BRAKE PADS CHANGE

Hi folks:

I have to change the front pads of my ´84 GPz550. After unbolting the calipers off the fork legs, I found that I don´t have a clue how to take the old pads away in order to put the new EBC pads on.

I checked the diagram in Kawasaki.com (see attached pic)and the mistery goes on... Just don´t understand how to tear the damn thing apart!

Of course, any help about this will be most appreciated...

Cheers!

Ahhhhh, another reason to own a service manual eh? j/k

I'm not familiar w/ your model brakes so I won't be of much help. Hang on though, I'm sure someone will chime in soon.

I have the Clymer, but it is most focused on the 1980 to 1983 KZ models, with little coverage on the later models differences...

If all you are doing is replacing the pads then you don't take them apart.

1) Take one caliper off the front.
2) Turn it over.
3) As pads wear the piston pushes out into the space of the caliper. With new pads you have to push the pistion back into the caliper so the ir mode room. I usually just use the old pad and a C clamp.
4) The pads fit loosly inside the frame of the caliper. On my 1981 KZ550 all I had to do is take some deedle nose pliers, grap a pad. Slide it toward the center of the caliper and lift it out. The are just held in place with spring clips.
4) After removing both pads insert the new ones into place.

Now comes the hard part.

5) Holding the pads in place and seperated so they fit over the disk, slide the assembled caliper over the disk. This really is the hardes part.

6) Put the bolts back in.

time elapes: For the first one, about an hour. The second time you do it, 5 minutes.

If all you are doing is replacing the pads then you don't take them apart.

1) Take one caliper off the front.
2) Turn it over.
3) As pads wear the piston pushes out into the space of the caliper. With new pads you have to push the pistion back into the caliper so the ir mode room. I usually just use the old pad and a C clamp.
4) The pads fit loosly inside the frame of the caliper. On my 1981 KZ550 all I had to do is take some deedle nose pliers, grap a pad. Slide it toward the center of the caliper and lift it out. The are just held in place with spring clips.
4) After removing both pads insert the new ones into place.

Now comes the hard part.

5) Holding the pads in place and seperated so they fit over the disk, slide the assembled caliper over the disk. This really is the hardes part.

6) Put the bolts back in.

time elapes: For the first one, about an hour. The second time you do it, 5 minutes.

OK, I´ll give it a shot. Later I´m gonna tell you about my success, or my failure!

Wish luck to me, thanx:)

remove the calliper from the fork leg and slide it back off the rotor. the looking into the caliper from the front, you can see how your caliper can slide on the two rails. for the caliper on the left side of your bike(as you are sitting on it) you can hold in one hand (left hand) the piece with the two rails and the part with the piston in your right hand, and from what I remember you slide the bracket toward the piston. this gives you room to take the larger brake pad (inner) that rides on the 2 rails out. you do this by pushing the front of the brake pad toward the piston, and that allows the 2 big holes in the brake pad to back off the 2 rails. the brake pad against the piston just needs to be pushed in towards the back of the caliper and it can be removed.

i don't think it matters which brake pad you remove first or which order you put them in, but you will have more room to work if you remove the pad against the piston first and instal it last.

installation is basically you put the back end in first and then press the front to the side. the clip at the rear of the caliper (92081) puts tension on the pads and keeps them in place. don't lose the two clips (92081A) that are above and below the break pad that rides against the piston. they normally wont come out anyway when changing pads, but it happened to me once.

Post edited by: lifeliberty, at: 2006/07/17 12:46