While cleaning my Slim, I notice the rear caliper moves side to side alittle. I found that weird. I ended up loosing the two mounting bolt on caliper and torque them to the service guide spec 11-14ft lb. Still no change. Is this normal or is something wrong or missing from my rear brake.

Just in case this helps

 

If you're talking about some major play at bolt #10, allowing the caliper to pivot a little around bolt #2, I have that too. It doesn't seem right, but after doing a search and finding that other people have it too, and having it apart to see that no parts are missing, I've concluded for now that it's normal.

Funny thing is I asked the service department at the dealer about it, and they thought it was strange, but didn't really know if it was supposed to be like that. So they offered to take it apart and inspect it, for a labor charge. Well, what good is that going to do if they don't know how it's supposed to be in the first place?

So if you can find out more about this, like if it's a factory problem involving a bushing that's the wrong size, I'm all ears. The brake works fine, but I've never seen a mount that sloppy on any other caliper I've ever worked on.

 

Caliper brakes are suppose to slide. Your pistons on the caliper are only pushing on one of the pads so the caliper slides to move the other pad that is attached to the main body of the caliper against the disc. That way there is even pressure on both sides of the disc applied by the pads. That is basically how all disc brakes (with a few exceptions) work whether on a bike or car.

 

If the OP and I are talking about the same thing, it's not a question about moving in and out on the slider pins, which is normal. It's that there is so much slop between one of the slider pins and the caliper bore, that the caliper can be moved around quite a bit vertically. I have the same caliper as he does.

Can anyone else with that caliper check to see if it can be moved up and down quite a bit on the slider bolt closest to the axle?

 

'07 Fatboy, mine is nice and tight without any rattle or looseness in the mounting bolts.

 

Mine does it as well.....

 

Well, this should only affect people with two piece caliper from 08 softail and up. But never in my life have I seen a caliper that has play from the mount. From what it looks here I guess it normal, but I try and go to the dealership this weekend and asked.

 

Proto, if it's the caliper in your picture, it's actually a one-piece caliper. Don't mean to make a big deal of it, just mentioning it to help others know if they have the same one.

 

06 Deluxe here with chrome Harley calipers. Mine is as tight as can be, no slop or play what so ever. I don't think it's normal but I am also not an ace mechanic either. I just had new pads put on the back, still tight as a drum. Front still has stock pads, no slop or play what so ever. This just gave me a new thought! Since I replaced the stock calipers with the chrome Harley calipers, are they the same thing just chromed out or are they made differently and chromed?

 

Thanks. Going through parts diagrams just now for various years, it looks like Proto is right ..... they started using this caliper in 08, and are still using it.
It's a two piston caliper with both pistons on the outboard side.