Right Front Brake Dragging

[LHastings]

My truck is pulling to the right. So I had the front end aligned. The service man said that the brake is dragging. I went back to the service bay and check it for myself. You could hardly turn the wheel by hand and turning it backward was even harder.

Is this a sticky brake caliper or something else. I broght it home and cleaned, polished and lube the pins and polished guide surface. But the pulling to the right is still there. I just replaced the Rotors and Pads about 7000 miles ago.



98 Quad 12v 4x4 auto pure stock.

 

[Andy Redmond]

The wheel should be hard to turn without the engine running as you are not getting any power assist.



You likely have a sticking caliper. You have done the first step relubling the pins. Now head to Pep Boys or Napa and find some raybestos caliper parts. If the pins seem free ok, also get the rubber bushings that the pins slide on, there are two different types. The bushing that runs most of the length of the caliper retaining holes/ears and some small "hose" washers that ride in a groove or notch in the recess. You are looking at less than $20 for these parts.



If this doesn't work and its in your budget replace the caliper with a reman unit (don't turn in your core yet). Make sure this helps. .

The caliper won't usually come with the bushings that the pins ride on. .



Bleed the brakes and go for a ride.



If you pay someone to do this for you, have them put a pressure gauge on the brake system to assure equal hydrulic pressure going to each of the calipers. This may uncover line restriction, proportioning valve probs. etc.



They can also advise of rebulding your caliper(s). New piston seal etc.



You may have read the infamous, brake pull tsb floating about. .





Good luck, Andy

 

[LSMITH]

This is fairly common. On mine it happened at 50K miles, out of the blue it started pulling right. I had new calipers, the rubber hoses, ball joints and knuckles installed (under warranty). It helped some but did not fix it completely. When the pull started on mine it would yank you nearly off the road and was really intermittant, now it just pulls slightly most all of the time. I have tried the lubing pins and caliper slides, nothing really works to get rid of it. It did go away for about two months after a maximum braking slow down from the three digit zone to about 50. I had lots of fade and little or no brakes left at 50, but as soon as things cooled off it worked great. What that had to do with anything I don't know, but I might try it again and see if it helps. I have also noticed that the right caliper and wheel run 50-100 degrees hotter than the left when I have the pull. When there is no pull the temps are even so a caliper is obviously not releasing all the way. I am positive the problem is a design problem in the braking system, it is too common to not be and is a pull to the right in nearly every instance. Adjusting the rear brakes will definately help to tame the pull. HTH.

 

[illflem]

A bad hose can also cause the brakes to stick. What can happen is that part of the hose liner can separate and act as a check valve (one-way) not allowing release. This is fairly common. If after checking/replacing pins and bushings if the caliper still doesn't side freely replace the hose. Defiantly do this before replacing the caliper, save yourself some money.

 

[LHastings]

Thanks the info. I replaced the caliper and the installed new pins.

I just got back from a road test and it does not pull to the right as bad it did. If you drive on the left side of the crown it runs straight. I hope it will last on my Turkey Day Trip. When I get back I'll get serous with the repair.