| Author | Message | ||
     Silverbullet |
Getting my first new pair of shoes on my 2000 x1 and I have never taken off the front wheel before. Wrong or right, I had to take the front caliper apart to remove the wheel. Was this the way it was designed or did I miss some big obvious step? Call me green,I just don't know. Any advise on this issue would be appreciated. | ||
| Djkaplan |
You did remove the brake pads first, didn't you? It's a real tight fit between the disc and the wheel. I'm able to remove my caliper intact, but I have to spend a minute finessing it out. It helps to put tape on the wheel first so you don't scratch it. Some people grind the interference points away on the caliper to facilitate removal, but I didn't have to on my M2. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I think we're gonna get our peepee slapped for posting here. | ||
| Silverbullet |
Um sure I did?!?  Thanks for the wake up, I'll bet it would have had I done that first. Thanks for the advise. | ||
| Sfmc_x1 |
I had this unfortunate experience last week... the caliper removal, not the peepee part. I went and loosend the rotor bolts to slide the caliper off and drop the front wheel. I got the new rubber back on the bike but in the end, it seemed like a silly design flaw. | ||
| Denfromphilly |
Reading this reminds me that this is one of the few items I consider a design flaw on my bike. The only other gripes I can remember right now is #$@%*& Torx Screws and that gawd awful air box!!! Slap Away! | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I never could do it the right way. I always end up taking the rotor off. Remember, that's the WRONG way. WRONG. ME=WRONG. I am history's greatest monster. I tried to do it the right way the last time and gave up after 30 minutes. Also, you're not supposed to reuse the rotor's 5 bolts. I found out about this little fun fact after doing it probably 6 times. | ||
| Uwgriz |
I usually argue with it for an attempt or two, lean back, wipe brow, mutter how I know there's a sweet spot, reach back in and have the caliper practically fall out of the wheel. There's a sweet spot that works perfectly although you can't see it, describe it to anybody else or even intentionally try to find it. It seems to come out when it decides it wants to. If you use a real light touch, it pops right out. (I say this but have yet to get it out on the first attempt. Second attempt a number of times, but never the first.) | ||
| Bomber |
sweet spot griz mentions is often, though not on all bikes) aligned with one of the "spokes" on the disk carrier once you have the caliper off, get a large, very coarse file, and break the edges on the inside of the calper that hung up on the wheel rim -- there's a lot of meat there, and you can remove more than enough to ease your future removal/installation efforts greatly -- after wbout a week, if you filed carefully, the aluminum corrodes to the point that you can't see your handiwork, but you'll make the crowd go "OOooooo, AAAAAhhhhhh" every time they witness your near-painless caliper removal trick | ||
| Newfie_buell |
No need to remove the caliper or rotor. Remove the bolt holding the pads in place, push the caliper pistons back using the pads, pull the pads and this will give you enough room to pull the wheel. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"Remove the bolt holding the pads in place, push the caliper pistons back using the pads, pull the pads and this will give you enough room to pull the wheel." I don't see how this could be possible in the 3-dimensional world we live in, but if you've found a way, I'm sure the world's top physicists would like to speak to you. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
There is a bolt that holds the front pads in place, then the little plate comes out, you can gently push the pistons back with a large flat screwdriver using the pads or an old set of pads. The brake pads will come straight out. That will give you enough room to remove the wheel without removing the rotor or caliper. I have done it this way many times. | ||
| Djkaplan |
"That will give you enough room to remove the wheel without removing the rotor or caliper. " Not on my 2000 M2. If you've done this many times on a Buell with the 340mm disc, I'd like to see you do it. It's just not possible on mine. | ||
| Uwgriz |
Ok, we'll do it the Canadian way - you don't have remove the caliper from the confines of the wheel, you just have to remove the wheel from being around the caliper.  Anyway, it's the same sweet spot, except, er, backwards. BTW, Newfie, I know exactly what you're saying, I'm just enjoying the semantics. (Message edited by uwgriz on September 22, 2005) | ||
| Reepicheep |
I used UWGriz's approach exactly (though I ate lunch). Before lunch? No way this can come out, I can see it's impossible. After lunch (no other changes) I reached right down and it came right off. I have no idea how I did it. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Was there spinach in your sandwich? | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Sweet Spot | ||
| Stevem123 |
Like Bomber said, the large hole between the spokes of the rotor is where the sweet spot is. Once you figure it out, it's a piece of cake. BC Steve |
