Front wheel alignment/brake issues?

**bezajel** · 12th May 2009, 17:41

Riding a Yamaha Scorpio '08...

Sooo I was leaving the carpark at work tonight, and something felt off about my front wheel - sort of like it was dragging/making a crunchy noise/not turning properly/stuck - just enough for me to notice. I stopped, turned off the bike, and had a good old inspection of the front wheel - couldn't see anything stuck in/on it, all the cables looked right, etc. I wheeled the bike back and forwards a bit and heard a faint dragging noise, but then that seemed to stop. The brake worked so I went on my merry (but cautious) way.

I checked it out more when I got home, popped her up on the centre stand and spun the wheel a bit. (Here's wehre my descriptions are fully untechnical...) It seems like at a certain spot, the brake is dragging along the um.... disc... enough to stop the wheel on its second spin round. So it's like perhaps the wheel alignment is out a bit, so one side of the disc is too close to the brake thing and drags. I assume this is what I was feeling when I took off earlier... not sure if the dragging is a new thing, but noticing it when I ride certainly is...

I haven't been doing anything extreme to cause this! No impacts/drops/crashes (at least not for months

- and nothing since the last service!), only bumpy ride would have been the way back from Makara which is sometimes a bit bumpy.

Is this something that I should worry about, or is it totally normal for the brake not to seem exactly even? Is there anything I can do to correct it (or my partner who's more technically knowledgable than I am), or do I need to take the bike in somewhere?

Advice? lol

**FJRider** · 12th May 2009, 17:46

Sounds like a warped disc...

**sinfull** · 12th May 2009, 17:51

Originally Posted by FJRider

Sounds like a warped disc...

Or a loose disc perhaps, but i'd lean towards the warped disc !
How it got warped would be the question ! Not like the scorp be heating the discs too much !

**FJRider** · 12th May 2009, 17:58

Originally Posted by sinfull

Or a loose disc perhaps, but i'd lean towards the warped disc !
How it got warped would be the question ! Not like the scorp be heating the discs too much !

Riding with two fingers on the front brake for a bit... then the disc gets splashed by a puddle, would be enough ...

A shudder when front brake is applied would confirm its warped ...

**bezajel** · 12th May 2009, 18:43

Hmmm haven't noticed any shudder. Don't think I ride the brake ! I don't cover the brake at all so just use it at normal slowing/stopping times... (But haven't had my riding closely observed so who knows what bad habits I have).

Neil's had a look at it, spun the wheel a bit - now it's dragging the whole way round - less like it's warped and more like the brake isn't fully disengaging - is this likely? He's having a ride to see what it feels like anyway.... eep!

:

**YellowDog** · 12th May 2009, 18:51

If it brakes smoothly when you apply pressure, then this would imply that the disc is not warped. You would know if it was warped because it would be an uneven juddery brake action. Not at all safe.

Could it be as simple as a stone chip?

It sounds like this problem is not impeeding your riding. My advice woud be to take the pads out, give it all a good brush/blow out and then put it all back together again.

Good luck.

**sinfull** · 12th May 2009, 18:54

Ya should prolly go through the motions of making sure all is well in the calipers, pop the pads out and give them a buff up (could be a chip of pad lodged in there) The seals that keep the internals (IE the pistons) sliding could be compromised and letting water in and jamming up a bit !
Wouldn't stress too much unless the wheel wont spin a full turn or turn and a half when off the ground !
Keep an eye on it and if ya discs start turning a shade of blue, i'd worry !

Edit : Actually, thinking about it when were the pads replaced last, ya could be worn out, hence the scraping noise !
Deffinately check em ! (should be able to see at least 2 mm of pad when looking with a torch from the front !)

**bezajel** · 12th May 2009, 19:16

Originally Posted by sinfull

Ya should prolly go through the motions of making sure all is well in the calipers, pop the pads out and give them a buff up (could be a chip of pad lodged in there) The seals that keep the internals (IE the pistons) sliding could be compromised and letting water in and jamming up a bit !
Wouldn't stress too much unless the wheel wont spin a full turn or turn and a half when off the ground !
Keep an eye on it and if ya discs start turning a shade of blue, i'd worry !

Edit : Actually, thinking about it when were the pads replaced last, ya could be worn out, hence the scraping noise !
Deffinately check em ! (should be able to see at least 2 mm of pad when looking with a torch from the front !)

Could be some chip on the pads or something... definitely not overly worn. Bike is less than a year old and only done about 3000k... also, we checked the pads

Wheel spins a few times when Neil does it (I only give it sissy spins..)

Seems ok to ride, though it's making a more high pitched scraping noise all the way around now...

**WasPhantom** · 12th May 2009, 19:17

Just had a look at it, and I'm a little perplexed. Plenty of meat on the pads, and I checked for a warped rotor with both a gauge, and on a run around the block (or so, I forgot how fun really really light bikes are in the corners heh), alas it wasn't as simple as a warped or loose disk.

However on my return, it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore, it is doing something else though. I haven't managed to track down the noise, but it's either from the speedo cable (although the indicated speed didn't drop), or from the front brakes still, but it makes a high pitched noise (however not a scraping noise) when ever you go over 50km/h, or under heavy engine braking, and will continue to make the noise until you get under 25 - 30km/h.

Sometime over the next couple of nights I'll probably just pop the pads out, and visually inspect things, but I'm not sure what it would be.

**sinfull** · 12th May 2009, 20:08

Originally Posted by WasPhantom

Just had a look at it, and I'm a little perplexed. Plenty of meat on the pads, and I checked for a warped rotor with both a gauge, and on a run around the block (or so, I forgot how fun really really light bikes are in the corners heh), alas it wasn't as simple as a warped or loose disk.

However on my return, it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore, it is doing something else though. I haven't managed to track down the noise, but it's either from the speedo cable (although the indicated speed didn't drop), or from the front brakes still, but it makes a high pitched noise (however not a scraping noise) when ever you go over 50km/h, or under heavy engine braking, and will continue to make the noise until you get under 25 - 30km/h.

Sometime over the next couple of nights I'll probably just pop the pads out, and visually inspect things, but I'm not sure what it would be.

Be keen to learn what it turns out to be, cause the Mrs has an 07 scorp !

**Conquiztador** · 12th May 2009, 20:51

My money is on that one side has a slightly jammed piston that leaves the pad against the disc. Strip and clean is the answer.

**Cloggy** · 12th May 2009, 21:12

Have heard from more than one person now that the speedo cables on these can cause trouble and and some strange noises.
My bet is the speedo cable.
Mine still seems good as gold after 10000 kays but my front disc is definitely warped or has a soft spot. You can feel and count the revolutions the wheel is doing when applying the brakes.

**CookMySock** · 12th May 2009, 21:18

Sometimes on learner bikes, the brakes aren't used that heavily and they can do strange things, which might explain why it cleared up quick when WasPhantom went and gave it a burst. Or else it might have been a little pebble caught in there.

Steve