Front Wheel Alignment-Rosso Mandello

[stormsedge]

Help! Had to replace front rotors due to warpage...replaced front wheel bearings as a precaution. Put everything back as it came apart. When wheel is mounted to forks, both rotors touch down in both brake caliper bodies as if the wheel is offset a bit to the left of center. Took apart, removed right bearing, ensured seat of center bearing spacer in left bearing...reseated right bearing, then tapped left back in until center spacer barely touched down. Put wheel back on...calipers still look like wheel is offset to left. There were no spacers on this bike other than the wide one on the right side and no mention of needing to shim the wheel to center in the manual. What gives? k

 

btw, 2001 Rosso Mandello V11 Sport

[dlaing]

I think there is a spacer missing on your bike.

[jrt]

I've been having a similar issue with my Eldorado and there ain't no damn spacers in that wheel.

 

Anyhoo- how did you ascertain that you had warped rotors? I'm afraid I might have one- the front brakes pulse a little bit more than I like.

Funny thing is- I looked at the rear brake and noticed heat discoloration, but it still brakes smoothly. Time for some cleanage, I guess.

[stormsedge]

I think there is a spacer missing on your bike.

 

 

Dlaing, nope, but your drawing caused me to go stare at my manual and I have put the left spacer on the right side....hmmm, coulda swore I laid those parts out on the floor in order as they came off. Where's that dog? Grandkid? Gremlin? Thanks...I'll go give it another try...if at first you don't suceed...do it two or three more times. k

[richard100t]

Dlaing, nope, but your drawing caused me to go stare at my manual and I have put the left spacer on the right side....hmmm, coulda swore I laid those parts out on the floor in order as they came off.  Where's that dog? Grandkid? Gremlin? Thanks...I'll go give it another try...if at first you don't suceed...do it two or three more times.    k

62438[/snapback]

Thats almost surely the problem. I'm getting ready to do the late fall/winterization for my Rosso. I'll be taking both wheels off, greasing everything etc.

[stormsedge]

Yup...if I'd looked at my manual an hour or so ago, we would not have had the benefit of this post. Spacer on the other side (in accordance with the way it was meant to be installed) makes things line up. Thanks again, Dlaing.

 

jrt, I had a pulsing in the front brake and could actually see the one rotor wobbling at speed (and on the jack for that matter)...when it got to the point that it would "push" the pads back during long periods of no braking, causing me to have to pump the brakes once to seat the pads, I decided that was about enough of that. So ordered up both rotors, new pads (sadly the ones on there were barely used) and the wheel bearings (as a precaution since it had been warped for so long). Old bearings did seem to have a bit of sideplay in them, so just as well. So I'll go do a short test hop in AM, then put it away to play with the grandbaby. k

[Guest ratchethack]

I've got this stuff fresh in my mind 'cause I just did a complete front-end dismantle getting new fork oil and springs installed. Coupla thoughts.

 

Dave's drawing is identical to my bike - not sure if the '01's are the same. On mine and in the drawing, there ain't no spacer on the right, there's only one spacer, it's 15mm wide, and it goes on the left.

 

Is it possible that you got the wheel bearings reversed? I could be wrong, and I don't even know if this is possible 'cause I haven't had my bearings out, but this might cause you to have the wheel in backwards.

 

If it's only a mm or so off, you could try switching rotor carriers side-to-side and see if this makes a diff.

 

On the other hand, if it's only off a mm or so, this shouldn't pose a problem, the caliper pistons will automatically adjust and the rotor buttons should "semi-float" enough to even things out.

 

That's all I got.

 

EDIT: Posted too late, had to take a phone call.

 

Hey Storm - one time last year I thought I was wrong too. But as it turned out, I was wrong.

[jrt]

Wow, I don't have anything like the warpage you describe. I measured the runout on my disks and it's within spec. Maybe I have something else going on?

[Mike Stewart]

Wow, I don't have anything like the warpage you describe.  I measured the runout on my disks and it's within spec.  Maybe I have something else going on?

62473[/snapback]

 

 

JRT,

 

Take a micrometer (not a caliper) and take thickness measurements around the rotor. The most likely cause of brake pulsation is thickness variation in the rotors. Just .001" is enough for some motorcyles.

 

Mike

[jrt]

Thanks Mike, I'll do that.

 

It's not bad, but I can feel it just before I stop. There's one particular grippy place, so sometimes I stop a little more abruptly than I like.

[Keith Foster]

Thanks Mike, I'll do that. 

 

It's not bad, but I can feel it just before I stop.  There's one particular grippy place, so sometimes I stop a little more abruptly than I like.

62509[/snapback]

 

I had exactly the same symptom you describe. Below 20 mph or so you could feel the braking force pulse. It got to where I was watching the front tire from the side as I came to a stop, kind of timing the feel of the pulse and looking at the tire. I was able to use the wheel weights as a reference to where the pulse would be strong. Time after time the pulse would be at a similar spot.

 

I looked at the disks, cleaned them, scuffed the pads, checked the run out, on and on. Couldn't find anything out of whack. With the bike on a paddock stand and the front wheel in the air you could feel/hear the spot where there was a tad more drag on the pads than on the other parts of the disk. This spot concurred along with my previous sightng during stops, but I still couldn't find a cause.

 

Finally one day I noticed the pulse was gone, smooth steady braking all the way to a stop. It took 6-8 months of riding for it to pass. Where'd it go ? I haven't a clue. Maybe a high spot wore down down as Mike Stewart suggests. Unless it really really really drives you nuts, try waiting it out. I was toying with getting new rotors and all that, but glad I procrastinated.

[jrt]

I've had it for about a year now. I like your idea of watching it though- I'll give that a shot as well as the measurement.

J