Brake Rotor Barrels

["Tom Brown" <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dan:

 

The short answer is "No problem".   

 

Not a safety hazard, won't damage other parts.  You can go a very long time
with noisy rotors.  The barrels are made softer than the surrounding parts.
They take the wear.   The rotors are made to float on the barrels this way
so the brakes will still work smoothly if the rotors warp a small amount.
Enjoy the wedding plans and your bike.  Fix it this winter.or not.   

 

You didn't mention miles on the bike.  I guess in the end it would be more
about the type of riding done than actual mileage, commuter bikes getting
far more brake wear than LD touring where you use your brakes 5 times in a
thousand miles when you stop for gas.  

 

I had 62K on my RT when I traded it.  The rotors rattled badly but that was
the only side effect.  It's conceivable that eventually the rotors could get
so worn on their walls that they'd crush.  With so many barrels and such a
big surface area for each barrel and each barrel getting stress spread
across half their circumference, there isn't a big chance of that happening.
It's certain in my mind that the rotors would need to be replaced from
becoming too thin before the barrels could become any sort of safety hazard.
The noise may be a bit of a nuisance, but the biggest danger is that you'll
be annoyed to distraction.   

 

When you need new rotors, it's probably a good idea to replace the barrels
too.  There's nothing wrong with replacing the barrels prior to that to
alleviate the noise, but that's all you'd be doing.  It's not a safety
issue.   

 

-TB

 

 

 

 

Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:52:24 -0700

From: "Dan Fordice" <kari.dan@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Subject: front disk rollers

 

Hello Presidents,

 

 

 

The front rotors on my 2000 R1100R have started rattling when I go over
small bumps. I can grab the rotors and wiggle them from side to side, and
when I apply the brakes the rattling stops. Obviously I need to replace the
rollers, but in the meantime I have a couple of questions: Any idea how long
I can continue riding with the old rollers? Is it a safety hazard? Will
continued use damage other parts of the brake assembly?