We all know about the brake drag on the front end of 03, 04, and 05 Predators; but what can we do about it? I just got back from a 4 day trip to ISDRA and my #1 issue to get corrected is the brake dragging.

My front left makes a buzzing type noise while the right makes a metal on metal sliding type noise consistant with worn brake pads. I confirmed this by going various speeds and killing the engine while moving.

Possible solutions I have heard include installing Outlaw brake calipers and removing the front brakes all together. After 4 days I didnt touch my front brakes and considered removing them. My fellow riders suggested to envoke my warranty and take it to an authorized Polaris mechanic and see what they have to say.

Has Polaris released any kind of technical bulletin regarding this? Does anyone know of any other possible fixes? Is it hard to remove the front brakes all together? How would one go about removing them?

 

Polaris will not cover it...........there is no "official" fix from polaris about it..........the 3/400ex brake setups work on there too........and possibly the scrambler's too.......I would not reccomend removing them all together......not a good idea if you think about it......

 

So I should go out and get some 400ex front brakes? Just the brake pads?

God knows how much HP im losing cause of it...

 

Oh.......I don't think you are loosing that much hp from it......


Check out these posts.....to help ya out. No sense in typing all this info, if you can just read it....



#1 brake

#2 brake



I know the guys at Rath have fixed it with 250r brakes.......and I'm talking the whole system when I say these things(which might even include the spindles too)......I'm pretty sure you can just replace the calipers, lines, and handle off of a 400ex(might have to do some minor mods to make the mount up)......


Brad

 

Sounds plausible.

It's just I spent the last 4 days riding and I didnt use my front brakes once. What is it going to hurt taking them off?




What is causing the grinding? What is touching what? isnt there a way to adjust it? There has got to be another way...

 

If your not using your front brakes then:

A) you must drag race only... If this is the case, by all means take them off. Not needed for this.
B) You are not riding fast. Sure, anyone can ride and not hit the front brakes. If your just casually putting around then sure, take them off.

I don't post much but just thought that you should know that no rider in their right mind would take their front brakes off completely. I ride GNCC and I'd say 75% off all my braking comes from the fronts. I broke a front brake lever off in mile 1 of a GNCC and it was SCARY to ride fast without them for the next two hours.

The front brake drag issue is documented heavily on www.predatorowners.com as well. Do a search there.

Most of us are just living with it. I don't think it slows me down or robs horsepower but if it was an easy fix, I'd do it as well. It is definitely an annoyance.

 

I was duning for those 4 days and I never used them. No drag racing, just hill climbing and surfing.

I had an idea that maybe that if that steel clip that pushs the brake pad back was stronger it wouldnt bind like it does. IF that is whats causing the friction.

I saw 400EX parts on Ebay, so that option is always open...


Does anyone elses make noise like mine? Like I said the front left is what bothers me the most, its a terrible buzzing noise.

 

Little bit of a rant here...


It just pisses me off I drop thousands of dollars on my first ever quad AND of course, in all my research and homework I dont hear anything about the front brakes dragging. Maybe I did and it wasnt a big deal to those that wrote the posts, but it is to me. I paid good money, my hard earned money to go out and buy a bike that would be reliable, dependable. That would perform as it should.

But no, I get a bike littered with problems and annoyances straight off the show room floor, so to speak.


When I was out at the dunes last weekend, for four days I didnt see ONE other Predator. Sure I saw quite a few orange TLD's, but not one other red predator. Everything was Yamaha, Yamaha, Honda, Honda, Honda, rail, Honda, Yamaha. Makes me wish I would have got something else that wouldnt have been a head ache right off the bat.

end rant...

 

mind telling me your problems that you've had........?????





If you would have asked me before you bought the quad, I would have told you.........that is the only complaint that I have......and its not that big of a deal......they react very fast that way. I'd just try and replace the system..........do not just take it off.......you'll end up needing them.

 

I just had in my mind that a new bike would be like a new car. you buy it and ride it. but as I learned more and learned more one thing stacked on another and this brake thing just made me snap.

BUT!!!!!!

I took my front tires off and evaluated the binding problem and I am confident that I can facilitate a repair for a few dollars. I won't spoil what my quick easy fix will be but I'll post pics and such for all to see.

I have faith in my method cause I dont really recall hearing anyone suggest it anywhere, here or predatorowners.com [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]