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When I was contacted
by Mark Lipski of
Traction Control
Braking about trying
their brake banjo
bolt replacement
that they said would
help stop my brakes
from locking up I
said, “Yeah, sure!
How is a bolt going
to do that?”
Mark explained the
bolt is separated
into two chambers by
a rubber diaphragm.
The top one is
filled and sealed
with air and the
bottom chamber has
an opening that
allows brake fluid
to fill it, so when
the brakes are
applied, there is a
sort of shock
absorber action of
the pads on the
rotor. That made
sense to me but I
still had some
doubts, so I agreed
to try one out. If I
decided I didn’t
like it, it would
take only a few
minutes to go back
to my old system.
I ordered the one
for a Harley FLHTI
but they are
available for most
makes and models of
motorcycles and they
even have units for
ATVs, scooters and
snowmobiles.
When the unit
arrived, I noticed
that it did not have
any brake washers
with it. I had some
in the parts bin, so
that was not a
problem. I mentioned
it to Mark when he
called to see if I
had received the
unit. He said they
would start adding
them to the kit.
Cool.
Now to put this baby
on.
Using a 3/8-in.
12-point box end
wrench, I removed
the stock banjo
bolt. I placed a
shop towel under the
master cylinder just
in case any fluid
leaked. It didn’t.
I installed a new
crush washer on the
bolt and slid it
through the banjo,
added another
between the banjo
and master cylinder
and proceeded to
thread the unit in
by hand to make sure
it was not
cross-threaded. I
then used a 3/8-in.
drive ¾-in. shallow
socket because of
clearance. I am a
firm believer in
torque wrenches and
I used one set at
230 in.-lb (factory
recommends 204-264
in.-lb) to tighten
the bolt.
The job was easy and
went very quickly. I
decided to pump the
brake lever very
quickly at about
half throw to see if
the system would
bleed back through
the master cylinder.
I did this a few
times and I had a
good brake. Note
that if you try this
method, you need to
be careful that you
get all the air out
of the system. If
after sitting, the
lever comes in and
then pumps up, you
still have air in
the system and may
need to bleed at the
caliper. You must
make sure there is
no air in the
system.
I checked the master
cylinder for fluid
level and was
satisfied.
I went for a ride to
test the brake. I
noticed the improved
stopping
immediately. I
increased the speed
and continued to
apply more brake,
stopping the
motorcycle in
shorter distances
and not locking the
wheel.
The following day, I
had an unexpected
opportunity to
really try out my
brakes when a car
pulled out in front
of me. They worked
great!
No, I am not going
to take it off. I
LIKE IT!
I put one on my
friend’s Harley Road
King and he is
impressed with it,
too. In the case of
the Road King with a
windshield, the
clearance was a
little close. We
chose to lightly
sand the edge of the
windshield, instead
of adjusting the
handlebars to gain
clearance. Minor
adjustments may be
necessary to some
models with
windshields.
To find out more
about the TCB Device
or to order one, go
to their website
http://www.tcbbrakesystems.com/.
You can also phone
them at 886-682-2822
--ROGUE
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