Pulling Brakes

[lukecp]

The brakes on my truck (power front disc) have developed a pull to them when i use them. It seems to pull to the right failry bad. I haven't had much time to mess with it, but i am going home this weekend, so i will have somewhere that i can tear into it and get it fixed.

The front brake pads also need to be replaced (they squeal pretty bad). I'm not exactly a brake prodigy...i don't like brakes very much but i'm to broke to pay someone else to fix it. So...what should i start to look for that could make them pull? The steering wheel seems to always go right when i hit them, worse the harder i hit them. So that means the problem would be on the left side brakes?

The truck has new rear wheel cylinders and shoes that have been on there for 8 months or so, and the brakes stop the truck pretty good. Think that it could be somehting as simple as the brakes being out of adjustment?

Also, would worn front brake pads cause this? I sure hope so....less work for me to do that way

Thanks for any help!

[/<eystroke]

If your disk brakes are squealing and pulling then you may have worn the pads off and are
making metal to metal contact. I would pull the brakes as soon as possible to check that
you still have some pad material left.

Other than that the rotor may have bent to produce a pull to one side. Or one caliper
may be gummed up and not working well on the other side.

[/<eystroke]

Also if it is pulling to the right when you apply the brakes, then that means the right side
wheel is wanting to stop more than the left. The problem could be on either side. The
right side is braking too much (metal to metal, or bent rotor) or the left side is not braking enough
(misaligned, or bad caliper/hose).

[lukecp]

Thanks for the quick reply! They dont squeal too bad, but if i press them hard it is pretty adudiable. I have put it off for a while, lol. I also noticed my rotors are grooved....guess i should get them turned anyway.

I've never pulled off a rotor before.....do they just pull right off after removing the wheel and caliper, or do i have to disassemble the wheel bearing assembly? The wheel bearings proably need to be packed anyway, i haven't packed them i the 3 years i have owned the truck.....

[/<eystroke]

The pads are removed without getting into the wheel bearings. A couple of bolts holds
the caliper to the spindle. After you remove the bolts the brake pads will fall out of the
caliper assembly. Grooved rotors usually means your making metal to metal contact
with the pad backing plate. Most pads are designed with a small metal tab that will
contact the rotor when they are worn out which will cause the squealing, telling you to
change your pads. If you don't change the pads you run the risk of destroying the rotors.

[cdowns]

first off brakes are not something that should neglected even for a short period of time!!! if your rotors are grooved chances are you'll need new ones as well as the pads and yes you do have to remove the bearing assy, when changing rotors i prefer to also install new wheel bearings.

[lukecp]

Once again, thanks for the help!

I know i have left the brakes neglected for awhile....they have been squealing for about 2 weeks now, and i don't have anywhere to work on it so i haven't messed with it.
Luckily i only drive the truck once or twice a week, so it dosen't get very many miles on it.

I will tear into it Friday

[richardwilken]

check to make sure that you do not have a collapsed brake line. it will usually be on the opposite side of the pull. just a thought

[Jim68]

When I first bought my truck(before I had torn into it much or knew much about it) I had a pull to the right and the station I took it to said the idler arm was broken and replaced it which fixed the problem.
Recently i have developed a similar pull. I already adjusted the brakes some to make it pull the other side. It helped some but not totally fixed. Can a broken idler arm cause this pull to the right???

[truckster]

Something else to check is the slide pins for the caliper. They allow the caliper to stay centered over the rotor. If they're rusted or dirty they won't let the caliper apply pressure evenly. Clean them up if you can (or get new ones) and put some clean wheel bearing grease on them before you reassemble them.

[mrein3]

Originally posted by yellow72custom
The brakes on my truck (power front disc) have developed a pull to them when i use them. It seems to pull to the right failry bad. I haven't had much time to mess with it, but i am going home this weekend, so i will have somewhere that i can tear into it and get it fixed.

Thanks for any help!

If you have a severe pull to the right when braking I'll bet it pulls slightly to the left when driving.

What can happen is a caliper gets "stuck". The constant drag on the stuck side causes lots of heat which REDUCES that brake's ability to stop the truck. Then when you hit the brakes it pulls hard the other way because that is the brake doing all the stopping.

If you haven't started the job yet do a quick test. After driving the truck, if it pulls hard right, get out and touch the rim with the back of your hand on the left side. Then the right. Be careful the left may be quite hot.

Another test would be to lift both front wheels and spin them. If the left is hung up it won't spin freely like the right.

If the caliper is stuck, go to your favorite parts house. Buy a set of pads and a rebuilt caliper for the stuck side. You should be able to get buy with bleeding just the front but as long as your hands are dirty now would be a good time to change out the old brake fluid. (Bleed front and back until clear fluid comes out of all four of the bleeders).

[Jim68]

ttt

[lukecp]

Strangley, i drove the truck yesteday and the day before....no pull and no squeal.....seems to have fixed itself, but it has been pulling and squaling for the last two weeks, so i will put in new pads this weekend anyway. My experience with problems that "fix themselves" is that they come back later, lol.

It dosen't go to the left or right, the truck goes nice and straight.
I have a Mity-Vac brake bleeding kit at home as well as 3 or 4 quarts of brake fluid so i will go ahead and put in the new fluid. The back brakes have been competley rebuilt within the last year, and the fluid is new so i won't mess with them. I have just neglected the front a little bit...

Thanks for the help

[lukecp]

I put new pads on and had the rotors turned on Satruday. I also re-packed the wheel bearings and installed new grease seals on the rotors. Very easy job. I spent a few hours on it, taking my sweet time.

Both rotors had a groove all the way around where the wear sensor had contacted the rotor. Looks like last time the brake pads were replaced, the rotors weren't turned. One of the pads had a raised line on it where it had been wearing into the groove on the rotor

Anyway, the truck stops great, dosen't squeak and dosen't pull.
Thanks for the help!