Help! Strong pull to the right..

[Johan]

My car pulls to the right when i brake, even at very low speeds like a few mph.
Camber and Caster are set (by me) and are correct, but I know that toe needs to be adjusted.
However, I can't see that a wrong toe setting should make the car pull to one side??

Any suggestions?

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Most likely you have a problem with your left front brake assembly, it's not braking equally with the right.

 

[gmjunkie]

My car pulls to the right when i brake, even at very low speeds like a few mph.
Camber and Caster are set (by me) and are correct, but I know that toe needs to be adjusted.
However, I can't see that a wrong toe setting should make the car pull to one side??

Any suggestions?

Front Toe can make a car pull,but not just to the right!! Loose or Bent Idler Arm,Loose Ball Joint,Bad Control Arm Bushing,Loose Wheel Bearing,(Front or Rear) Brake Rubber Hoses deteriorating inside,(Front or Rear) Dragging Brake Caliper, (Rt Side,Front or Rear) Trailing Arm Bushing Worn,(Left Rear) Rear Toe,(Off to the Left!!) Excessive Neg Camber,(Rt Rear) Worn Rear Strut Rod Bushings,(RT,LT or Both) Bent Strut Rod,To name a Few!! Hope this helps!!

 

[KANE]

My car pulls to the right when i brake, even at very low speeds like a few mph.
Camber and Caster are set (by me) and are correct, but I know that toe needs to be adjusted.
However, I can't see that a wrong toe setting should make the car pull to one side??

Any suggestions?

I'm thinking you may have air in a front brake line, a bad caliper or a one when that wasn't changed out with the other, a rotor or rotors that weren't turned at the same time... stuff like that.

I'd pull both wheels and look at the brake pads. They should be wearing evenly or close to it. If one side looks like it has more material than the other... then check the system.

 

[Johan]

Thanks for all input!
I have rebuilt both front calipers a few years ago. Last year in may I did a state inspection where they measure brake resistance and left/right was completely even at that point, both front and rear. Then I got this problem at the end of last season (not that many miles later). Maybe front left pistons were completely stuck all of a sudden, because the problem did not come gradually.
I've bought a new house and rebuilt the garage so I've not had the time to check it until now, but I'll start with the brakes.

 

[wishuwerehere82]

I have had that problem a couple of times after winter storage. For some reason, the calipers leak and ingest air into the system and brake fluid out.
First time I hit the brakes, the car headed for the curb.
Check for brake fluid slinging out from the inside of the wheels. All it takes is a little bit on the rotors to disable the braking function on that wheel.

 

[hotshotzny]

pull

my 82 does the same thing to the left, everyones first response is always oh ya got a bad caliper, well guess what, its not bad caliper, when you figure out why yours gos to the right tell me so i can stop going to the left!

 

[Johan]

Ok, I raised the car to do a first check on the brakes. Both calipers do brake, but it's hard to say if it brakes more on left side.
But - when i release the pedal, the left side will not release completely, it takes a while for the pistons to go back so I can turn the wheel freely.
Should I take this as an indication that something is wrong with the left side and that it does not brake as hard as it should?

Can't say that rebuilding the caliper (again) is a job I look forward to... :ugh

my 82 does the same thing to the left, everyones first response is always oh ya got a bad caliper, well guess what, its not bad caliper, when you figure out why yours gos to the right tell me so i can stop going to the left!

Ok, let's swap the left side suspension and caliper with each other, and we will both go straight... :L

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Should I take this as an indication that something is wrong with the left side and that it does not brake as hard as it should?

It's most likely the rubber flex hose that has collapsed internally and blocking the flow, not the caliper.

Try your test again, and open the bleeder screw as soon as your helper releases the pedal. If the wheel belcomes easy to turn, the hose is your problem.

If you don't have a helper, my buddy over in Aseda could come give you a hand. He likes beer too.

 

[pbcanney]

I would change the hoses from the line(s) to the calipers. considering they are probably 34 years old, they may have swelled inside or one may be expanding when under pressure.

changed mine last year chasing a similar problem and that was the solution (got the fancy Russell braided ones.. just because.)

{vettehead mikey and I were apparantly typing the same response at the same time ~ so we must be right}

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

{vettehead mikey and I were apparantly typing the same response at the same time ~ so we must be right}

You like beer too? otfl

 

[Johan]

Thanks for the input, I'll check that right away!

If you don't have a helper, my buddy over in Aseda could come give you a hand. He likes beer too.

:L I visit Aseda every now and then since I have a lot of contact with a company there with my job. Next time I will take time to visit one of the larger (In Sweden) Corvette dealers that are just nearby.

 

[LanceB]

Keep us updated. I am bleeding my system tonite, my brakes are acting crazy since I pulled the 81 out of the garage this year.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Next time I will take time to visit one of the larger (In Sweden) Corvette dealers that are just nearby.

Can you give me the name and address, I'd like to see myself next time we visit. Thks:cool

 

[Johan]

Well, it seems like the hose is the problem, the caliper will not release the pressure, but when I open the bleeder, it does, just as Vetthead Mikey described.
I tried to bleed the caliper, but that did not help. New hoses are on the way, but I will propably not get them until next week.

Can you give me the name and address, I'd like to see myself next time we visit. Thks:cool

"Vette Småland", www.vettesmaland.com, they are about 20 km from Åseda. They have a map on the site, I'm sure you can find it even though it is in Swedish.
(the outdoor pictures are from when they have some activites for the Swedish Corvette Club, so they don't have all those cars up for sale...)

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

"Vette Småland", www.vettesmaland.com, they are about 20 km from Åseda. They have a map on the site, I'm sure you can find it even though it is in Swedish.

We must have driven right past this place on our way to/from Kalmar! Small world.

 

[Johan]

Update: Brake hoses changed, problem solved!

This forum is , thanks everyone.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Glad it was any easy fix!