Front brake dragging

[bgigharbor]

My front wheel doesn't spin quite freely but I've had that before on bikes.  The real problem is that even without using the front brake for miles, one rotor is cool and one is pretty hot.  Always.
 
I've tried loosening that offending caliper a  number times and spinning the wheel and re tightening the mounting bolts.  No luck.  Tried loosening the bolts and spinning the wheel and putting on the brakes and holding them while I retightened the bolts.
 
Tried arbitrarily loosening the bolts and pushing the caliper toward the bike and retightening.  And the same pulling the caliper out and retightening.
 
Any ideas of what I should try next? Doesn't really seem like much range of motion the the fj calipers.  They have a sort of sleeve that fits into the bracket that seem to align the caliper in only one position.
 
For full disclosure I did have those calipers off recently, but I don't know if the problem is new because I never felt the rotors before for temp.
 
 
 

[bgigharbor]

Took the caliper off again and it looks to me like one of the pistons is not retracting as much as the other. So dragging. I pressed that piston back in manually and remounted the caliper and it looks like the wheel turns more freely.
 
So to ask another stupid question, is there an easy way to remove the pistons so I can take a toothbrush and brake cleaner to them?
 
Can I take the calipers off the rotor and put something thin between the pads and pump  the lever to force the pistons out a ways?  The idea being to then shoot some brake cleaner on the pistons to free their movement.
 

[skipperT]

Sure, fold a piece of cardboard and stick it between the pads to replace the rotor.
 
But it sounds as if your brake pad isn't seated correctly. There are very small "guides" for lack of a better word, in the anti-vibration clips of some models.
 
Double check to be sure the pads are sitting correctly in the anti vibe clips.
 
S

[badger]

I use an old brake pad in between the pads. This tends to be thinner enough than the rotor to get at the part of the piston that would normally be hidden. I forget if the FJ brake pads ride on pins, but if they do remove the pins and clean them also.
 
Last thing to check is if the rotor on that side is warped; i.e. spin the wheel several times and see if it stops at the same place each time. If it does, you probably have a warped rotor.

[bgigharbor]

I use an old brake pad in between the pads. This tends to be thinner enough than the rotor to get at the part of the piston that would normally be hidden. I forget if the FJ brake pads ride on pins, but if they do remove the pins and clean them also.  
Last thing to check is if the rotor on that side is warped; i.e. spin the wheel several times and see if it stops at the same place each time. If it does, you probably have a warped rotor.

I took the calipers off again and took turns with each side of pistons pushing them out as far as they would go and then cleaning them with brake cleaner.  That side still runs a touch warmer than the other side, but no longer is it hot. 
There is no visible crust on the pistons and only 5 months old bike so I am guessing I am not the only fj-09 where one rotor up front is running a bit warmer due to piston dragging.
 

[bmoto]

@bgigharbor
 
Any resolution to this?
 
My bike only has 600 miles on it, and I've incurred the same issue.
 
Based on this thread, and what I've read, I may have screwed up.
 
I was bleeding the brakes using a vacuum bleeder. It appears that the vacuum bleeder can suck the calipers back into the housing. In doing so (this is all theoretical) this may have resulted in getting brake dust into that area.
 
So I cleaned off everything thing with brake cleaner, trying to get the calipers extended a hair more than usual, and re-bled the brakes. They still drag.
 
The reservoir is not overfilled.
 
A good effort to turn the front wheel nets me barely a full revolution.
 
I don't want to ride the thing and risk warping something via dragging (or worse), until it's fixed.
 
How did your issue get worked out?
 
Anyone else experience this? The issue is not FJ-specific, I don't think... I'm just not used to sensitive road bikes and how they operate and what they'll tolerate...
 
Thanks in advance.

[skipperT]

Bmoto- it sounds like you read through this thread already, see my reply 5 or so posts up. Remove the calipers and make sure those pads are installed correctly. Spin the wheel while you have the caliper off to see if it's more free..... and to prove to yourself the drag is definitely coming from the brakes.
 
What year is your bike?
 
Skip

[bmoto]

Hey Skip, thanks for the reply.
 
It's a 2015 that I bought as a leftover. The mileage didn't require the fluid change, I just didn't like the idea of old stuff in there... and then brought this on myself.
 
I'll double check the pad installation, but I don't think that's it. I say that because it was dragging before I took the calipers off and disassembled the pads and such, but after the fluid change.
 
I did spin it with the brakes off, and... yep... it spins fine then (good suggestion, tho!).
 
Trying to think of anything else obvious, or not so obvious, that I may have overlooked.
 
I'll disassemble it all again on Monday and see what I can find. Does pulling out out the calipers from the housing open up a bigger can of worms?
 
Thanks again!
 
brian