Rear brake conversions

[TheCafeKid]

All these problems im having with my OEM set up has me wondering if anyone has changed out their GS's stock rear break set up for something a lil more modern, say something off a Gixxer or what have you... Out of curiousity i was looking at rear caliper set ups for such bikes and found alot of them are axle mount design much like our GS's. Has anyone done this and what is involved? Spacing issues? Rotor coverage and clearance? Any ideas??

Thanks in advance!

TCK

 

[tone]

It shouldn't present much of a problem if you stick to suzuki parts, you will be surprised by how little things have changed from the early gs's right up to later gsxr's & bandits

Here's the things i'd watch out for.........

try & pick the caliper from something with a similar sized disc to your standard one

watch for some of the twin piston calipers being too deep & fouling your wheel

some caliper mounts from gsxr's & bandits are thicker than others where they are used as a wheel spacer, so pick one close to your standard one

wheels spindle diameter could be a problem depending on which setup you pick (some later calipers will fit your standard mount tho)

just my first thoughts fella hope it helps :-D

 

[TheCafeKid]

Could be a b1tch finding that kinda info tho...

 

[tone]

got gsxr slingshot calipers & mounts here i can measure, also gsx1100ef if that helps :-D

 

[TheCafeKid]

Going on a 77 750B...the caliper setups thru the models of GS seem the same..I have a bracket from both an 80 750E and my 77, part numbers match, but the 80 caliper seems to bind on the rotor. Part numbers are different on those, but they LOOK exactly the same. This is really aggrevating. I cant figure out wtf the problem is.

 

[tobiism]

Can you take some pictures of your rear brake so we can see how you've got it setup?

 

[jlvdo]

Going on a 77 750B...the caliper setups thru the models of GS seem the same..I have a bracket from both an 80 750E and my 77, part numbers match, but the 80 caliper seems to bind on the rotor. Part numbers are different on those, but they LOOK exactly the same. This is really aggrevating. I cant figure out wtf the problem is.

Hi CK- I'm experiencing the rear brake bind on my "new" '80 750 project bike. Any luck on finding answers to this problem?

 

[TheCafeKid]

None. I have relegated myself to purchasing a new rear rotor, breaking down the caliper again and putting FRESH new seals in it, switched to stainless brake lines ( i honestly think that old rubber had collapsed inside, causing the whole problem) and i rebuilt and cleaned my rear master cylinder again. If that doesnt fix it, im going to shoot myself

 

[Suzuki_Don]

Hey Josh if you are going to go for a later style caliper you might find that if it is an opposed piston type you might have clearance problems on the wheel side of the rotor. It is safer to go with a caliper with piston/s only on the outsie of the rotor.
Cheers
Don

 

[Flyboy]

The offset may be different on the two, check that the center of the disk runs the same distance out from the hub, this is a little difficult to explain, measure the distance between one of the spokes to the inside edge of the disc, it may be different on the two models, placing the disc either closer to or further away from the wheel, thus it will bind on the one side only.
Also check disk thickness, the disk may be too thick for the caliper opening, remember that solid disks are normaly thicker than the later drilled disks, if this is the case then it is quickly solved by facing a few millimeters off the brake pads, to widen the gap and accomodate the rotor.

 

[jlvdo]

None. I have relegated myself to purchasing a new rear rotor, breaking down the caliper again and putting FRESH new seals in it, switched to stainless brake lines ( i honestly think that old rubber had collapsed inside, causing the whole problem) and i rebuilt and cleaned my rear master cylinder again. If that doesnt fix it, im going to shoot myself

I feel the pain... I'm on the same course and will be rebuilding the rear brake, as well as the fronts, the same way. I'm too big a wimp to shoot myself however. I'll simply dive into a bottle of Glenmorengie, an' thas a fac, *hic*=P~

 

[dardoonk]

Cafe, this is something I've been working on, but decided to shelve for a while to complete my bike. I've got a rear caliper that works, from a busa I think, but I've not bothered to figure out the specifics on building a new bracket.

One issue that stumped me was accounting for the torque arm since new caliper does not have a location to mount it. I had planned on making a bracket that would include a mount for the torque arm.

Our rotor is larger and the bolt patterns don't match either.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Cafe, this is something I've been working on, but decided to shelve for a while to complete my bike. I've got a rear caliper that works, from a busa I think, but I've not bothered to figure out the specifics on building a new bracket.

One issue that stumped me was accounting for the torque arm since new caliper does not have a location to mount it. I had planned on making a bracket that would include a mount for the torque arm.

Our rotor is larger and the bolt patterns don't match either.

Yeah i was looking at some other gixxer set ups, and some bandit ones too...but i couldnt find measurements on them. I DID find a neat lil adapter arm, that nixxes the torque arm, and uses a front caliper, to save on weight. Prolly doesnt have the stopping power, but how much rear brake to you really use? I dont use much, 'cept to scrub off some speed before entering a turn, or when im stopped. Was a bit expensive for what it was, im sure we could have a machinist buddy we may know make one up for us. It needs a 1/2 inch spacer added to the axle however.

 

[tone]

Yeah i was looking at some other gixxer set ups, and some bandit ones too...but i couldnt find measurements on them.

Grrr i did offer to measure up a gix / bandit caliper for you fella i have a few kicking about :?

 

[TheCafeKid]

You did?? You did. My fault, i must have missed that one. Thanks Tone! I'd like to see if i could get some more modern, perhaps even lighter weight and smaller something or other back there. I think my biggest problem is going to be the rotor. Not only is it old school GS, but its spoked wheel old school GS.

 

[tone]

No probs cafekid :-D

if you decide you need measurements off any of the later model calipers gsx gsxr etc just give me a shout, i'm guessing clearance between the caliper & wheel will be tight though

tone

 

[TheCafeKid]

Im gonna see what happens with this stock stuff, ive got all new seals, new rider pins for the caliper, new SS brake line, new banjos and rebuild my rear MC again. SO more or less i have a new brake system. LOL Hopefully this solves my problem. I think i will prolly pick up a EBC rotor for the rear too, should it not and see if thats the issue.

 

[Tarbash 27]

I have an 83 gs750e caliper on my 79 and the rear brakes work mint. Old rubber hose. Stock rotor. I dont really see many advantages with uprgading the rear brakes.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Well it didnt start as an upgrade project. It started as "My rear caliper locks up...why?" I tore the MC apart, fresh goodness in there, put it back on, no joy. Tore the caliper apart. Cleaned it, put it back on. No joy. REPLACED the caliper with one off my 80. No joy. SO..new seals for everything. New ss hose. pretty much new everything except the hardware itself. Hopefully it will correct the issue.

 

[Tarbash 27]

Hows that rotor, any warpage and that thing will lock up. That caliper has to be perfectly centered. Make sure you have the correct spacers in that wheel.