Brake rub after fork rebuild

[BadBatzMaru]

hey guys.. i finally started my fork rebuild the other day... figures since I've been reading this site soooo much, until the one day when I NEED to access it so I can get my bike back together it goes down... oh well. I'm glad its back up though!

anyway I rebuilt my forks with new seals and bushings and I put progressive springs in w/ 15W oil... when I reinstalled the wheel, the rotor was rubbing on the pads... the wheel still rotates, but no so freely.. anyway, i thought, since I was going to replace the old pads fouled by oil, i'd do that and see what happens.... so now I've got the new pads on and as I rotated the wheel to get the pads to sit properly, they began to rub again... (I pushed back the pistons before new pads went on, so they slid over rotor no prob... only when i refill them with fluid that they begin to rub...)

so what did I do wrong?? did i bend something??? or is this expected?? It rubs but still rotates freely... and it also seemed like, as i set the pads, that the rub was uneven.. i've tried to realign the forks by loosening the axle nut, squeezing the brake and pushing on my forks, but the problem still exists... any ideas??? will the rub disappear as I ride?? the brake action seems fine, just i figured there shouldnt be any rub......
please help me. thanks in advance everyone...

[JamesG]

Just go for a ride and you will see that it frees up.  The caliper rides on two pins on the brake bracket that you bolt to the fork leg. Once it sorts itself out it should turn fairly freely,  but a new pad will never let the wheel spin as much as a worn one. Just the price you pay.

If it is still binding after a few miles, THEN you have something to worry about.

[BadBatzMaru]

k thanks.. i'll give it a shot after i finish up the last bits of things to do....

but, is it weird that it would rub before i changed the pads?? or is that also pretty normal that the position would shift a bit after a fork rebuild?

thanks james

[Richard UK]

The disk rotor may be warped.  

Whenever you take the front wheel off the bike, as you would do for a fork job, never lay the wheel on the ground so that it rests its weight on the disk.  Use a couple of blocks of wood to rest the wheel rim on that will hold the disk rotor clear of the ground.  

Don't risk propping the wheel upright against a wall either, in case it gets knocked and falls hard on the disk side!

That said, it is normal for disk brake pads to drag a little.

[TheGoodGuy]

i know my front disc maybe warped or something cause when i spin it it does touch / rub.. but the braking effect nor is it binding .. so i ride it no matter.

[scratch]

Or, if you have a slightly bent axle...take out the cotter pin and loosen the axle nut. Prop up the bike so the front wheel is off the ground. Rotate the axle and spin the wheel like you're going to balance the rim. Rotate the axle until you find the least rubbing or resistance. Just my .02.

[The Buddha]

Nope its normal...If the wheel makes more than about 5 turns when you spin it and it doesn't seem to visibly move too much side to sde or up and down and when riding the brake dont pulse and shudder its not warped.
I have ridden with a warped rotor and I have ridden with a rotor that had a defect in it where it was thicker in a few places and thinner in a few other...and rubbing is not of concern really. They are made to rub a little.
Cool.
Srinath.