I need to install rear brakes on a Softail conversion. Can I use right
side brakes and just turn them around? I can't find HD brakes for a
reasonable price and this is a low budget project.. Any help or advice
or better still offers of old brake calipers.. I can make the brackets
etc.

On 30 June, 16:35, Themotorman <rdoct...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I need to install rear brakes on a Softail conversion. Can I use right
> side brakes and just turn them around?

Yes

On Jul 1, 2:51 am, "TOG@Toil" <totallydeadmail...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> On 30 June, 16:35, Themotorman <rdoct...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I need to install rear brakes on a Softail conversion. Can I use right
> > side brakes and just turn them around?
>
> Yes

But results may depend on the caliper in question.

Some 4 pot calipers use a larger piston at the trailing
edge to even out pad wear. Reverse it so that the larger
piston is on the leading edge and it will work fine but
can produce very asymetric pad wear.

On Jul 1, 9:53 am, Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
> Rob Kleinschmidt wrote:
> > On Jul 1, 2:51 am, "TOG@Toil" <totallydeadmail...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> >> On 30 June, 16:35, Themotorman <rdoct...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> I need to install rear brakes on a Softail conversion. Can I use right
> >>> side brakes and just turn them around?
> >> Yes
>
> > But results may depend on the caliper in question.
>
> > Some 4 pot calipers use a larger piston at the trailing
> > edge to even out pad wear. Reverse it so that the larger
> > piston is on the leading edge and it will work fine but
> > can produce very asymetric pad wear.
>
> Probably unlikely to find a 4 piston caliper on the rear of a Softail
> but I am not familiar with the Harley parts catalog. Your point is
> well taken about calipers being asymmetrical though, and most of them
> are definitely designed to stop rotation in one direction much better
> than the other, regardless of the number of pistons, and may bind up
> or not work properly when used in reverse, so a word to the wise.

I'm actually running an ass backwards 4 pot myself.
The setup is a fairly common one, (BMW oilhead 4 pot
run backwards on an airhead fork). No complaints or
problems other than some very asymetric pad wear.

I'm happy with the result but I always have to remember
to check the leading rather than trailing edge for wear.

On 1 July, 17:53, Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
> Rob Kleinschmidt wrote:
> > On Jul 1, 2:51 am, "TOG@Toil" <totallydeadmail...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> >> On 30 June, 16:35, Themotorman <rdoct...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> I need to install rear brakes on a Softail conversion. Can I use right
> >>> side brakes and just turn them around?
> >> Yes
>
> > But results may depend on the caliper in question.
>
> > Some 4 pot calipers use a larger piston at the trailing
> > edge to even out pad wear. Reverse it so that the larger
> > piston is on the leading edge and it will work fine but
> > can produce very asymetric pad wear.
>
> Probably unlikely to find a 4 piston caliper on the rear of a Softail
> but I am not familiar with the Harley parts catalog. *Your point is
> well taken about calipers being asymmetrical though, and most of them
> are definitely designed to stop rotation in one direction much better
> than the other, regardless of the number of pistons, and may bind up
> or not work properly when used in reverse, so a word to the wise.

Yes, that's true. I was assuming a very basic caliper, mind (I've
actually done this myself with no ill effects), and on the back wheel
it isn't going to be doing as much work as a front caliper.

<Thinks>

Mind you, on a Harley....