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i installed SS brake lines on my '98 tour svt the other day, and replaced my passenger side caliper and pads with a brand new one (only the front passenger side) well now the car pulls madly to the right.. not just a little bit, like it pulls hard to the right. (and yes we bled the system correctly) ive driven like this for nearly 300 miles now and have beat the [censored] out of the brakes as much as i could, so i don't see how the pad could still be touching the rotor when the brakes aren't engaged (which i guess sometimes happens with brand new not worn in pads)
my alignment was perfect before we did the lines/caliper install, so if anyone knows what could be wrong please let me know, thanks.
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I'm not a brake expert but I think that if your car has a mechanical brake proportioning valve, the problem could be caused by a malfunction there.
99 csvt
amazon green/tan
pre-98 sail panels
pioneer sound
72K mi
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IIRC, proportioning valves are only for front-rear brake proportioning, not side-to-side (and are, strictly speaking "hydraulic" parts, not "mechanical"). In general, all braking systems are designed so that each side of an axle gets the same braking force; front-to-rear braking depends on other factors. I doubt the proportioning valve would cause this symptom.
Obvious things: Bleed it again (thought it sounds like you've covered this). Make sure all slide pin surfaces have the correct high-temp grease (and NO grease is anywhere near a pad surface). Make sure the pads are able to move smoothly where they're supposed to within the caliper.
Hmmm - It pulls to the right when *not* braking, or *only* when braking?
If only while braking,your new caliper is working really well - and the other one might not be. Take a closer look; it might need replacement as well.
If only while *not* braking, something is dragging or something changed (that shouldn't have) during the installation.
Also, in general, always replace brake pads on an entire axle, not just one side (original post only mentioned changing passenger side pads).
1995 Contour GL V6 ATX T/C
1986 Mustang GT 5.0
2000 Windstar LX
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MY car was doing this too, dont know if it still is because the car is in pieces gettin a new trans.. im curious to see if you can solve this. I bought a new caliper.. didnt help...
1998.5 Diamond White Pearl SVT (#4725)
custom exhaust/intake k&N/mod'ed y-pipe
slotted rotors/greenstuff pads/SS lines
cougar trans/FSVT shift tower/Torsen
16lb. flywheel
18" Velox VX-8's with some rubba bands
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the car pulls to the right mostly when i'm not on the brakes, but it pulls just a little bit when i am on the brakes. i think im gonna try just buying a new set of pads for the driver's front side and see if that helps. the reason why i didnt bother replacing the driver front when i installed the new caliper/pads is because these pads/rotors were just replaced like 2k miles ago, so there's a ton of meat still left on them.
Last edited by Lke2drvsvt; 05/27/05 03:52 PM.
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If the car is pulling to the right when you aren't using the brakes, I don't believe replacing the driver's side pads will fix it (regardless, I still believe brakes pads on a given axle should be changed together).
Fundamentally, either something is wrong with the alignment, or something is dragging. I can't think of anything else that will cause a pull when not using the brakes. Hmmm - If tire pressure is really low, it will cause drag. Have you checked?
Some things to try: Jack up the front of the car and spin both wheels by hand (tranny in neutral - chock the rears for safety). Do both seem to have about the same resistance? Do you hear anything that sounds like rubbing or grinding? For sake of completeness, do the same in the rear. There will be some drag from the brake pads - but it shouldn't be much, and it should feel about the same from side to side.
Was anything else changed when you replace the brake components? Anything hit or dropped that could affect alignment?
1995 Contour GL V6 ATX T/C
1986 Mustang GT 5.0
2000 Windstar LX
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ok when i get a chance i'll try manually spinning the wheels and see how it feels.. other than that, i don't recall dropping anything.. it's not like we were messing with the tie rods or anything. the reason we replaced the caliper was because i accidentally tightened the bleeder valve too tight and snapped it off inside the caliper and we couldn't get it out (the extractor broke off in the bleeder screw lol) thanks for the input
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BTW, your orignal problem highlights something I now recommend (yes, I've faced the broken bleeder problem before): ALWAYS coat the threads of a bleeder with anti-seize compound (yes, the silvery stuff that seems to go everywhere). It will save much frustration later on.
1995 Contour GL V6 ATX T/C
1986 Mustang GT 5.0
2000 Windstar LX
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Originally posted by Lke2drvsvt:
the car pulls to the right mostly when i'm not on the brakes, but it pulls just a little bit when i am on the brakes. i think im gonna try just buying a new set of pads for the driver's front side and see if that helps. the reason why i didnt bother replacing the driver front when i installed the new caliper/pads is because these pads/rotors were just replaced like 2k miles ago, so there's a ton of meat still left on them.
This is probably the key to your problem. Even slight difference in friction material can cause uneven braking. Brake pad material MUST always match on any given axle. Unless the new pads with the new caliper were exactly the same as the ones on the left side THE BRAKES WILL BE UNEVEN!
If you just stick anything on the left side that doesn't match what is on the right side, you will still have a problem.
At this point the best answer is new pads for both front brakes.
Jim Johnson
98 SVT
03 Escape Limited
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Originally posted by Big Jim:
This is probably the key to your problem. Even slight difference in friction material can cause uneven braking. Brake pad material MUST always match on any given axle. Unless the new pads with the new caliper were exactly the same as the ones on the left side THE BRAKES WILL BE UNEVEN!
If you just stick anything on the left side that doesn't match what is on the right side, you will still have a problem.
At this point the best answer is new pads for both front brakes.
hmm ok that doesnt make much sense, unless you missed the part where i said when im NOT on the brakes it pulls to the right, and when i AM on the brakes, it drives straighter. so it doesnt really matter what material the pad is made of, considering it's not touching the rotor anyway when im not braking...
a friend suggested that we may have installed the pads on the wrong side of the caliper, so when i get a chance im gonna switch the pads and see if that fixes the problem.
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