. Remove the pad shims.
11. Install the new brake pads and pad shims. Insert the retainer spring onto the caliper to hold the pads and shims in place.
12. Lower the rear brake caliper onto the brake disk so that the pads straddle the disk. Re-install the bolt pins into the caliper.
Fill the rear brake master cylinder with DOT 5 silicone brake fluid to the fill-line. Place the cover back onto the master cylinder and tighten the screws.
Re-install the muffler using SAE wrenches.
Tags: brake caliper, master cylinder, front brake, rear brake, brake master
