Convert from single to dual master cylinder

[simplyconnected]

Good job! First thing I would do is get rid of those compression unions and replace with inverted flare fittings (IFF).

I'm up here in the 'rust belt' so the only brake line I use is conifer. It's easy to bend, easy to flare and it never rusts. I don't love the price but I can count on it lasting more than twice as long as steel line. A 'biggie' for me is, it won't rust from the inside, where it's impossible to see. - Dave

[DKheld]

Thanks Dave - yes - replaced all the lines (hard and flex) with new and eliminated all the splices or unions. Those silver lines are the old stuff. I bent new lines to match except where someone had ran one right next to the exhaust manifold. Tried the coated brake line from NAPA this go round - I'm sure it will last longer than I will own the truck. The flaring tool did damage the coating a bit at the ends when flaring the line.... The coated line is only protected on the outside though unlike conifer.

[byersmtrco]

My 72 El Camino blew a L/F brake hose. It had frt discs so a dual cyl, but the reason I still had (some) brakes is because the prop valve did it's thing. The pedal was still 1/2" off the floor.

I'd still like Rr/Disc on the T/B.
We had an 04 Tahoe with Frt/Rr discs. That thing stopped like a Winston Cup Car.

[simplyconnected]

John, Squarebird brake shoes are the same for rear and front. They are both 11" x 2-1/2" and totally swap-able.

In my opinion, the fronts are under-powered and the rear are way more than substantial. Even so, rear brakes don't do much stopping before the rear wheels drag.

We can argue that disk brakes are better but it ain't necessarily so for the rear wheels because under heavy braking, all the weight shifts to the front wheels.

Did you ever ride a bike with hand brakes? That front brake will actually lift the rear wheel off the ground before the front tire slides on dry pavement. That renders the rear brake, useless. Bikes with rear-only brakes can lock up the rear tire but the bike will slide for a long way before it stops. So it is with cars.

Rear car brake linings last much longer than front linings because of the above reasons.

I'm not opposed to rear disk brakes but they are simply superfluous. Ever see rear disk calipers (yes, the piston size)? They are tiny compared to the front calipers, just to maintain front-to-rear braking balance. - Dave

[scumdog]

Did you ever ride a bike with hand brakes? That front brake will actually lift the rear wheel off the ground before the front tire slides on dry pavement. That renders the rear brake, useless. Bikes with rear-only brakes can lock up the rear tire but the bike will slide for a long way before it stops. So it is with cars.

True Dave, I have only replace the the front pads on my Harley.

Why? - because I rarely use my rear brake, only when going down a long grade - or when going down hill on a gravel road, (Where I 'drag' the rear brake to stabilise the bike).

[simplyconnected]

Oh BOY, Tom... If I only used my front brake on my Harley, the wet leaves would put me down in fast order. I've learned to start with the rear (my right foot) and feather the front brake (my right hand). Dirt and gravel roads follow the same procedure as wet leaves.

One time I was on Interstate 75 exit ramp, entering Interstate 94 entrance ramp when all of a sudden I could smell raw gasoline. I gave just a little gas and the rear tire started spinning. It was a weird feeling. Then I noticed a brand new Chrysler car ahead, was spewing high pressure gasoline all over the ramp. Evidently, his fuel line or filter burst.

As soon as I felt the back tire break loose I got off the gas. Thank God I didn't use my front brake or I would have been down like a dog. The gyroscopic effect of turning wheels, the fact that I sit low (it's a FXS Low Rider like this one) and the kinetic forces from velocity and mass kept me up.

I look at brake pads as sacrificial or to look at it another way, an excuse to buy more goodies from J & P Cycles. - Dave

[OX1]

Why? Rear drums stop just as well as rear disks because rear brakes don't do much stopping, only about 25% before rear tires start dragging.

My wife's 2010 Escape has drum rears which shows how important rear disks are. - Dave

Their important for not ever having to mess with replacing/adjusting drum brakes again (and again and again..................)
That said, I'm leaving my rear drums (mostly for ease and safety of a decent emerg brake), even though my parts car has a full rear disk setup

[byersmtrco]

That must have been scary.
Glad to see a few of us ride Harley's.
That deal with the gasoline must have been scary.
What year is your FXS?
I have a 2000 Heritage
Thunderheader, 203 cams (etc) Carbureted !!!!

Oh BOY, Tom... If I only used my front brake on my Harley, the wet leaves would put me down in fast order. I've learned to start with the rear (my right foot) and feather the front brake (my right hand). Dirt and gravel roads follow the same procedure as wet leaves.

One time I was on Interstate 75 exit ramp, entering Interstate 94 entrance ramp when all of a sudden I could smell raw gasoline. I gave just a little gas and the rear tire started spinning. It was a weird feeling. Then I noticed a brand new Chrysler car ahead, was spewing high pressure gasoline all over the ramp. Evidently, his fuel line or filter burst.

As soon as I felt the back tire break loose I got off the gas. Thank God I didn't use my front brake or I would have been down like a dog. The gyroscopic effect of turning wheels, the fact that I sit low (it's a FXS Low Rider like this one) and the kinetic forces from velocity and mass kept me up.

I look at brake pads as sacrificial or to look at it another way, an excuse to buy more goodies from J & P Cycles. - Dave

[simplyconnected]

I bought my Low Rider in Dec. of 1979. In fact, I was the ONLY guy to buy a Harley in the month of Dec. from my dealership (at a very good price). Of course, he didn't HAVE an '80 yet so he gave me the option to take delivery of the first new one that came from the factory, come Spring.

So, it's an '80, 80. Meaning the year is 1980 and the cubic inches are 80 (1340-cc). I did tear the shovelheads down to convert the valve seats for gasohol and I replaced the rings. I also changed first & second gears to 'police' ratios which are lower while third and fourth remain stock. Some call this Harley a '4-speed swing arm' because the frame, engine and trans are identical with 'Glides'.

Stock tires were Goodyear Eagle GTs but I changed to Dunlop. I've always loved the cast wheels because they don't flex, rust or have spokes to loosen. The bike has been so much 'my baby' that I never went to an 'evolution'. Yes, it vibrates because the engine is bolted directly to the frame but that is part of this Harley. - Dave

[byersmtrco]

I had a couple of Shovelheads. 1st one was my dad's. Another relic he bought new. A 1974 SuperGlide. He rode that for 10 years. It was hopped up. Sifton cam, heads ported & polished, etc. LONG story behind that one. Then I had an 84 Lowrider. The prev owner put spokes on it.


Back on the brake issue. Yeah, probably when I get what I have in there working properly, it'll be fine. My 72 El Camino, 87 Monte Carlo & 86 Z28 all had front disc and stopped fine.
The 65 TBird I had stopped good too. The 60 does, it's just a lot of pedal effort. I guess I just expected it to be better. The Stainless Steel Brake Corp kit is a lousy set up. It places the calipers forward, so getting a front sway bar to work was a nightmare.

[scumdog]

My H-D history: A '81 Sporty (cool wee bike) then a '97 Sportster 'S' (good handling and brakes) then a '01 Superglide T-Sport (Good handling, like a big Sporty) and my latest is a '05 Utraglide Classic, luxury touring, tons of luggage space and lots of comfort!

And on our co****-chip road surfaces the front brake is all I need most of the time, that and some compression braking.

In an emergency it's: throw out all anchors, front and rear!

[Yadkin]

Never had a Harley. My first bike was a Suzuki dirt bike, 250cc, two stroke, one cylinder. My best friend bought it used and broke the auto oiler on a trail ride, didn't realize it, continued riding until the engine seized. He owed me money, so I opened up his garage and took it. He asked me what I was doing, I explained that it was to pay off his debt, and he agreed. I bought a new piston and had the cylinder bored, started mixing oil in the gas and used the bike for several years until I sold it. That bike was a good introduction to street riding because I learned to dodge trees instead of traffic, as well as the experience with slippery surfaces.

My second bike was a '72 Honda 450cc twin Scramber. Half street, half trail. Four stroke, drum brakes. At 70mph it would start to oscillate, and if you cranked down on both brakes hard enough it would begin to slow down. I sold that after a year, but I developed a short list of what I wanted for my first new bike: disk brakes and cast wheels.

Enter my dream machine, a Kawasaki KZ650C. The C stood for Custom, and gave you cast wheels and triple disks. Big blue tank with gold stripes. Literally a chick magnet. I practiced emergency stops on steep downhill sections of the access roads along Rte 2 outside of my home town near Boston. I could bring that machine from 70 to 0 in a heartbeat. My dirtbike experience served me well commuting to Boston for three summers. Made several commutes Boston to NY to see my college sweetheart (our first date was a ride on that bike). After we got married and had our first child, I lost interest and sold it.

[simplyconnected]

My first Harley was a 100cc "Baja" that is still in my garage. My second was a Sportster XLS that I loved nearly as much as my Low Rider.

[Yadkin]

I loved the Scrambler concept. The twin pipes were mounted high like a dirt bike for ground clearance. The bike was light enough that I could do a slide-stop like a kid's pedal bike. Built for dirt or street, with that compromise, it did neither all that well.

[Thunderherd]

'MY' first Harley was a 250 cc Sprint. Second one was a 1958 Sportster. (I was the 3rd owner, bought it around 1968). And it was the first Sportster sold new in my hometown. Current bike is, guess what. A Sportster. 2009 XR 1200. Great brakes. Runs awesome. Putting out just shy of 90 hp, with no internal mods. Put together my own exhaust system. 883 R headers, Ti-Force muffler. Used a coat hanger to make a template for connecter pipe then had a exhaust shop bend up the pipe. Runs great with this setup, and nice rumble sound. Really quite to. SEST tuner. Handles great. It, and I, love curves.