Fid_Hawser
01-10-2007, 03:13 PM
A while back I mentioned how a ride on a new Buell made me aware of how weak my Bonneville brake had gotten. After replacing the disk, pads and fluid (all due, but not over-due), something was still wrong. When I removed the pads again, I saw that the shim had been damaged at some point and it was hanging-up the pads.<br><br>If my illustration makes it to these new boards, you will see how the pads' backing plates (green) were hampered by the deformed shim, reducing the pressure of the friction material (blue) on the disk (red).<br><br>Who'd a thunk?!<br><br>This is my first replacement disk on this bike and my 3rd set of pads. Having bought it used (1 yr and 6000 miles), I don't know when the shim was originally damaged, but my lever had gotten progressively softer over the years. Thankfully, it's now up to par.<br><br>Lesson learned: check every last part carefully!