Front disc brakes
The disc brakes consist of PBR two-piston calipers with 11” rotors. The installation is relatively straightforward although neither PBE nor F5 provide assembly schematics. The only puzzle was the attachment of the brake pad clips, which I detail below. The general sequence of installation is this:
- Rotor attached to the hub and held in place with hub nuts;
- Caliper attached to the caliper bracket using the caliper slide assembly;
- The caliper slide assembly is attached to the spindle by sliding on to the caliper slide pins.
The caliper bracket (top), caliper and brake pads. The caliper bracket attaches to the spindle using the bolts shown. The caliper slides onto the caliper bracket using the ‘pins’ attached to the caliper. The brake pads ‘ride’ on the caliper bracket and are squeezed together by the pistons.
The hub attaches to the spindle and is kept in place with a 36 mm nut. The grooved ring is for an anti-lock brake mechanism which I will not use.
Above is a portion of the caliper bracket and one of the brake clips, showing the correct orientation. The clip is merely snapped into position. The purpose of the brake clip is to reduce wear to the caliper from brake pad movement. The pins on the caliper slide into the tube on the caliper bracket.
The caliper with the anti-rattle clips in place.
The assembled brake housing with the brake pads in place. The caliper bracket is free to slide on the caliper pins. The brake pads, resting on the brake clips, are on either side of the brake disc and keep the caliper slide from coming off of the pins.
Below is a closeup of the underside of the brake assembly. The caliper slide is shown attached to the spindle and the caliper, itself, is held in place with its attached pins that go through the ‘tube’ in the caliper slide.
Another view of the brake assembly, below. The caliper slide, which holds the brake pads, is attached to the spindle. The caliper, itself, ‘floats’ on the caliper slide and the pistons squeeze the pads todether against the disc.
Notes:
- The caliper slides need to be lubricated with a high T brake lubrication compound. I used Sil-Glyde by AGS.
- The caliper slides are attached to the caliper using 5/16” steel bolts; I torqued them at 131 in. lbs.
- The calipers are marked with ‘L’ and ‘R’. The valve for bleeding the brakes needs to be pointing ‘up’ (see photo on the upper left).
- The brake assembly is attached to the spindle using a 12 mm bolt with a 12 pt.head.