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Thread: Rear brake not working

  1. #1

    Rear brake not working

    Hello everyone,

    So I took my bike to Rocky Mountain Cycle Plaza (service wasnt very good) in Pueblo last weekend to get my new tire put on. When they were all finished, the first thing I noticed was my rear brake was not stiff as it was before. This is my first bike (and first tire change) so I figured it would need to time stiffen up. Well, went to go ride this weekend, rear brake is not working at all now. Checked my reservoir for my brake fluid it was empty. I also noticed my bleeding nut was not tightened all the way so thats probably where it all leaked out. I have filled the reservoir tank and tightened the bleed nut but my rear brake still is not working. Is there anything else I can check before taking it back to RMCP and having them charge me?

  2. #2
    Gold Member asp_125's Avatar
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    Bleed the brakes?
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    aka - The Devil Lifetime Supporter
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    fill, pump bleed (repeat ,many times)

    This is going to take some time, but whats happened is a bunch of air has replaced the fluid in the system. I doubt there's anything major wrong, just need to go through the process .

  4. #4
    Senior Member Filo's Avatar
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    Define not working...

    After replacing and bleeding brakes (see below about the bleeding thing), you have to pump them up to push the pistons back into place. That is 3-4 presses on the brake lever to get things back where they should be.

    If the lever is spongy but gives you some resistance, you have air in the line (most likely, since you said all the fluid drained). Bleed the brakes (easy to do, look on internets for instructions) and you should be good. Remember to pump them back up

    If you have no brakes at all, did you have them before? If so, check for things like a leak in the brake line or a leak at the banjo bolt - that little flared end where the brake line goes into the rear brake caliper. Check your pads (inside the calipers - look through the little hole in the top) to see that they are 1) installed and 2) thick enough. Thick enough for now is about 2 quarters width or so. There is actually a specification for how thick, but you are looking for stuff like there is no brake pad, so you can estimate. The pad will be a composite material attached to the metal backing that the brakes are mounted to the caliper with.

    Check those things, get back to us...

    There is no reason that the tech would have bled the brakes with a rear tire change unless you asked them to, so they should not have loosened the bolt.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member Filo's Avatar
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    Damn, ninja'ed. I type too slow. Go to work you two.
    1989 Honda Hawk,2005 crf250x supermoto

    It is better to communicate good information than to offer misinformation in the name of good communication. Alastair B Fraser

  6. #6

    Re: Rear brake not working

    Wow, thank you for all the replies!

    I will try bleeding the brakes and refilling over and over again. I didnt take into account there could be air in the line.

    @Filo

    Not working as...well literally not working. I press the brake and there is no pressure as well as does not slow me down. I use to not be able to press the brake all the way down due to pressure but I can easily reach the bottom with ease. I refilled the brake reservoir and pumped it a lot of times but I didnt feel any pressure come back. Yeah I had brakes before but they felt different after the tire change. I took it to Pueblo but I live in Canon City so after the ride back, the rear brake barely worked and by the time I got back but I figured I didnt pump it enough. It wasnt until this weekend I realized the brake was no longer working and that the brake fluid was empty. I did not request the brake to be bled but like I said, this is was my first tire change ever so I didnt know any better.

    I will check all the suggestions and get back with you guys, thanks!

  7. #7
    Senior Member Filo's Avatar
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    Like everyone said, start with bleeding the brakes. It is really easy to do with a minimum of tools. I got a pressure bleeder from NAPA auto parts to make it easier on me, but it is easy enough to do. A friend can be useful to help with bleeding, but not necessary.
    1989 Honda Hawk,2005 crf250x supermoto

    It is better to communicate good information than to offer misinformation in the name of good communication. Alastair B Fraser

  8. #8
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    Quote Originally Posted by Filo View Post
    Like everyone said, start with bleeding the brakes. It is really easy to do with a minimum of tools. I got a pressure bleeder from NAPA auto parts to make it easier on me, but it is easy enough to do. A friend can be useful to help with bleeding, but not necessary.
    It's always good to have a friend nearby when you're bleeding. This I HAVE to agree with.

    s

  9. #9
    Senior Member dragos13's Avatar
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    They do not need to touch the bleed screw in order to change a rear tire. If you are sure it happened from them, I would be calling that shop to talk with a manager.

    As for fixing it, its really simple to do by hand. Hook up a line to the bleed screw and run it into a bottle. Pump the brake lever a couple times, and on the last pump hold it down. Then, open the bleed screw to let out pressure and close back down all while holding the brake lever down. Once the bleed screw is closed, start pumping the brake lever again. Repeat until you start getting solid fluid out of the screw and pressure comes back. If the thing was totally dry, it might take a while to get the air out.
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  10. #10

    Re: Rear brake not working

    Quote Originally Posted by dragos13 View Post
    They do not need to touch the bleed screw in order to change a rear tire. If you are sure it happened from them, I would be calling that shop to talk with a manager.

    As for fixing it, its really simple to do by hand. Hook up a line to the bleed screw and run it into a bottle. Pump the brake lever a couple times, and on the last pump hold it down. Then, open the bleed screw to let out pressure and close back down all while holding the brake lever down. Once the bleed screw is closed, start pumping the brake lever again. Repeat until you start getting solid fluid out of the screw and pressure comes back. If the thing was totally dry, it might take a while to get the air out.

    That is what I thought. I just called them back and let them know whats going on. He said the same thing, they dont bleed the brakes on tire swap outs. He was reluctant to believe me but I told him its no coincidence that my brake was working fine before I got to the shop and now its not working at all. I told him its my first bike and Im not going to touch anything I dont know something about (brakes included) so it sounds like he is willing to work with me on it. I am taking the bike in this Thursday, will post results.

    Thanks again to all who posted!

  11. #11

    Re: Rear brake not working

    Just wanted to give everyone an update. I took the bike back and they repaired my brake. They didnt say much about what they did but I was looking at it and they put a whole new line in from the bleeding screw to the actual break spring so Im guessing something got punctured in the line. Anyway, they fixed it no questions asked so not a bad deal at all. Thanks again to all!

  12. #12
    Senior Member Vellos's Avatar
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    Re: Rear brake not working

    Things like that is why I do my own service. Doesn't matter if they fix it for you afterwards - they're still putting you at risk while riding when they screw up.
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