on an 89 to ...?

[ninja_steve]

what is it that holds that interior front brake pad on?  the pad guide clips?  i was working on my brakes and noticed that the front pad seemed to just kind of barely hold on there.

[starwalt]

what is it that holds that interior front brake pad on?  the pad guide clips?  i was working on my brakes and noticed that the front pad seemed to just kind of barely hold on there.

Are you referring to the pad without the two loops, one on each end? If so, it just hooks over the guide rods. The other pad has two loops that the guide rods pass through. They both float around the rotor.

Kinda weird when you first look at it isn't it?  

This type is usually referred to as the unequal pot (piston) caliper. Later models when to equal size pots and the brand Tokico boldly cast on the outside. Another difference is the older model had pucks inserted into the pistons that actually pressed against the pad. The later Tokico had the piston pressing the pad directly.

An interesting thing about the later caliper is that one pin is removable while the other is part of the caliper half. The old one had both guide pins as part of the caliper half.

I've got four calipers on my "dirty bench" in clean up mode. Two old style fronts, one late model front and one rear caliper.

Brake work is probably the dirtiest work on these bikes. Especially when it has been neglected. <yuck>

[ninja_steve]

can you give me a rough idea what you are talking about where it hooks to?  i have changed the pads out once, but today i did a line, rotor and pads and i must be missing parts or something cause it just doesnt want to hold on  



i am talking about the smaller pad w/o the loops on it.

[TarzanBoy]

Ah,  the interior pad on the front.   The answer to your question is:

invisible chewing gum

Actually, NOTHING holds that pad in except for the proximity to the rotor and the brake caliper.     I wondered the exact same thing when I replac3ed my brake pads a couple of months ago.  (I have an '89)

Later models of the GS500 do a better job of securing the pad... but not the '89 with its awesome clip-ons

[starwalt]

The smaller pad is trapped in place between the two Item 10 (spring clips) Mounted to Item 11. The drawing perspective is from the left side. Item 11 bolts to the right fork.

Here's a pic (quick shot - sorry) Click the pic for a bigger photo.

The smaller pad simply sets on the mount, suspended by the two spring clips. It cannot go anywhere because the pistons are on one side and the rotor is on the other.

[ninja_steve]

cool thats what i needed to know.  here is a no bullshit story.  thursday i was riding with a few friends, and we were going down a long sweeper at a good clip.  i was leading, and at the bottom of the hill (sweeper was a 180 turn) there was construction and the road had a metal plate on it where they are laying some piping.

i hit the metal plate at probably 25 after braking hard and my forks bottomed out really hard and i had a small headshake.  after i get going straight, i see something fly out off into the side of the road off my bike.  i think wtf.  next thing i know i have no front brake.  somehow my interior pad wiggled loose and shot out.  i had a 17 mile ride home of using engine brakeing and the rear brake.

i noticed i dont have those guide clips, they must have fallen off somehow.  hopefully the dealer has em in stock, even though i doubt it.

[starwalt]

Whoa.  
Sounds like you are in need of a rework for sure. The piston housing should float on the long pins of the same bracket holding the small pad. You probably could safety wire the small pad to ensure that it never leaves the assembly. It is not a heavy duty item to start with. The later model (equal piston) has a pin passing through the only loop on the smaller pad. Impossible to lose without losing the pin AND the cotter holding the pin in.

Don't hold your breath with the dealer. I had a rubber boot (Item 9) for the same caliper above backordered for about 9 weeks! Tokico supplies for all the makes. If the dealer orders it, you will have to pay up front and then wait. They usually don't charge shipping though. The same style caliper is used on some new bikes I've seen at my local Suz shop.

Try M R Cycles online. I've never had a problem with them. Of course there is always the first time.