Anti-squeal shims

[mangocrazy]

I've been dicking about with the old VFR today, and that involved re-fitting the rear wheel and dealing with spacers, rear brake mounting plates and sundry spacers. When refitting the floating caliper assembly the anti-squeal shim got dislodged and halted further progress. Once I'd removed it I couldn't see how it went back, and as I was feeling pissed of, tired and hungry I thought 'fuck it, what's the worst that can happen?'

So - what is the worst that can happen - will I die in a squealing, fiery inferno or will I just develop tinnitus?

[David]

Pardon?

[David]

Anti squeal shims Foook them...straight in the bin is what I say. Then again, I can't hear the brakes...I never touch 'em!

[KungFooBob]

The plate that attaches to the back of the pad, or the little round inserts that go in the pistons?

[Yorick]

Chuck 'em in the bin

[Skub]

Squeal for me boi.

A dab of copaslip on the appropriate side of the pad should work,if they do squeal.

Failing that,just douse the front end of the bike in WD40,tyre and all,just in case.

[mangocrazy]

The plate that attaches to the back of the pad, or the little round inserts that go in the pistons?

The plate that attaches to the back of the pad. Or across the pads and disc (perhaps).

I did mention that I couldn't figure out where it went...

[mangocrazy]

Straight to the bin it is. Annoying little fuckers...

[A_morti]

Just for clarity: the ones on the back of the pad are pretty much optional, but the ones which sit at the pads' "ears" and allow them to slide without eating into the soft cast caliper are not.

[mangocrazy]

Just for clarity: the ones on the back of the pad are pretty much optional, but the ones which sit at the pads' "ears" and allow them to slide without eating into the soft cast caliper are not.

Hmmm - I suspect the one I'm referring to is the second type - the one which allows the pads to slide... It's on the rear (sliding) caliper.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If it's the plate I think it is on a Honda caliper it's an anti rattle plate to stop the pads rattling, you don't need it, and it doesn't go in how you think it should.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Just for clarity: the ones on the back of the pad are pretty much optional, but the ones which sit at the pads' "ears" and allow them to slide without eating into the soft cast caliper are not.

Hmmm - I suspect the one I'm referring to is the second type - the one which allows the pads to slide... It's on the rear (sliding) caliper.

Yeah, one is to stop noise the other is so that you run/slide the pads against steel rather than aluminium. The pad backs are steel, so they'd eat away at the calliper rather than the opposite which would be a touch sub optimal, don't you think?

[mangocrazy]

To complicate matters, it's not the OE VFR caliper, but a CBR600 caliper which matches the CBR600 rear wheel I've fitted (to permit the use of modern rubber). It's the same sliding caliper design as pretty much every Honda from the 80s/90s (and probably later), but I think I'll familiarise myself with a parts diagram to see how it fits and hopefully figure out its intended purpose.

<edit> This is the relevant parts diagram, and it's part number 10, which looks awfully like the protective part. I suspect the anti-squeal bit is number 8 (long since gone on my bike).

CBR600_rear_caliper.JPG (75.47 KiB) Viewed 497 times

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah that's to stop you munching the calliper.

THe little 'hook' on the pad (pretty much where the 6 is pointing) sits against that clip (10) so you're spreading the point loads from the steel pad backing more kindly into the aluminium calliper body and the bracket. When you brake the wheel tries to wrench the pad around, the calliper/bracket stops it (kinda how the brakes work right?) so constantly slamming the hard edge of a steel pad into an aluminium body ain't that wise.

EDIT: This is one of those things that you'd probably get away with for quite some time though! However no self respecting OEM is gonna ask you to do it in the long term.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

No.10 is to protect the caliper, I don't remember it being difficult to fit, it slides on the caliper and then the ends of the pads rest on it.
I thought you were referring to no.8, which is an arse to get in the right place.

[DefTrap]

#8 is the anti rattle

Yeah you do need #10. Those little square tabs just pinch the caliper as a press-fit when you've got the orientation correct. If it won't go then possibly you have it upside down back to front, or the tabs have been jiggered by your hamfistedness.

[mangocrazy]

If it won't go then possibly you have it upside down back to front, or the tabs have been jiggered by your hamfistedness.

Oi! I resemble that remark...

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's one of those things which you cna do in about 3s when you figure the knack! There's only one rear calliper though, so you forget until next time.

My car is just as bad on the front brakes. First wheel takes ages and loads of swearing, second takes no time at all

[mangocrazy]

The problem initially arose when re-fitting the rear wheel. This is always a PITA on the VFR (in fact on most bikes) as you are juggling spacers, chain adjuster blocks, sprocket and chain and brake caliper mounts while trying to get everything lined up and insert the spindle. So when the shim fell out halfway through it was definitely a case of 'fuck it'.

But with everything in place it was the work of a few seconds to unscrew the rear caliper pin, rotate the caliper away from the mounting bracket, insert the shim and then lower the caliper and brake pads back onto the shim and bracket and remount the caliper pin. In fact doing it probably took as long as typing this paragraph.

So it's all done and this little storm in a tea cup is over. Thanks to all who commented.

[Mr. Dazzle]

You need a more modern VFR with a SSSA.