Car pulls hard left

[richardferguson]

I decided to get new pads and bleed the brakes before Wakefield last week. Before this the brakes (Wilwoods) were a little spongy but the car pulled up straight.
After the pads were changed it now pulls hard left. The pads were taken out and the calipers checked, nothing wrong, still pulls left.
I took it to another brake place used to working on this sort of thing. They swapped and fiddled but could not fix it. They were not willing to replace the calipers feeling that the brakes were not the problem. Uncommonly honest, I thought
Now what else could cause this to happen?
I'm not too keen to do Wakefield as it is. As I recall, most of the corners there are right handers
Richard

[Cameron Parsons]

Richard,

I am presuming it pulls hard left only under braking and will track straight when driven? if this is the case and the only thing that has changed lately is the pads, then I fail to see how the brakes "are not the problem".

There are no doubt more technical experts in this forum than I, but I suspect the following possible issues;

- Lots of air in the right side brake line (or water, or other contaminant)
- A crimp in the brake line (possibly caused by poor handling when hoisting)
- A blockage in one side of the system (I think our cars isolate RF to LR and vice versa)
- A broken piston in the caliper (but I am sure the brake guys would have found that)

Good Luck with it... Keep clear of the "spares" car please

Cameron

[Chrome]

Richard

All you need to do to rectify this straight away is go out to the garage and take your number plates off, take Camerons number plates off and swap

[Cameron Parsons]

And with friends like this... etc

[601HP]

The same thing happened to me this past spring after I had done some suspension work and changed front pads, too. The car pulled disturbingly to one side during moderate to hard braking.

I bled the brakes, but no change. On a whim, I guessed maybe I had contaminated one of the rotors/pads with a smidge of grease, however no contamination was visible. I cleaned all front brake components with Brake Kleen, and went out for a drive. My problem was gone!!

I hope you are as fortunate.

David

[trularin]

I am thinking Cameron has most of the options covered. One more would be to bleed the fronts and make sure you get a steady stream of fluid out of each calipers.

Fill the res. after each bleed so as to not introduce a new problem.

And, If you splash a bit of fluid on the rotors, clean them both anyway as David suggests.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

[400TT]

I would swap the caliper and rotors from one side to the other.

If the problem moves to the other side, then swap back just the rotor etc. At least you will narrow down the source of the problem.

Not sure on those Wilwoods, but if you can't move the bleeding nipples you will have to bleed them tilted on the rotor so the bleed nipple is at the top, then bolt into place.

I'm guessing it's not going to be something simple, 2 x Brake places have looked at it. So it's time to narrow down where the problem lies, in rotor, caliper or further back in the system.

[David Hodgson]

Richard, you did not mention if you machined the disc's, from your description you did not. Although it is 'common' practice not to machine disc's at each pad change, they should not be overlooked.

Disc's and pad's will wear forming ripples in the disc. New 'flat' pads ride on the crest of the disc ripple, and if there are more 'crests' on the left disc, it will have more friction/braking on that side hence pulling left. The greater the amount or depth of the hills and valleys, the more surface area that disc has, again more friction/braking.

The pulling may subside with pad bed-in, but a disc machine should cure this. Just make sure you then don't put rippled pads on the new disc.

[richardferguson]

Yes, changed the plates and the problem has gone!
Seriously, the last brake joint is convinced it's not the brakes and has recommended a suspension check up.
The discs were machined..........mmmmmmmmm.........
They swapped pads and wheels (but not rotors and calipers) and it still pulled left.
Thanks guys for your advice.
Richard

[400TT]

Great news. I bet your glad it's right now with only 4 weeks to the Nats.

[Cameron Parsons]

Craig,

I'm not sure I'm on board with the fix...

Cameron

[400TT]

The penny just dropped. I just worked out where Richard got his rotors from, the OFFICIAL spare parts car.

[ROUSHAC]

Richard, just drive on oval or circular tracks that are run counterclockwise.

[Rebel1]

Originally Posted by 400TT

The penny just dropped. I just worked out where Richard got his rotors from, the OFFICIAL spare parts car.

Yep, I can imagine the flurry of activity prior to Cameron making a visit.

A few very late nights to get it all together again.

[richardferguson]

Originally Posted by ROUSHAC

Richard, just drive on oval or circular tracks that are run counterclockwise.

Thanks Dave.
As Wakefield runs clockwise, I guess I'm just going to have to drive it backwards
Cameron, how fast do these things go in reverse?
Richard

[Gav]

You can borrow my brakes Richard I don't need them at the minute!!

[richardferguson]

Yes Gav. Seems you have discovered another way to stop your car!

[Gav]

Mine didn't pull up straight either!!