Rear brake installation?

[White Dog_imp]

I removed my rear tire and had a new one installed. Now, I am having difficulty positioning the rear brake caliper onto the rotor, rear axle and frame. I do have the axle through the left side of the wheel, chain on the rear gear, but can't get the brake caliper positioned. Any easy pointers anyone?

[Houtman_imp]

Take a wooden dowel , just a little smaller diameter than the axle and carefully position all the parts , it is really very easy and have a piece of wood under the tire to line up the holes of the different parts and make certain that you have the spacers in the right place. Also make certain that you place the chain in the right place !

[Pauley]

Once you have everything lined up, a dead blow hammer or a hard rubber mallet is useful for that last bit of mph needed to get the axel in place. Light taps while you jiggle the wheel should do it.

[White Dog_imp]

Ah, I got one step ahead of myself. The axle is the last piece of the puzzle. The caliper should be the first piece, then the wheel, chain, and then the axle. That will be tomorrow's job.

[peterbaron]

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....#pid257761

[White Dog_imp]

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....#pid257761

Installing The rear tire along with the chain, caliper and axle is a tough job for a 2-handed person. I did use a wooden rod to align the right hand side (caliper, bearing and wheel axle) but fought the left side since my right hand was positioning the wooden rod, my right foot was positioning a small 2x4 under the tire and my left hand was manhandling the axle, which left me with using my knees to align the wheel in order to insert the axle. An extra hand would have been a great help. I didn't have access to a drop table or any other mechanical device but just the right verbage and the axle finally centered in the hub. On goes the chain and the tightening and alignment process began. Job completed. Only took me two afternoons. Next time I need a new rear tire, I'll pay the extra money and let a motorcycyle shop do the work.

[Houtman_imp]

Put the wood under the tire first , I use a 6 inch wide "plank" and than strips of thin plywood to get the exact height for lining up with the dowel , depending on the tire you might need a couple of strips of the 1/8 strips of plywood.

[White Dog_imp]

Put the wood under the tire first , I use a 6 inch wide "plank" and than strips of thin plywood to get the exact height for lining up with the dowel , depending on the tire you might need a couple of strips of the 1/8 strips of plywood.

Thanks! Great suggestion. Why didn't I think of that? Do you extend the wooden dowel thru the left side bearing? Hindsight says I would have had the wheel in proper position, then I could have slipped the axle into the hub with ease if I had done this.

[Houtman_imp]

Sorry to reply late and yes I use a long enough round dowel to line up ALL the parts All the way and than use the axle to push the dowel out . Before you do anything remove the chain guard , this will make it easier with the chain.

[Gone in 60]

Just a side note, since I removed and reinstalled my wheels recently to have my new tires mounted. I have a method that makes rear wheel installation easy for me, and avoid having to lift the wheel or monkey around with wedges.

I use an automotive floor jack (heavily padded) under the engine to lift the front wheel for removal, then place jack stands under the fork legs for support while the wheel is out for tire mounting. Once the front wheel is back on the bike, I lower the jack to gain clearance to get the rear wheel under the rear fender. Once the chain is around the sprocket, and the wheel is on the ground, lined up with the brake caliper bracket, I raise the jack again, slowly, to lower the rear of the bike until the swing arm holes line up with the wheel. Then, it's just a bit of rolling the wheel to get everything lined up perfectly to slide the axle through.