Pull to Right When Braking

[MarkW]

Got a bit of a braking problem with the truck pulling to the right when slowing above about 40mph.

It started on my last trip after changing the front brake pads on the DS and had since been MOT'd ok.

Front calipers have been rebuilt, new pads and discs as well. Rear drivers side was swapped for a 2nd hand caliper early in the year. Lower suspension arm bushes are good and MOT had an advisory for the drivers track rod end, nothing else suspension bush wise.

The rear left caliper is manky and needs sorting out, but is there anything else I should look at as the cause?

 

[flint]

If I read it right and you just changed out the O/S front pads, perhaps a new set of pads on both sides might be worth a try ?

 

[MarkW]

I changed os front when it started, these were some old pads I had in my spares box (no problem before the pads). Since then the front calipers on both sides, discs and pads have been replaced. Only thing on the front not changed is the OS rubber hose

 

[clivehorridge]

I’d say you have a lazy/sticking piston on the front left. It’s annoying that you’ve recently renewed/reconditioned both sides at the front, but a piston can stick at any time IME, to suit itself.

I’ve never known a rear brake either side to affect steering under braking, so my attention would be on the front least performing brake.

 

[MarkW]

Mmm thing is it did before and after the rebuilt calipers and front left also has a new hose.

Rear drivers side was sticking, easy to diagnose with the wheel getting hotter, and that caused a pull to the left. Replacing the caliper fixed that.

Just had a play with the rear calipers and both sides the piston seem to move the same, needing similar force.

MOT brake test was ok and no problems with bushes or suspension identified.

Weathers not helping today

 

[IRLGW]

Wheel Bearing?

 

[Shayne]

Mine does it to the left and i'm inclined to blame the wishbone bushes which will i expect pass an mot but are nevertheless worn .

I seem to recall your having those bushes replaced quite recently though ?

 

[MarkW]

The bushes were replaced 12months a go but 2 failed and were replaced by the garage that fitted them.

This was done after the pull to the right started so I don’t think this would be the issue.

Just had it up on axle stands and can see no obvious movement in the front suspension on either side. Likewise no play or roughness pointing to a bearing problem.

Frustrating knowing somethings wrong but not being able to find it to know what to fix.

 

[kombivan]

The bushes were replaced 12months a go but 2 failed and were replaced by the garage that fitted them.

This was done after the pull to the right started so I don’t think this would be the issue.

Just had it up on axle stands and can see no obvious movement in the front suspension on either side. Likewise no play or roughness pointing to a bearing problem.

Frustrating knowing somethings wrong but not being able to find it to know what to fix.

 

[kombivan]

Have you used vice grips on the brake hoses when you changed the brakes over as with old brake hoses perished rubber can come away and act like a valve stopping the flow of brake fluid to the wheel causing only one wheel to brake on that axle you will have pedal and wverything will seem normal except for the flap of rubber inside the brake hose very common on VW's never use vise gripos on brake hoses.

 

[MarkW]

Not used vice grips but I did use hose clamps when I changed the front calipers. New hoses were supposed to go on but one of the new ones had a problem with the thread on it so the drivers side still has the original one.

Any way to test the hose without taking it off?

 

[kombivan]

Have you used vice grips on the brake hoses when you changed the brakes over as with old brake hoses perished rubber can come away and act like a valve stopping the flow of brake fluid to the wheel causing only one wheel to brake on that axle you will have pedal and everything will seem normal except for the flap of rubber inside the brake hose very common on VW's never use vise grips on brake hoses.

Pulling to the right or left on braking could be a wheel alignment thing when all your bushes etc are in good nick. If things a worn badly a car will still pull straight if everything is worn badly, but when things are tight and the wheel alignment is incorrect you could go anywhere. Also these days rear wheels as well as front ones require aligning on many cars.

Could also be a sign that the bolt in the middle of a leaf spring pack could be broken but highly unlikely

could be wish bone bushes or lower or upper control arm bushes.

when doing brakes you must do both sides of the axle at the same time as the friction may be different.

could even be somthing wrong with the master brake cylinder or possibly somthing became dislodged when bleeding the brakes and restricting a valve in the mastercylinder. You might be using urethane bushes in the steering if yes get real rubber.

I have a hj60 and I've only experienced pulling to right or left after a wheel alignment when everything is tight so if you have coils look there in your suspension as well

Have a look at your hand brake cable there might be a rubber dust cover like the hj60 once mine wore and when I pulled on my handbrake the rubber went in and jammed the cable on causing the drums to get real hot while driving if one side is rubbing and getting hot the disc's may grab better than the cold brake disk hence causing you to pull one way.

Thats about all I can think of good luck with it.

A stick could have crushed a brake line restricting fluid flow.

 

[flint]

+1 on that with the unchanged O/S/F flexible hose. Sometimes the outer looks fine, but the inner can be starting to break down, not allowing the fluid to return freely. I can't really think of a way to check without replacing the hose, perhaps cracking open the bleed nipple with a clear pipe going into a jar of fluid might show something when the pedal is pressed and released ? Interesting that two of the replaced bushes failed, were they on the same side ?

 

[AndyCook]

I would also change that worn track rod end, I always replace things that get flagged as advisorys, even More important if you regularly do trips abroad

 

[MarkW]

could well be the hose. Going to have to wait for RT to replace the faulty one I’ve got from them.

The bushes which failed were the fears on both side of the lower arms. I had the bushes changed in Morocco last year so not sure what make was put on.

 

[MarkW]

New track rod in the garage waiting for a gap in the rain to fit Andy

 

[flint]

The bushes which failed were the fears on both side of the lower arms. I had the bushes changed in Morocco last year so not sure what make was put on.

Might be worth an alignment check, castor and camber as well as toe in when the new track rod is on.

 

[clivehorridge]

My front braking felt “all over the place” recently and I had an attack of the death wobble, for the first time ever in 11 years ownership.

I also found the the first pedal depression went a long way but the second one was firm.

The fault was a wheel bearing, so bad it was pushing the pads right back in the caliper, causing the pedal problem, and also the culprit for “wandering” under braking and the attack of DW.

I don’t suppose it’s relevant in your case, but worth a look while you’re under, they reconned my bearing was ready to let go altogether...

 

[MarkW]

Had it jacked up today and shook, rattled and spun the wheels with nothing apparent Clive.

Might swap the old hose from the passenger side onto the drivers side tomorrow and see if that changes anything. I'd rather a new hose but that's probably not going to be here until Tuesday now.

 

[clivehorridge]

Had it jacked up today and shook, rattled and spun the wheels with nothing apparent Clive.

Might swap the old hose from the passenger side onto the drivers side tomorrow and see if that changes anything. I'd rather a new hose but that's probably not going to be here until Tuesday now.

I’m not suggesting it’s your problem Mark, but I’d had mine jacked up after the DW attack on the Sunday and I couldn’t find anything amiss.

I couldn’t believe it when the very next day on Monday, the workshop found the wheel bearing shot to pieces.

I’m obviously not strong enough to ‘rattle’ heavy wheels enough to find such a fault, obvious to others.