Technical Binding front brakes. Only in the rain.

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Technical Binding front brakes. Only in the rain.

Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
127
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Location
Cape Town
I dont understand. My brakes are binding, but only in the rain?

what could cause this?

Ive taken the piston out and Ive bled the brakes. But It was fine untill I drove in the rain again....


:(
 
Doesn't sound like much of a problem - in my experience it only rains once a month in South Africa :p

OK - like you, I'm puzzled. I have not struck that before - binding in the rain. Makes no sense at all, as I'm sure you realise :) I think it's probably a coincidence that it happens when it rains.

Brakes can bind because of blocked brake hoses (the fluid gets through under pressure, but can't get back), rust on the caliper sliders, or faulty adjustment of the brake servo pushrod (IF it's adjustable - some designs are not, in which case it's a faulty brake servo).

-Alex
 
Just wondering if the leading edges of the shoes have enough chamfer, maybe water getting into the drums is causing the shoes to grab and after that the water layer on the drum is swiped-off and no longer causes an issue from there onwards.

Sounds to like there is just a lot of crap in the drum. I would take the drum off, give the inside a good clean and refit, and readjust the brakes. The damp is probably causing the surface of the drum to rust slightly, at which point the rubbish has enough material to gunge up the pads and cause them to bind. Applying the brakes the first time will clean off the rust on the drum surface, so you don't get it again until it's been wet and standing for a while.

It is definitely worth having the drums off, and giving them a good wire brush round the inside anyway.


Check the return springs are ok as well, not stretched or broken.

I developed the habit when starting off in morning of riding the brakes while accelerating in 1st gear before changing to 2nd.


Flush the brake fluid at the callipers for the whole system. Keep adding new fluid into the master to be sure to flush it all and check to make sure you're using the same DOT spec (3 or 4). Water expands when it gets hot, possibly keeping positive brake pressure at non-braking. Brake fluid absorbs water and the only place to get water is at the seals in the calipers.
Bad flex hoses would be an all-the-time problem, not just at higher temperatures.




I may have cut and paste this from other
websites.
:D
 
Last edited:
Did any of these suggestions actually work, or has it not rained in New Zealand this week?

I'm genuinely interested to see if it fixed the problem.
 
Good post about cleaning the drums Ucof but i think he said it's only the front left brake which is binding.

I'd say put a new brake hose on and see if that cures it.

Dan
 
I think ill bleed the whole system. There might be some air in the system.

I have to put a new box in tomorrow... my clutch gave up on me on thursday and it does not make sense to just replace the clutch if the 4rd gear is faulty either.
 
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