SBS brake shim question

Kawasaki Z1A

I am right now rebuilding the single front disk brake. new braided stainless with vinyl coating and chrome banjos etc. New hard line and so forth. I also purchased SBS stick on brake shims. I have never used these things but I am real tired of a squeaky front brake. The instructions tell me to cut the stuff to the dimension of the backing plate, OK no problem. The instructions go no father than that. Do I stick the stuff to the backing plate between the plate and the new pad, or to the backing plate between the plate and the caliper piston?

Or should I use some other substance to stop the god awful squeak.

After several failures attempting to halt horrendous disc brake squeal using various other products and procedures, both KZ900 and Z1 front brakes have stayed mouse-quiet since using Permatex Copper Hi-Temp behind pads in conjunction with caliper overhauls.

This was several years ago, fitted with whatever aftermarket pads (and caliper restro kits) Z1E had available at the time, and I can't make them squeal, wet, damp or dry, regardless of application pressure.

Had no success whatever with the typical thin watery automotive style anti-squeal products.

Ymmv, but for me, this was the Miracle Cure.




Good Luck!

I am not rebuilding the caliper at this point, everything caliper and master cylinder wise appears to be working fine. I will ditch the sbs shims and use the copper rtv. I assume a smear between the pad and the thin metal backing plate?

Jhenry wrote: I am not rebuilding the caliper at this point, everything caliper and master cylinder wise appears to be working fine. I will ditch the sbs shims and use the copper rtv. I assume a smear between the pad and the thin metal backing plate?

Would apply to serve as a seal between clean mating surfaces, and allow the product to cure before applying the brake.

My experience was with the caliper first restored to as new condition, whereby the caliper floats smoothly on clean slightly lubed shafts protected by new seals from intrusion of dust and road gunge.
The dust seals had deteriorated over the years, and morphed into some form of rubber goo.
Externally, the caliper appeared to be working fine. But disassembly proved otherwise.

So if it still squeals, [you know].

Good Fortune!

I have the magical copper goo now and am applying it in order to have it cured prior to any installation. The seals and so forth look good and are all intact and pliable. If there are continued issues I will pull it apart again and rebuild.

Jhenry wrote: I have the magical copper goo now and am applying it in order to have it cured prior to any installation. The seals and so forth look good and are all intact and pliable. If there are continued issues I will pull it apart again and rebuild.

While it might work very well to apply the sealant and allow it to cure before installing the pads, would suggest applying the sealant and immediately install the pads so the sealant will cure with the pads in position, but don't apply the brake until the sealant has cured.

Good Fortune!

OK, too late to mount the pad and then let it cure, it was well cured prior to reading that bit. No harm, no foul though. I was very careful and used just a bit to seal it. I was very careful to get it even. After inspecting and cleaning all the caliper bits I scuffed the outside of the parts with a green scotch brite pad, hosed it with brake cleaner, and shot it with two coats of gloss black caliper paint. Looks fantastic. I reassembled the thing, mounted the pads, and the caliper to the bike. I installed the new black coated stainless lines, new chrome banjos and bolts, new hard line, and new bracket. Filling and bleeding took awhile but I got clear fluid with no air after some time. The old fluid looked like it had a certain social disease and needed some antibiotics from the medic. Once I inspected the old top line closely it had some major cracking too. Even with the pads brand new I have far better braking up front than before. It is quiet, no squeal, and looks good.

Thanks for the report!

Good Fortune!