Front Disc Brake Question

[hansgroenewold]

Greetings Forum Members,

While cleaning my scooter (TaoTao Galaxy 150) I noticed the front wheel doesn't spin so freely when I give it a spin forward.  It'll spin less than one turn and stop. When I rotate it backward, I feel a little resistance in one area of the rotation. Is it possible the pads may be binding slightly?

Since I'm fairly new to scooters, I'm not sure if a scooter front wheel should spin forward and backward like a bicycle wheel would. I also realize spinning the wheel backward may not be a good troubleshooting technique .  For all I know, the wheel spinning not so freely may be normal behavior. As always, any input would be deeply appreciated.  Thank you very much .

Best regards,
Hans

[GrumpyUnk]

The wheel should spin without a lot of friction in either direction. The brake pads may be contacting the disk and causing friction. The brake piston pushes the pads on one side, and causes the other side to get pushed against the disk by moving the brake housing. Most have pins that the housing can move back and forth on, and if they are corroded or sticky, they can cause the pads to touch the disk.
When you squeeze the brake lever, the square cut rubber ring that seals the brake piston twists as the piston comes out and pushes against the backside of the pad. When the lever is released, the ring un-twists and causes the piston to retract away from the pad. That tiny bit of movement is what makes the disk able to spin freely when the brakes are not applied.
Make sure the caliper is free to move. The pins may need to be cleaned and lubed, or the moving parts of the caliper freed of corrosion or caked up grease. A slight amount of grease on the moving part meeting surfaces should prevent corrosion and allow the caliper to relax properly.
tom

[hansgroenewold]

Thanks Tom,
I will investigate further, appreciate your input.

Best regards,
Hans