Bearings and brakes

Can bad wheel bearings cause the caliper to the disc brake not work?

See, I've known my front wheel bearings were starting to die for a while, and I was out yesterday testing a fix to my fuel leak problem (it's fixed) and while I was out I was buying everything I needed to be able to change my wheel bearings, including the new bearings, the front wheel started to really wobble where previously it was only slightly wobbly and you had to really try to shake it to make it shake. Twice yesterday my front brake wouldn't work until I pulled on it a second time. When it didn't work the lever just pulls with no resistance and no braking force.

I'm wondering if these two problems, the brakes and bearings, are possibly related. This routes back to the question at the top. Can bad wheel bearings cause brakes to not work?

If the front wheel wobbles DO NOT ride the bike until you have found and corrected the problem. Otherwise you may end up being injured or worse. Ed

650ed wrote: If the front wheel wobbles DO NOT ride the bike until you have found and corrected the problem. Otherwise you may end up being injured or worse. Ed

Agree! Riding a bike like that makes you a Darwin Award Winner in training. Don't do it.

And yes, a wobbly wheel will cause the brake pads to be pushed back into the caliper, which will then take a couple of pumps at the lever before the pads get close enough to the disc to create friction.

You should also replace the oil seals. All-Balls-Racing wheel bearing kits include the seals. If not for that, I probably wouldn't have serviced the speedo drive gearbox. it was easy.

Best money you can spend. Now you will be able to balance the tires for a smoother ride and the tires will last longer. I misadjusted my rear brake, when I stopped half way on the last trip the rear brake was SMOKING. :ohmy: I ordered new ones for when I got back. They still work but I don't trust them. I put them in new but the bike sat for 15 years. Now I'll switch them for a worry free ride. Little things like that make all the difference.
It's good to know what's going on between your legs.
Steve

This is a learning experience for me because prior to getting this bike on the road, I never rode any bikes in any serious capacity. Just on again, off again, storing them indoors, paying a professional mechanic to do safety checkups every once in a while, fair weather warrior, not even TRYING to care about how anything works...

I bought this KZ partly to learn how to repair and maintain bikes because I can no longer afford a car, or to pay anybody to do maintenance.

The bearings ended up completely trashed and I never crashed. I did however just yesterday have them replaced and even changed over to a wheel with less miles on it, but I changed the bearings on the wheel I swapped to first, just to be doubly sure. I have the devil's luck, but I've learned to never push it once I learn why something bad has happened or could have happened. The new wheel is installed and everything is awesome. Rear wheel feels fine, no wobbling when I try to shake it.

Oiling the chain and checking/adjusting the the tension of the chain today, because again, never push the devil's luck, and I've put maybe twice as many miles on as I should before maintaining that... Only recently learned how, and how frequently.

Want to see just how much of a freaking idiot I've been about these bearings? Keep in mind, I know better now, so please don't yell at me, because it's not only fixed, but I'm never letting it get anywhere near this point again... I'm posting these images more as a warning for other potentially negligent morons out there to see why you should take this kind of thing seriously.

The seal of the right side bearing hanging off the axle.


Inside the hub viewed from the right side, the right side bearings had fallen out and were all over the inside of the hub.


Left side was in better condition, if just super f'n grimey, but you can still see the seal on the bearing has gone to hell and isn't long for the world.


Don't be like me. Don't ride on a wheel until you can feel it wobbling while riding it. I'm lucky I didn't face plant. Check your bearings often.

I would urge you to thoroughly check all the other mechanical bits that can get you killed before riding that bike again. If those bearings were so sorely neglected it's a cinch that other parts were not maintained properly. Ed

650ed wrote: I would urge you to thoroughly check all the other mechanical bits that can get you killed before riding that bike again. If those bearings were so sorely neglected it's a cinch that other parts were not maintained properly. Ed

+1
The factory service manual includes a very useful routine maintenance section. It would be a really good idea to start at the top of that list and work your way through it. Most of the items require only basic skills and basic tools. For the more specialized tasks, there is a great deal of help and experience to be had around here.

650ed wrote: I would urge you to thoroughly check all the other mechanical bits that can get you killed before riding that bike again. If those bearings were so sorely neglected it's a cinch that other parts were not maintained properly. Ed

The neglected wheel was from a different bike. It had a fairly new tire on it (good tread, 2 years old) but it was from a different bike... I've personally verified the integrity everything else on the bike, and replaced everything that didn't look like it wasn't in perfect condition aside from surface rust on the frame, tank, and chrome bits. I'm regretting doing the lazy thing and just swapping the wheel without checking the bearings on it, but at the time I didn't know to check the bearings.

Basically I took everything apart into individual pieces to learn how it all went together, replaced all the gaskets, and replaced anything that looked worn or damaged when I put it back together (there wasn't much in the engine itself that needed replacing). The rear master cylinder and rear brake line had to be replaced. Everything else is in good condition except for perhaps the helmet lock, which won't unlock.

I've even replaced the entire starter motor, the stator, shocks, spark plugs, etc. The chain inside the engine (I forget the name, cam chain?) is in great condition. The drive chain's brand new, clutch cable's brand new. Next month I'm replacing the entire front brake assembly aside from the calipers because they're fine. The only reason I'm doing that is peace of mind, because they look and are working fine (now that the front wheel's been replaced and has new bearings to boot).

I also have a spare set of forks that I'm having professionally restored and I'll swap them in as soon as they're ready. Not so much because it needs it (it doesn't) but because while my forks are in perfect working order, they're not in perfect cosmetic order. There's a lot of pitting up on top between the top and bottom of the triple tree.

Everything else I also had multiple mechanic friends verify my work on, so I'm very confident in the rest of the bike. The original wheel from the bike is back on it, and it's much lower wear and tear.

It makes the world a lot less complicated if after you do all this maintenance to check the caliper bleeder valve and make sure its not plugged. I dont think it is mentioned ANY WHERE on this helpful site. :side: :pinch: :blink:

9er rider say it !!!,
Bleeder valve can plugged if the break fluid are not change over a long period (+ without bleeder cap).
BTW, your wheel bearings are suicide style !!!!
Do a major maintenance to check the complete bike !!!
Get some FSM @
www.manualedereparatie.info
www.zedrider.co.uk/service--owners-manuals.html