I changed my rear pads today and after pumping the brake, the rear wheel doesn't spin freely. Do the pads have to wear in or is something wrong?

 

SOunds like somthing is wrong, you should be able to spin it with your hand. There is some drag but not much.

 

Its normal for thier to be some drag.

 

Yeah Kinda what I said...

 

It looks as though some how (probably my fault) the caliper is a little bent. It moves when I apply the brake. I'm just gonna get a new caliper.

 

i doubt the calipers bent. They move a little whn you hit the brakes. Did you compress the piston when you put the new pads on?

 

Or did you make sure the Slot on the caliper was in the slot on the swing arm?

 

Yes and yes.

 

dont gotta remove the bracket just the Caliper.. open your resi cap next time when u shove the brake piston back in and use a C-clamp and keep the pad on the piston side in there as a brace whaa laa 1 beer job.

 

Can you spin the tire by hand?It's not going to keep spinning on its own.The pads will drag a little,and it's normal for the caliper to move when you hit the brake it's a single piston SLIDING caliper.Don't see how you could have a bent caliper.When you changed the pads did you take the resevior cap off when you pushed the piston in?If you didn't its possible for it to have pressure in the resevior,especially if the resevior is overfilled.

 

I got it. The hex head bold on the caliper wasn't going in straight. My caliper was tweaked somehow. I got another one and it's all good now.