Loose Rotors! Please Help

J

JPunisher

Registered
I just noticed that my front rotor (right side) is loose. The center piece is fine but the outer part and rings are loose.
Attached is a pic.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8544/rotorw.jpg

1. Does anyone know if it is possible to tighten this or do I need to get a new rotor?

2. Can I still ride like this or will I end up busting my :moon: ? Can I damage the bike if I ride like this?

3. Anyone know if this is caused by a bigger issue?

Thanks,

JPunisher
 
The floaters are supposed to be a little bit loose. you should be able to rotate them with your fingers. How loose are they?
 
busa dave said:
The floaters are supposed to be a little bit loose. you should be able to rotate them with your fingers. How loose are they?
Click to expand...

Mine are tight as a drum (no pun intended) I am on an '09.
What year and how loose?
Bubba
 
It is an 06. It has about 9000 miles but has only been in my hands for a very short time. While I was googling this problem I stumbled upon this video. This is exactly whats happening.

- Rattling brake discs on a Suzuki GSX-R 600[/url]

The left side of my front rotor is tight but the right one seems loose.

Thanks,

JPunisher
 
Last edited by a moderator:
happened to my buddy, he just replaced the rotors to be on the safe side, *floater rotors dont move like that, *floater* rotors are called floaters because they only are attached by the rivets which gives them room to expand and shrink as they get hot and cool down.... i guess the only reason why they are like that cause its time to change them they gettin worn out
 
Last edited:
Word of caution, I replaced mine and then noticed that my new rotor did the same thing. I discovered the problem wasn't the rotor, instead I found the forks were not straight so it was creating offset tension to the rotor which caused the rivets to get loose. Check your forks, triple trees and handlebars before you buy another rotor or you may waste your money.

Has the bike been laid down before?
 
Thanks for the help. This brings me to a couple of questions such as:

1. Is it safe to ride like this for a while?

2. Any recommendations for rotors? If I am going to change them I might look into getting something better. These are the stock rotors but they have chrome centers.

Thanks,

JPunisher
 
I don't know if it has been laid down before I bought it but I have not dropped it yet (knock on wood). Handle bars, triple tree and forks seem fine to the naked eye.

J'Man - How long before you had the same problem with the new rotors?

Thanks,

JPunisher
 
JPunisher said:
I don't know if it has been laid down before I bought it but I have not dropped it yet (knock on wood). Handle bars, triple tree and forks seem fine to the naked eye.

J'Man - How long before you had the same problem with the new rotors?

Thanks,

JPunisher
Click to expand...

Within a week. It's hard to tell by eye unless it's majorily bent. I would bet money that something is out of line. If it was regular wear and tear both sides should be loose, not one loose and one tight.
 
Generally when you have a rotor that loosens up, there is more wrong than what you can see!

It usually means you have a caliper sticking also!

I would make sure that the pistons in the caliper are moving freely.
 
JPunisher said:
Thanks for the help. This brings me to a couple of questions such as:

1. Is it safe to ride like this for a while?

2. Any recommendations for rotors? If I am going to change them I might look into getting something better. These are the stock rotors but they have chrome centers.

Thanks,

JPunisher
Click to expand...

my buddy rode on his for like 2 months,

like everyone else is sayin make sure forks and stuff are straight cause it is weird that one is loose and the other isnt
 
JPunisher said:
I just noticed that my front rotor (right side) is loose. The center piece is fine but the outer part and rings are loose.
Attached is a pic.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8544/rotorw.jpg

1. Does anyone know if it is possible to tighten this or do I need to get a new rotor?

2. Can I still ride like this or will I end up busting my :moon: ? Can I damage the bike if I ride like this?

3. Anyone know if this is caused by a bigger issue?

Thanks,

JPunisher
Click to expand...

If you decide to replace them, my opinion is to leave them alone and do not chrome plate them.

Read this and decide.

http://motorcyclebloggers.com/tech-talk-articles/brakes-101/brake-rotors-general/
 
UncleSteve said:
Why do they need to be replaced? Just wondering what you based this decision on. I am just curious, trying to learn more about the problem.
Click to expand...

I would imagine if the rivets give out while breaking it could lock up the front wheel if part of the rotor gets hung on either the caliber or part of the wheel.
 
The OE's aren't that loose and all of that motion could possibly damage the brake pads. Over time I would assume that the buttons will have a catastrophic failure. Free floating buttons are there so that the brake rotor can expand and contract seperate from the carrier. I have free floating after market rotors and they don't have nearly as much play side to side as the one in that video.
 
Nichols said:
:banghead: seriously?
Click to expand...

I was fishing. I know how full floaters, semi full floaters and fixed rotors function.
I don't know you guys and I did not want to start a pissing contest over this thread.
There is nothing wrong with a loose rotor other then the noise. The caliper and pads would prefer to have a full floating rotor. The problem is the noise. People would line up wanting to have them replaced.
When no brake pressure is applied the rotor "floats" and it will make noise. When the brake is applied the rotor is "free" to align with the pads and rotor, allowing a more even contact area and wear on the pads. The rotors are not going to drag the pads when the brakes are not being used.
Fixed rotors are terrible in the fact that any misalignment of the rotor with the caliper, results in the rotor fighting the pads. This causes the rotor to drag the pads and unwanted heat and pad wear is the result. Under extreme misalignment the pistons in the calipers will be forced out of their normal travel path, this could cause pistons to jam and or seals to leak.
The worst case is the piston jamming in the caliper, this would cause brake failure.
Manufactures do not want them making noise so they make the rivets tight on purpose to keep them quiet. They are still able to move under brake pressure and customers have no idea they are moving. It is a customer satisfaction issue. If you told a customer the rotors are supposed to be loose and the noise is normal, they would have a fit.
 
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here is the rest of the post:

When you replace your pads and IF you see the wear is a little more on either the leading edge or the trailing edge... this is not a big concern unless it is extreme. That uneven wear is normally caused by a misaligned rotor barely touching the pad when the brakes are not applied.
No way will you be able to mass produce a perfectly aligned machine, nor should they try.
You may also notice that the inside pad, the one on the piston side, will wear a little more then the other. This is also normal. The inside pad is receiving a little more pressure then the outside.

That is why I suggest to a person to do a little research and understand how these things work. I don't always explain things on a thread very well and don't want to flame any one.
 
Thanks for all of the input guys. I am still wondering:

(Uncle Steve) I read the article that you provided. Great info. I didn't see the reason for not getting chrome plated rotors? Could you please explain?

It seems that there is some debate regarding riding with the rotor in this condition. I think that I am going to play it safe and change it as soon as I can. The risk of busting my :moon: is too great. I was looking into getting some better rotors but I have been steered away from this just because I don't know if there is a greater issue else where. It would really suck to spend alot of money upgrading and then the issue reoccurs in a couple of weeks. I will check the caliper to ensure proper function. I should be able to get an oem rotor for a reasonable price. Now the question is:

1. Do I need to replace both front rotors at the same time?

2. Do I need to replace my break pads?

3. Does anyone know of a sponsor that sells oem rotors?

Thanks,

JPunisher
 
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