HI FOLKS: Returning member. Away long time due to serious family health issues.
Owned '95 GL1500 w/CSC Friendship III 9 years. Needed s/c brake parts; recently ordered from VA factory. Was told: "We don't make sidecars any more; only Trikes. If you need parts, get' em now...when they're gone, they're gone". This has got to leave a lot of folks hanging! If parts needed now, yours truly will be forced into doing ' Mickey Mouse ' repairs.
Was wondering if anyone here checked with EZS Sidecars. They make Sovereign
. CSC got license several years ago; sold Sovereign here as Friendship III. It dawned on me: Maybe some parts are identical. Has anyone here ever looked into this?
F.Y.I: Found identical-size Brembo brake pads at local KTM dirt bike dealer, when originals worn [34K miles]. Thought t'was great, as price was much lower. Unfortunately, KTM pad material's SO agressive, rig pulled right, s/c brake squealed at every application, rotor wore badly. If anyone knows of Brembo pads with softer material, which will fit FSIII caliper, please post the info here!
TTFN........Old Tom aka papasmurf in NH 🙂
I am having the same problem with my Friendship III brakes. Can not get rid of brake squeal. Have tried cleaning, putting anti squeal to backing plate and filed a slight bevel to the leading edge of the brake material. Still squeals. Has to be the brake pad material. If someone knows of a supplier of the Brembo pads of a quieter material I would be grateful for the info. In the meantime I am just turning up the stereo.
In the past I've gone to a brake pad business that took my brake shoes for my BMW 900/6 and put better brake material on, they just ground the old off and baked the new on and it was cheap, this was in Seattle.
HI SHADOW & WINGIT:
SHOULD find a local brake pad resurfacer, while I have set of brand new pads from CSC. Rockwell hardness test on them can determine best choice. Need soft material to prevent grab/squeal/rotor wear/overheating [exactly what KTM dirt bike pads did!]. On pad squeal: First, trapped air in s/c brake caliper can cause this and it's BUGGER to get out.....BT-DT! Intend to buy K-D3578 brake bleeder on web; around 80 to 100 bucks. Have read they do better job of removing trapped air, by somehow utilizing shop air[compressor hookup] to do this. My old Mighty-Vac hand pump cannot do the job. Always end up pumping hand lever or foot pedal up hard; tying back h'bar lever & putting brick on foot pedal overnight, to drive air to master cylinders [an old mechanic's trick that works pretty well]. Sometimes t'is necessary to repeat on front lever [because of long hose to the s/c caliper]. If you got those pads from CSC, I have no answer. If they are from elsewhere: Sounds like pad material's too hard. Another old trick I heard on this: Cut slots in pad material with hacksaw blade[reduce pad's surface area on rotor]. Never tired this and might experiment with the KTM pads but would prefer to look for softer pad material first and not damage my brand new rotor. TTFN and GOOD LUCK....Old Tom aka papasmurf in NH
I have to really agree that getting the air out of the sidecar brake system is very hard, this is the next thing I'm going to try it's called reverse bleeding, air wants to rise,,well help it by pushing it, here's a kit that will work, also you can get a food injection baster, kinda of a large syringe for around $8.00.
http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/thread/563211/reverse-brake-bleeder-from-lowes
I use a Mity-Vac for brake bleeding. It draws the fluid through the system from the reservoir using vacuum. Lower the pressure at the brake calper fitting using the Mity-Vac pump and the air comes right out. They are very popular with the Gold Wing riders. That's where I heard about them.
The pump comes in two models. There is a plastic version and then there is the Silverline model that is diecast metal. It costs more but is more durable.
The Mity-Vac has other uses as well. It can test vacuum units on cars and other mechanical devices. Try one, you'll be glad you did.
The link is to Amazon but you ccan get tham at auto stores as well. Harbor Freight sells the plastic version.
