How To: replace the front brake pads on a Buddy 50

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jasondavis48108
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How To: replace the front brake pads on a Buddy 50

Post by jasondavis48108 »

Replacing Front Brake Pads

Note: This How-To would not have been possible without the great amount of help I revieced from lostmycage. Thanks So much :D

Tools:
1) Ratchet with 12 mm socket
2) Needle nose pliers
3) 5.5mm wrench (optional)
4) Torque wrench
5) Container for small parts
6) Stool or bucket to set caliper on
Materials:
1) Thread locker
2) Set of new pads
Time: about 30 minutes if you pay attention to where the parts go before you start disassembling the caliper

Process:
1) Remove the two 12mm bolts that hold the caliper to the fork with the ratchet and 12mm socket.
Image

2) Remove the circular clip on the back of the cotter pin with some needle nose pliers. Be careful when removing the clip cause it can really fly if you lose your grip on it.
Image

3) Use pliers to push the compression plate on the top of the pads down. Now remove the cotter pin from the caliper. Mine was stuck so I used a 5.5mm wrench to turn it a bit and get it unstuck.
Image
4) Once the cotter pin is removed the pads and compression plate will slide/fall out.

5) Put the circular clip, cotter pin, and compression plate in a small container so you don’t lose them.

6) At this point I used q-tips and a bit of spit to clean up the inside of the caliper and the piston walls. This sounds kind of gross, but it was filthy and I didn’t want to use too much liquid cleaner and have it get inside the caliper.
Image
all this brown gunck should be removed so it doesn't end up in your caliper :)

7) Once clean, push the pistons inside the caliper until they are almost level with the inside of the caliper walls. My pads were near gone so this required a bit of effort. If you don’t do this then the new pads won’t fit inside the caliper.

8) Slide the new pads into the caliper with the braking surfaces sandwiched together. I just let them rest on the back wall of the caliper.

9) The tricky part is getting the compression plate and cotter pin back in. Once you have the pads in place insert the cotter pin into the hole of the first pad but not the 2nd. Place the compression plate back into the caliper. The proper placement is with the larger part of the I shape on top of the caliper near the brake fluid line and the smaller part of the I shape resting on the tops of the two brake pads. (see pic) with the compression plate in its proper place, I used the needle nose pliers to push the compression plate down until I could slide the cotter pin over the u shape in the compression plate and through the hole in the 2nd brake pad. And finally through the back of the caliper
Image
10) Reinstall the circular clip.

11) The caliper is now reassembled and you’re ready to mount it back on to the fork.

12) Put some blue tread locker on the two bolts before you put them back on.

13) I put the caliper in place so I could see through both holes in to the fork holes that the bolts go into.

14) I then put some thread locker on a bolt and put this about half way through the top hole.

15) Do the same for the bottom hole

16) Get both bolts flush with the fork but not too tight.

17) Tighten both bolts to 3kg/m with a torque wrench.
That’s it. Your done.

Note: When you first replace your brake pads the braking will be weaker than before you replaced the pads. Be careful and give yourself extra time to brake until the new pads are broken in. Also the pads will slightly rub against the rotor until they are broken in, this is apparently normal and you shouldn't freak out as I did at first. Also I found out that brake rotors get darn hot so don't touch them right after you've ridden or you will burn your fingure and it will hurt :lol:

If there is anything else that folks need pics of that I havn't thought about just let me know. After going through this process twice becuase I put the compression spring in backwards the first time :oops: I could probably have the front brake disassembled and reassembled in about 20 minutes :lol:
Last edited by jasondavis48108 on Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:16 am, edited 3 times in total.
"Only the curious have, if they live, a tale worth telling at all" Alastair Reid
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Lostmycage
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Post by Lostmycage »

<a href="viewtopic.php?p=137466#137470">Check your PMs</a>. Thanks for putting this together, I'm looking forward to posting this in the FAQ!
Check out :arrow: Scoot Richmond's new site: My awesome local shop.
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Lostmycage
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Post by Lostmycage »

Excellent! There's now a link to this in the FAQ.

The process is basically the same, just with slightly different components. If someone wants to take and label some other model specific pics, that'd be pretty sweet!
Check out :arrow: Scoot Richmond's new site: My awesome local shop.
wassonii
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Post by wassonii »

Thank you. A thousand times, thank you.
45 minutes (my first time), not alotta cussin', and saved me some moulah. Merci!
ucandoit
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Post by ucandoit »

Would the process be the same for the Buddy 125?
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skully93
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Post by skully93 »

ucandoit wrote:Would the process be the same for the Buddy 125?
Yes. pretty much the same setup.
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cummingsjc
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Post by cummingsjc »

To be honest, it really isn't that much different on most scooters that have disc brakes.
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