2003 V Star 1100 rear wheel installation, need help with this

A

ALD

Well-known member
I started installing my rear wheel by following the instructions from the Yamaha service manual, I have all the parts to where they should be & when I tighten the axle nut to 77ft lbs the calliper mounting bracket will not move as I have not put the bolt in at the top of this bracket.
Just want to know if this is the way it should be, because when the axle nut is loose this bracket can be moved up & down about 1/4”
This calliper bracket does it hold in tight by the wheel axle & the bolt that is at the top or is it only the one bolt at the top that keeps it tight.
 
I could find a picture of the brake parts and the swingarm, but nothing to show how the two parts go together, not even a decent photo of the assembly.

:/ I suspect that torquing the axle nut is the final step during assembly, by then the brake mount should be in place and secure. The axle is one point where the mounting bracket is secured, but there always has to be at least one additional tab or bolt to hold things from rotating about the axle, or the brakes won't work so good.
 
There is a slot in the swingarm to hold the rear caliper mount. It will NOT be snug until the axle nut is done up.
As Trials mentions, torqueing the axle nut is your final step after everything else is in place and tight.
 
TK4 said:
There is a slot in the swingarm to hold the rear caliper mount. It will NOT be snug until the axle nut is done up.
As Trials mentions, torqueing the axle nut is your final step after everything else is in place and tight.
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In the Yamaha service manual the torque sequence is first the four bolts that hold the rear drive to the frame then the axle bolt, next the axle holder, then the brake caliper bracket & the last one is the brake caliper bolts.
Which sequence would work out better?
 
ALD said:
In the Yamaha service manual the torque sequence is first the four bolts that hold the rear drive to the frame then the axle bolt, next the axle holder, then the brake caliper bracket & the last one is the brake caliper bolts.
Which sequence would work out better?
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Do it like the book tells you, then if you're still nervous loosen and retorque the axle nut.
 
If it uses a slot and a tab then you already know which way the brake is going to force it you can hold things in that aspect while you tighten things down. Is this a shaft drive bike? That simplifies the brake mount because the rear axle never has to move, they usually only need a slot to allow for chain slack adjustment.
 
Trials said:
If it uses a slot and a tab then you already know which way the brake is going to force it you can hold things in that aspect while you tighten things down. Is this a shaft drive bike? That simplifies the brake mount because the rear axle never has to move, they usually only need a slot to allow for chain slack adjustment.
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It is shaft driven, the caliper bracket has a slot at the top & it is mated with a lip that a bolt fits into which holds it tight in this area as well.
But when the axle is tightened the top of this bracket where this one bolt is seems it is shifted to the left, do you think it might come back to the right once the caliper is tightened on.
 
Ouch, really sounds like something one would need to see, absolutely follow the OEM service manual if that is what you are working from, but yes I would bolt it all up and watch for things that look like they are being forced out of alignment. Things all should look square and proper. Best test once it is all tightened down will be the brake operation; when it is still on the centre stand, wheel should spin free, not make grinding sounds, brake and then release nice along with your pedal operation. If it does all that you must have done it right, if brake is not assembled right the wheel will probably just bind up solid.
 
Oh wait, I think that bike might be too heavy to even have a centre stand.
 
Trials said:
Oh wait, I think that bike might be too heavy to even have a centre stand.
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I don’t have a centre stand but it is on a motorcycle lift with the two wheels in the air.
Once everything is tightened & I bolt the caliper on with no pads to check the alignment of the rotor to the caliper, the rotor should spin in the centre I presume?
 
I never put one together wrong and didn't immediately know it.

... pictures before you take things apart is very cool idea and something we just didn't have in years past.

I just put on a set of nice new soft grips, I always find that hard to do :|
 
ALD said:
I don’t have a centre stand but it is on a motorcycle lift with the two wheels in the air.
Once everything is tightened & I bolt the caliper on with no pads to check the alignment of the rotor to the caliper, the rotor should spin in the centre I presume?
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Put the pads in, pump the brake until its firm and THEN check for excessive drag. There will be a slight amount, that's normal.
 
Did you change the fluid too, you gotta do that occasionally or it will bite you.
 
Trials said:
Did you change the fluid too, you gotta do that occasionally or it will bite you.
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Once everything is back together I will be bleeding the front & rear brakes as the fluid in the front master cylinder looks dark.
Have you bread your brakes?
When a clear tube goes onto the bleeder nipple do you secure it with a zip tie just in case if it comes off as this stuff is quite corrosive.
 
ALD said:
Once everything is back together I will be bleeding the front & rear brakes as the fluid in the front master cylinder looks dark.
Have you bread your brakes?
When a clear tube goes onto the bleeder nipple do you secure it with a zip tie just in case if it comes off as this stuff is quite corrosive.
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I flush them the easy way, push the pads fully back, old fluid out the top, new fluid goes in at the lowest point with a big syringe. Last brake master I replaced was only a few weeks ago, was fast and easy, I put down a piece of cardboard to work on so the fluid didn't mess up my garage floor finish, but there was very little spillage anyway.
 
ALD said:
Once everything is back together I will be bleeding the front & rear brakes as the fluid in the front master cylinder looks dark.
Have you bread your brakes?
When a clear tube goes onto the bleeder nipple do you secure it with a zip tie just in case if it comes off as this stuff is quite corrosive.
Click to expand...
When I flush I suck the fluid from the master rather than pumping it thru the system. Once it's clear you will likely see a brown or grey residue -- wipe it off and spray out with brake cleaner. Be careful if you have an older bike as brake fluid cuts thru lacquer pain really fast.

The best way to bleed is to attach a clear vinyl tube over the bleeder, there is no pressure in this tube so you don't need to zip tie. Put an inch or two of old fluid or motor oil into a small mason jar, and make sure the far end of the clear bleeding tube stays submerged. This prevents air from sucking backward. Bleed by filling the reservoir than repeatedly squeeze the brake lever GENTLY until the new fluid runs clear into the mason jar. If you have dual brakes, to the furthest or the second in the loop first. If you have ABS, get a service manual and follow the ABS purge/bleed procedure.
 
You guys always trying to bleed brakes from the lowest point lol Around here air rises so the best place to bleed air from a hydraulic brake system is the top. The short piece of clear plastic tube and syringe should never contain air, you pop that over the bleed screw before loosening the bleed valve screw, push fresh fluid into the system and the first thing that will happen is the brake pads will start to come up tight against the disc (because you already pushed the pistons back as far as they go), next the fluid you are adding will push the old fluid in the brake lines back up into the reservoir, hopefully along with any air that you might have accidentally introduced into the system.
Do it that way and it will be fast, efficient, not the least bit messy and you probably won't even need to bleed any air off.
 
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