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79 jerks to right with brakes

C3 4ME

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
72
Location
Mechanicsville, VA
Corvette
1979 Black L-82 4 speed
On the way home from the cruise in tonight, I hit the brakes as normal and the car jerked to the right. Then it goes straight. In other words as the car continues to slow down, it doesn't keep pulling to the right. Now, Ive had a groaning and/or creaking from the rear end as I went around a turn at a slow speed. A person there said he had the same exact sound on his Vette and it was a bad u joint on the half shafts. My question is, could these 2 things be related?
 
My 81 pulled to the right, it turned out to be a leaking caliper on the left. It contaminated the brake pad, so I had to replace them too. I also had a squeaking/creaking noise coming from the rear. I checked the U-joints as reccommended, but they seemed fine, the half-shafts had been changed at some point. I did notice a low tire on the right rear, where the noise seemed to be coming from, and pumped it up the same as the rest. Now the car goes straight when I hit the brakes, and it doesn't squeak. Hope this helps.

Craig
 
Thanks Craig, I'm getting ready to head out to the garage to see what I can find out. When you're 81 was pulling to the right, did it continue to pull to the right the whole time you had the brakes on? That's what is strange to me is mine doesn't continue to pull to the right, only the initial jerk to the right. I can let go of the steering wheel with the brakes on and after the initial jerk to the right it will track straight.
 
I don't really know, once it started pulling, I had no intentions of letting go of the wheel!
 
I only let go going slow and was very ready to grab it if I needed to! Now, after pulling all 4 wheels, all calipers look nice and dry. What I did notice was the metal backing on the pad on the outside LF was working loose, not where the pad itself is attached to the metal part of the pad that the pin goes through, but a paper thin metal backing on the metal part that the actual pads attach to if that makes any sense. Anyway, new pads will be installed tomorrow nite. Too bad too, the pads had plenty of friction material left on them.
 
C3 4ME said:
I only let go going slow and was very ready to grab it if I needed to! Now, after pulling all 4 wheels, all calipers look nice and dry. What I did notice was the metal backing on the pad on the outside LF was working loose, not where the pad itself is attached to the metal part of the pad that the pin goes through, but a paper thin metal backing on the metal part that the actual pads attach to if that makes any sense. Anyway, new pads will be installed tomorrow nite. Too bad too, the pads had plenty of friction material left on them.
My 76 pulled to the left when applying the brakes. Guess what? It wasn't the left side causing the problem, it was the right front side rubber hose about to blow out. Replaced both hoses and fixed the problem. Check your rubber brake hoses. Bet your left side has a bulge in it causing more pressure on the right side which makes the car pull right only when you first hit the brakes.
 
Lucky 76 thanks. I put the new brake pads on and of course it didn't help. I'll go back and recheck the brake hoses real carefully. I'm intending to take the car to Carlisle in a few weeks, in fact I've been looking forward to it all year, so I'm going to be damn disappointed if I can't take it! Not to mention I'll be out $55 that I already spent for registration.
 

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