J_Swaleh

hey guys,
I am freakin stumped! I replaced my pads and rotors in the front of my 97 and now i have problems(go figure). After i let the car down from the jacks and took itou the damn thing pulls like crazy to the left. I MEAN PULLS. i wore out my arms trying to keep it straight. I have replaced the pads 5 times on that car and never had a problem, so i figured it must be something with the rotors. I swapped the left and right rotor and took it out for a spin...same thing. I seriously don't know what to do now. the only thing i know is that it seems to me like the brakes on the left are dragging, and pulling the car with it. other than that, i'm lost. PLEASE HELP ME. I have much faith in you guys. Thanks a bunch. Ill be on all night so if more info is needed just quick reply and i'll hit you back up shortly. thanks.

SNOMAX

iTrader: (14)

Well,

If you mean pulls when you hit the brakes, you probably cocked a piston when you put the new pads in. Try recompressing the piston... oh heck, do it on both sides.

If you mean pulls all the time, brakes or no brakes, you may have offended your tie rod on one or more sides... or possibly when you jacked up the car and set it back down, a spring popped out of a spring seat, this would really screw up your suspension geometry...

And the long shot is on sway bar end links. Make sure those are not busted/snapped/or otherwise bought off ebay.

Lemme know how it goes.

-SNOMAX

J_Swaleh

yeah, it pulls all the time. Thanks for the input, its already 8pm here so i'll try it 2morrow

J_Swaleh

any more ideas, just for options.

Dubbya

iTrader: (16)

Take every thing back apart, inpect it for problems or any unsual wear, reassemble, take it for a test drive.

dallas0593

iTrader: (10)

Sounds to me like the left caliper isn't releasing.

95mtlMAXSE

like dubbya said...take it apart and check it out....might be a pinched fluid line also

albo

did you bang on it hard enough that you problably need a new aligment... maybe

J_Swaleh

thanks guys. any more ideas? im going to take all the advice and spend a good amount of time doing all of them.

J_Swaleh

ideas? anyone?

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Try some of the suggestions before posting again so we can use the process of elimination.

J_Swaleh

alright, i took it all back apart(both sides) and reassembled. the pull is stll there, plus everything looked perfectly normal in the process. i guess it must be that i ****ed up the steering rod or something else while i was down there the first time....right ?

J_Swaleh

this is to get my thread some attention. I have tried all suggestion (checking undercarriage for ****, dismantling) and i stll have the problem. Is time to take it to a shop and get boned for a diagnostic service?

jac121479

iTrader: (10)

i don't think a diagnotic service is gonna help. an alignment check might though!

rocco5446

iTrader: (2)

If the pads really are dragging, you will notice that the driver side wheel area will be noticeably hotter than the passenger side. If that's the case, and you've already compressed the piston, AND have regreased the slide pins, then you're probably going to have to replace the caliper.

Have you done a visual check on the toe of your alignment? If it's pulling as hard as you say, you may be able to see a difference by parking your car as straight as possible and comparing the angle of the wheels. If you notice a real difference, you may just need an alignment.

2maximas

iTrader: (2)

I would just about guarentee it's a bad caliper, THe guy that said to wheel will be noticebly hotter is right, I had a caliper bo bad on me on a GM car and I thought I was going to blow a tire the damn wheel got so hot. When you compressed the caliper, if you didn't clean all the goop off the boot, you could have gotton a piece of dand/dirt in there, once the brakes are applied the caliper piston does not release, have you tried taking that caliper off, recompressing the piston then drive it without hitting the brakes? In other words if you are having to back out of a driveway, apply brakes, then shift to drive, you already have the piston dragging on the rotor, back the car in, so you can just pull away without having to apply.....OH hell I just remembered you have to brake to put the car in gear if it's an auto.....but this would work if you are a 5 speed.....You get the idea right? Just try to drive the car PRIOR to applying the brakes, after recompressing the caliper.......and check temp of wheel when it does start pulling if it's a bad caliper it WILL be hotter on that side, much hotter.
Good Luck
2Maximas

fithos

iTrader: (1)

Did you try to jack up the front and drive it on the stands or even just rotating the tires by hand while its up there? If the brakes are dragging surely one of the wheels will be harder to turn then the other. IF and only if you are sure you can't solve the problem then PM me your phone number. I'll see if I have time to come by and take a look. I live in Elk Grove. A meal might be in order however for that service.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Check for a bad hose if it gives the symptoms of a bad caliper! they collapse internally and then people think automatically it's a bad caliper and they replace the caliper only to find out their new caliper makes the rotor just as hot and pull just as hard...... Its SOOO easy to check for to, spin the rotor with your hand, step on the brakes and spin rotor by hand again (sometimes it's easier just to throw wheel back on) if it is hard to spin your brakes are dragging for one reason or another.. to check for a bad hose simply step on the pedal a few times and make sure it is hard to spin it, then crack the bleeder screw loose for a second, then spin it again, If it is much easier to spin after you crack the bleeder you have a bad rubber brake hose, the line has collapsed internally and a slight amount of pressure stays in the line and keeps applying the brakes

davey6693

Also on the rears, check that you put the bits for the handbrake cable back correctly. Once I didn't do this and my right passenger side rotor was red hot due to extra tension in the cable.