Problem with rear brakes or rotor?

About 2 weeks ago when I went to stop using mostly the rear brakes my tire pushed/slid out to the right instead of locking up like I was expecting and also noticed a rubbing noise after shifting into first and coming to a stop. I decided to order new pads which I definitely needed as the old ones were basically to the metal although there was no grinding sounds and only used my front brakes till the new pads came. Now after installing the new ebc hh rears the rubbing noise is still there, the tire does the same push/slide out to the right, and sometimes I have to mash the lever all the way down and still have minimal brakes. So I either lose control of rear end to the right or the brakes are barely there. If using both brakes as i normally do, the bike still seems to end up pointing a little to the left when I come to a stop so I assume the rear is still sliding a little. Is this most likely a piston/caliper thing or should I be looking at a new rotor? I can spin wheel freely but hear the noise on the left side which makes sense with the tire trying to slide out to the right when braking.

 

the rotor may be warped or the wheel could be out of alignment
I don't see the bike sliding to the side with caliper issues, but I could be wrong
put the bike on a stand and see how the tire rolls and watch the rotor through the caliper
that should tell you alot

 

put it on the centerstand and when I rolled the tire it moves freely around 90% of the way but rubs catches for a second in the same spot everytime around. Guessing its a warped rotor since brake pads were to metal and this problem wasn't there from the beginning only more recently. Would also explain the pistons not being consistent and the random fading.

Finding it hard to find just the rear rotor for sale...are other gens with same size tire compatible like 3rd, 5th or 6th?

 

I'm with Drewl. While you have it on the stand (rear wheel up) check for any lateral movement too due to worn bearings or something similar.

 

Check the slider pins for the caliper. They may not let the caliper slide and just the puck side is working against the rotor.

 

Will take another look at it on the stand and I also found that 3rd 5th and earlier 6th gen rotors are a match so finding one will be easier. Anyone have an opinion about wave rotors? Saw one by galfer but is there any reason to choose that over a stock or one I saw by EBC for only $125 new?

 

There is no lateral movement in the tire. The slider pins move freely but thats only with the pads out or a bolt loosened so unsure if there is supposed to be movement with brakes in but its very tight with maybe 1mm of clearance with everything tightened. As for the swingarm marks? I see nothing that serves as a marker for the tire but I have no idea what I am looking for so not sure.

 

i believe the same rotor was fitted on MANY different Honda models over MANY years, so finding one in good shape from a junk yard should be easy.

 

When I changed my brakes I just pulled the pin to drop out the brakes, pushed the pistons back and put new brakes in. The pistons stay pushed in even when theres nothing pushing back against them. Is this normal? The service manual just doesn't give great detail and also says nothing about wheel alignment just that it should be balanced and aligned which doesn't help at all in achieving that or how to check if it isn't. For now I guess I'll look for a dial gauge, rotor, and remove the caliper and clean and inspect it further by taking off the bolts and removing it from rotor


Found the first problem. After removing whole caliper and pumping the brakes only the front piston moved and the rear is still pushed all the way in.

 

Not the pins that hold the pads on. The bolts that hold the caliper to the bracket are actual slider pins. Take out the caliper bolts and see what I mean. Most have a smooth pin surface past the threads that the caliper slides on. Most floating calipers have a setup like that. I don't know your bike so I can't really say 100% it's like that.

 

They move freely in the rubber boots. Looks like my caliper is shot and a piston is completely seized in there sticking out and wont move in or out even with enough compressed air to launch the working one. Hopefully its just the caliper and the drag from not being able to retract fully.

Not sure what caused this but the piston will not budge even after vise grips locked on and a framing hammer. It may as well be welded in there. Luckily both the caliper and rotor are on 90-2005 vfrs so finding replacements at a good price wont break the bank.

 

Aaaahhhh the old dreaded rusted puck! Glad you found it.
How big a framing hammer? Try a mini sledge. Besides you don't need rear brakes anyways. They only make you slide when used.:eyebrows:

note: Dot 5 (silicone) brake fluid will let moisture settle in those areas and corrode. Not recommended for street use unless you have SS brake parts. DOT 4 is the way to go. Might be the cause amongst others. Like never bleeding old fluid out regularly.

 

The "fun" surprises of buying a used bike that runs great even with neglect. My truck was the same way with original plugs and little maintenance when i bought it with 135k miles yet ran great. After a month of cleaning replacing and upgrading it runs better than new. Will be going the same route with the bike to put her back in perfect shape. I unfortunately could never afford to buy one that has been meticulously taken care of but I enjoy doing the work myself and knowing it was done right.

Thanks again to all that offered help and luckily the weather is crap here so waiting a few days for parts is no biggie.