Brake troubles

[400exMO]

I'm having brake troubles, my front brakes won't release completely when I let off the brakes. They stick alittle bit. I've bleed the brakes and inspected the calipers and the pistons, they're all working fine. Do I need new pads?

[smitht316]

check the caliper slides.....they should move freely. if they are free...... with the wheels off the ground crack the bleeder and if the brakes free up then you have a hydraulic problem..... get back to me if its a hydraulic problem.....more explaining and more complicated..... more the likely you have a slide problem.... just clean up all the dirt and mud on the slide and put some good lube in there

[pual0101]

are both sides doing it or just one? if its only one then try checking your spindle, if its bent the pads will sieze on the rotor

and no i dont think it would be a pad problem

[400exMO]

everything moves fine. THe pistons move with my thumb in and out with wheels on and off. We've bleed the brakes and everything and the problem remains.

smitht316 please go into alittle bit more detail because brakes are alittle bit foreign to me. ANy help is greatly appreciated.

[smitht316]

ok first off brakes sticking will never be caused by air in the brakes so bleeding the brakes will not help... air in the brakes will cause a low/soft pedal meaning grabbing the brake lever and not stopping very well. there are only four things that would cause your brakes to stick. master cylinder, brake hoses, calipers and slides. both the master cylinder and brake hoses can be eliminated by cracking the bleeder and seeing if the brakes release. which would only leave calipers and slides... and you said that the calipers were not sticking.....the slides are located on the bracket that mounts to the spindle..... as you can notice there are two rubber cap on the ends of the calipers. under those two caps are the slides. you can remove the whole assembly by taking off the wheel and the two 12mm bolts on the spindle. after removing those two bolts you SHOULD be able to slide the other bracket right off of the caliper assembly. if it takes any extra effort to remove that bracket then the slides are sticking

[81 clark racing]

my 03 400ex is in the shop 4 the same thing right now and its caliper realted i had 2 get my rebuilt or sumthing costed me $240 ill let u no what exzactly needed 2 b replaced

[400exMO]

smitht316 when I cracked the bleeder the brakes freed up. And by slides do you mean the little metal rods that go through the tops of the brake pads?? Because I took those out and sanded them shiny smooth with emory cloth and the problem remained.

[smitht316]

ok before going any further just how bad are your brakes sticking. can you spin them by hand and there is a little drag or are you having to apply alot of pressure to spin them by hand

[400exMO]

They aren't sticking to bad, I can spin with my hand fairly easy. But they just started this, they used to spin when I blew on them.

[pual0101]

im still curious if it may be a spindle, it seriously was our problem not even a week ago
and still, is it both fronts or just one?

[400exMO]

Originally posted by pual0101
im still curious if it may be a spindle, it seriously was our problem not even a week ago
and still, is it both fronts or just one?
both front brakes, and both spindles look fine.

[400exMO]

Well I might have informed you guys wrong. My brakes release fully but my front brake control doesn't fully release. It sticks alittle bit and I have to push it forward for the brakes to ease up. Any input?