DIY: 2008+ front rotor replacement

[spooph]

Right oh, after perusing the DIY directory, I didn't find one for the front brake rotor, so I came up with this, hope it helps somebody. I actually remembered to start taking pics when I started to re-assemble the bike so you might notice some inconsistencies:

-Put the bike on a rear stand, or jack stands so that it is secured and won't fall over.

- Remove the cotter pin in the front axle and break the nut loose.

-Lift up the bike by using a jack underneath the engine, right over the oil filter is a good strong area:


-Make sure the front wheel is about 3 inches off the ground, this offers clearance for the wheel to be remove from underneath the fender:



- Remove the axle nut and slide the axle out. Hold on the wheel at this point, otherwise it will just fall out.

- With the wheel removed, brake the rotor bolts loose. I believe these were 5mm allen (hex) bolts. I needed a long breaker bar to get these loose. Much like the stock bar-ends, Kawi coats the length of the thread with thread lock, so they're kind of stuck in there!

-New EBC rotor vs. old stock rotor:







-Apply new thread locker goo:





-Bolt the new rotor to the front wheel. Tighten bolts in a star pattern. 20ft. lbs. for rotor bolts. 4L is the bolt your looking for.







-New rotor on wheel:



-Old rotor over-layed on new rotor for comparison:



-Re-grease speedo drive:



-NOTE: Depending on how you have the bike suspended, and how comfortable you are with the jack underneath the bike (not the one supporting the rear wheel), slowly lower the bike, with the wheel between the forks, until the holes through the forks and the wheel line up. This can be a bit tricky and take some time, but it does make getting the axle in a bit easier. I usually just pick the wheel up and stick it in there. You have to be able to hold the wheel up with one hand for about 30sec - 1.5min depending on how to long it takes you to get everything lined up.

-NOTE: Once you've put the axle into the fork, through the speedo drive and onto the wheel, you can let go of the wheel to reposition that PITA bushing on the other side of the wheel.

-Re-grease the front axle and insert it through the whole front wheel assembly making sure to have both shims, one on each side, the speedo drive, and the washer on the nut side in the correct order. Tighten the front axle to 65ft. lbs.



-Re-pressurize the front brake. What the lever looks like without pressure:



-What happens the first few times. If this happens on the road, you're hosed, no brakes, no brakes:



-Properly pressurized system, the max the lever can be compressed:



-All of the tools I used during this exercise, you might not need as many:



-EBC product codes and ID #:











The EBC rotor cost me ~ $150, and this exercise took me about 30 minutes to complete. My chain then took me another 45 minutes to tighten correctly. I shouldn't wrench on the bike when I'm tired.

[kkim]

Great DIY! Thanks!

[headshrink]

Thanks! I think that is actually cheaper than the OEM rotor, IIRC.

I see you used red, but do you think blue loctite would be safe on those bolds?

[kkim]

I would use red. Brake rotors are not something you want to see come loose while you're riding.

[headshrink]

That is what I was thinking. I also assume these bolts come off a little easier than the barends because they have hex heads, therefore not cam-ing out like the phillips.

[headshrink]

Originally Posted by spooph

Lift up the bike by using a jack underneath the engine, right over the oil filter is a good strong area:

I have heard of others cracking their oil filter cover from using it as a jack point; so you will want to be aware that this is a risk, and has happened.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by headshrink

That is what I was thinking. I also assume these bolts come off a little easier than the barends because they have hex heads, therefore not cam-ing out like the phillips.

...and I've also heard of people breaking the bolts in the wheel as they've tried to get them out. Knowing they are secured with red loctite, I would heat first to aid removal

[spooph]

Yes, red lock-tite, not blue.

Yes, they came off significantly easier than the bar-ends.

Yes, I'm aware I can conceivably crack the oil filter, but don't really know, aside from a front stand (that supports on the bottom of the steering stem, not on the forks, of a better way to do it... Any recommendations? I just thought I'd be careful with the oil filter cap....

Keep the feedback rolling!

[kkim]

You can lift the bike with the jack (along with the rear stand, of course) and place some jackstands under the footpeg bracket area to stabilize it, while bringing the jack back down off the engine to reduce the load in that area while you work.

When I need to lift from the engine area, I lift w/ a good fitting piece of wood between the jack and engine to prevent metal to metal contact.

[headshrink]

I take my front wheel off with a front [fork] stand. I have never had a problem.

[Alex]

/linked from DIY sticky

[randomwalk101]

How many miles do you have on the bike?

[kkim]

Originally Posted by headshrink

I take my front wheel off with a front [fork] stand. I have never had a problem.

you will when you need to do work on the forks or triple clamps.

[00NissanNinja]

Nice DIY. by now he probably has like 40,000 miles on it haha.

[spooph]

36K

thx Alex!

[00NissanNinja]

Originally Posted by spooph

36K

slacker! jk

[spooph]

Yea, I know Nissan, I know. I'm a bit short of my goal, oh well, life gets in the way. Maybe next season I can make up for it...

[headshrink]

I just did my 20K service. **sigh**

I have less than 0.5mm before I am at the service limit on the front rotor, and I am pretty much there on the rear rotor. I am in utter disbelief how much the OEM rotors are (~$500 for both).

Thanks for being the guinea pig on these rotors. Do you have any post install comments about the performance? I am also wondering about how they wear, but I know it hasn't been long since you put yours on.

Are there other aftermarket options that are reasonably priced? I have been looking, but haven't really found anything yet.

What about the rear rotor? I can't find ANY aftermarket (cheap) alternative for the rear.

Lastly, if you look at the picture in this link, it is different than yours, but shares the same model number. Should I assume the image is just wrong (that would suck, it's pretty)?

Edit: Oops, forgot to include the link...
http://www.amazon.com/EBC-Brakes-MD4...7084797&sr=1-1

[headshrink]

I did lots of cross-referencing today... took a few hours.

EBC Front = MD4162C
EBC Rear = MD4163C

Unfortunately all the pictures I find lie. They show gold floating centers, but they are really both as shown above by OP.
I just ordered them for ~ $130 ea. Cheap Cycle Parts is one of the few places I found it at.

I couldn't find consistent info on Galfer rotors.

If anyone wants to stick with the OEM rotors, contact Matt. He offered to source them CHEAP in another recent thread. He seems to really take care of us here.

[spooph]

rock on Headshrink! I though EBC made an aftermarket rear-rotor as well....

So far, they seem to be a solid replacement for the stock rotors. I've covered less than 1,000 miles on them, but there is no excessive sign of wear. Grip is the same as the stock ones as well. I might take mine off and paint the inner part, as the stock rotors are painting. I don't like all that extra shiny on the front end....

Keep us posted on that rear rotor... I'll be changing mine out in about .2mm...

[headshrink]

Son of a#$%@$%#$%! I KNEW this was going to happen too.... I just got an email from cheap cycle parts... the email I knew was going to come. Apparently they waited until AFTER I purchased the rear rotor to inform me it is back-ordered until mid DECEMBER! That is just like them. I sort of suspected this was the case though when I couldn't find the rear rotor at any other retailer.

Fortunately, my instinct paid off for the front rotor, because I placed that order with another retailer.... that shipped today.

[headshrink]

I do have to give props to Powersport Superstore, which is the place I ordered the front rotor from (through Amazon).... I got the tracking number yesterday, billed yesterday, and it is already in my hand!!! According to the label, it shipped from TX. Shipping was only $9.xx.

[spooph]

sick, good news! Powersports is going on the good list!

[headshrink]

This might be a dumb question, but is it recommended to change pads when rotors are changed? I have plenty of life left in my pads, and didn't know if it would wear smoothly on a fresh rotor.... actually I was concerned it might not wear the rotor evenly.

[00NissanNinja]

Originally Posted by headshrink

This might be a dumb question, but is it recommended to change pads when rotors are changed? I have plenty of life left in my pads, and didn't know if it would wear smoothly on a fresh rotor.... actually I was concerned it might not wear the rotor evenly.

It is recommended since the pads will have shaped themselves to any of the imperfections/shaping in your old rotors. Might not be absolutely necessary depending on the situation (eventually the old pads would shape themselves to the new rotor with time I suppose).

[headshrink]

Thanks.

I suppose it is cheaper to focus on having the rotors last longer...

[randomwalk101]

Stock center is painted black and ebc does not. Does it rust over time without paint?

[spooph]

Headshrink, I ran the old pads with the new rotor. If you consider you can run 4 or 5 sets of pads on a rotor, the left-overs from one set of pads (.5 pads), is not going to have a massive impact on the rotor wear.... Also, you will find the old pads to wear quicker than a new set of pads, being that they are shaped to the old rotor, and have an uneven surface area, which means they get scuffed flat quickly, and after that wear pretty close to the old rotor....

randomwalk - I haven't found any rust on the interior unpainted part yet....

Edit: Let me also use this space to say after about 2K on the new rotor, things are looking A-OK. Wear is about the same as stock, grip is slightly less than before (although that might be my stock lines getting flexy as well), and all around, totally worth the cash saved....

[headshrink]

I think it is awesome you went through 4-5 pads.... I went through 1.5 and am at ~20K miles.

Just ordered some SS line for the front, but wouldn't you know it.... backorder too.

[spooph]

You're right on par dude! I'm at 38.5K on my ninja, and I wore my stock rotor to 160% at 3.6mm. A set of pads seems to be wearing about as long as a front tire - 10,000 miles... And that's under some pretty average use for me, mostly commuting, but plenty of joy rides in the canyons, and 3 tracks days to date....

Last track day my lines swelled so much that they wouldn't bite at all, and then almost lock up, very binary, very bad... Time for some steel braids..

[kobachi]

Originally Posted by headshrink

Son of a#$%@$%#$%! I KNEW this was going to happen too.... I just got an email from cheap cycle parts... the email I knew was going to come. Apparently they waited until AFTER I purchased the rear rotor to inform me it is back-ordered until mid DECEMBER! That is just like them. I sort of suspected this was the case though when I couldn't find the rear rotor at any other retailer.

Fortunately, my instinct paid off for the front rotor, because I placed that order with another retailer.... that shipped today.

FYI I ordered some parts from them in July that are STILL backordered. Despite the fact that I've asked them to cancel several times.

[headshrink]

Mine is due Dec. 13th.... we'll see if it happens. I think when I ordered the rear seat cowl a couple years ago, they changed the date once or twice. However, that is more of a supply issue, since these places don't actually have inventory.... but it sure is frustrating. My rotors were at the service limit back in mid October!

[headshrink]

My final rotor did finally arrive yesterday. It shipped on the day they said it would probably be available. When I opened the package, I did see why it costs less then the OEM rotor. QC has a lot to be desired. There are metal burs in virtually every hole that is drilled in it. This is on both rotors, which were supplied from different retailers. I picked up some metal files to file it down, but I'm not happy about it!

You can kind of get an idea from this picture:

[randomwalk101]

Missing piece of metal at lip of mounting hole?

[headshrink]

Originally Posted by randomwalk101

Missing piece of metal at lip of mounting hole?

I believe you are right, but I was referring to all the crap in the holes I'll have to file out. If any of that got under the brake pads, that rotor will be TOAST.

[headshrink]

I just sent the following email to EBC, and will post any response.

"I just received both a front (MD4162C), and a rear (MD4163C)EBC brake rotor for my '08 Ninja 250. Each rotor was purchased from a different vendor, due to availability, and they both have what I consider a significant amount of metal burs in virtually every hole and slot (Pictures available upon request). This not only looks poor, but I am concerned about getting burs between my pads and rotors, which would not only hurt braking ability, it would also destroy the rotors.

Is this normal for EBC rotors, and should I be concerned?

Thank you."


I noticed their web site says they are ISO 9001 complient. 9001 must be the ISO standard for high school shop classes (although I would have been graded down for leaving burs).

[spooph]

Dang Headshrink, sorry to see that! Mine weren't like that AT ALL! They were smooth, polished, and didn't have that indent for the mounting holes either.... Maybe they changed factories or something, cause that's just scary! I mean, at that quality, they should cost $60/pop, not double that, eh?

[headshrink]

Originally Posted by spooph

Dang Headshrink, sorry to see that! Mine weren't like that AT ALL! They were smooth, polished, and didn't have that indent for the mounting holes either.... Maybe they changed factories or something, cause that's just scary! I mean, at that quality, they should cost $60/pop, not double that, eh?

Agreed.

For a moment I thought I might have gotten knock-offs, because one vendor was from amazon.com, but the other was cheapcycleparts.com.

[headshrink]

I finished installing mine last night, but didn't get to test ride it until this morning's commute. I followed all directions and torque settings to the letter. I also put a fresh set of pads on (EBC HH). I'm not sure if I have a problem, or if this is normal, but when I set out for work this morning, they sounded like they were grinding a bit. At one point it felt like it may have even vibrated, but I don't think that replicated (checked rotor was flat on garage floor before installing). I pulled over and it looked a bit scoured, which I thought was a bit much for only putting 1 mile on the pads and rotors (light braking due to break-in period). I turned around and borrowed wife's car for work because I wasn't comfortable continuing until I knew there was nothing wrong.

Does this sound normal for the initial few bites on a new rotor, or does it sound like I have a problem? I can post a pic when I get home if necessary.

[headshrink]

Here is what it looks like. This is with aprox. 2 miles. Does this look like normal break-in scoring?