Newb bought a pair of older 280's - need some guidance!

[thats_a_five]

1-2-3-4 

While you have the tires off, may I suggest a couple things?

Check the wheel bearings.

If your current rear tire holds air well, do not remove the rim strip.  They can be a P.I.T.A. to reseal.  If you do remove the rim strip, put a drop of oil in each of the spoke nipples and see if you can loosen and retighten them.  Better to keep them working then have them corrode to the point they are seized.

If you replace the rim strip on the rear, the ones with the molded in nipple are easier to seal.   

Also, the new tubeless rear tire can be very difficult to mount and get the beads to set.  A lot of guys use soapy water to help the rubber to slip on the metal rim.  I do not recommend that because soap is alkaline.  Alkaline loves to eat (corrode) aluminum.  I use a real tire mounting lube but a little vegetable oil can help.  Also, a warm tire mounts easier than cold (set them out in the sun for a couple hours first.

[tpo]

1 3 4 2, i have a 2003 txt 280 edition and it has those same awful calipers. I bought a rebuild kit and installed it on the rear, yet i can still see air and fluid come out from behind the pistons when i attempt to bleed it. Dont know if its a shelf life issue with the seals sitting for so long but apparently the rebuild kits are hard to find so maybe. I just wanted to give yiu fair warning. 

On the brighter side, you can still have fun riding with no brakes!

[1-3-2-4]

4 hours ago, thats_a_five said:

1-2-3-4 

While you have the tires off, may I suggest a couple things?

Check the wheel bearings.

If your current rear tire holds air well, do not remove the rim strip.  They can be a P.I.T.A. to reseal.  If you do remove the rim strip, put a drop of oil in each of the spoke nipples and see if you can loosen and retighten them.  Better to keep them working then have them corrode to the point they are seized.

If you replace the rim strip on the rear, the ones with the molded in nipple are easier to seal.   

Also, the new tubeless rear tire can be very difficult to mount and get the beads to set.  A lot of guys use soapy water to help the rubber to slip on the metal rim.  I do not recommend that because soap is alkaline.  Alkaline loves to eat (corrode) aluminum.  I use a real tire mounting lube but a little vegetable oil can help.  Also, a warm tire mounts easier than cold (set them out in the sun for a couple hours first.

Good suggestions, thanks.  I bought new rim strips.  These bikes are on the original tires (badly dry rotted).  Nipples are somewhat rusty, so I'll need to play with them.  Maybe I'll re-lace?  I don't know...we'll see.  

I have a No-Mar setup for my street tires and a great dirt bike wheel stand.  I always use the no-mar paste when I mount tires because it's slicker than pig's snot and is veggie based.  

30 minutes ago, tpo said:

1 3 4 2, i have a 2003 txt 280 edition and it has those same awful calipers. I bought a rebuild kit and installed it on the rear, yet i can still see air and fluid come out from behind the pistons when i attempt to bleed it. Dont know if its a shelf life issue with the seals sitting for so long but apparently the rebuild kits are hard to find so maybe. I just wanted to give yiu fair warning. 

On the brighter side, you can still have fun riding with no brakes!

I found a few of the rebuild kits, but like you, I'm suspicious.  My plan is just to upgrade the caliper to something modern.