brakes pulling to the left

[NickDawson]

Hey folks,

I know many are reluctant to dish out advice on brake work - and for good reason. I'll preface this by saying that I'll probably take my truck in to a good shop for this one, but I do have to drive it there so I might as well give it a look....

For a while (read 8 months) my truck has been pulling hard to the left when you step on the brakes. I've gotten so used to it that I frequently forget it even happens, I just instinctively counter it with some right pressure on the steering wheel. That said, I've let two other folks drive my truck recently and they really had a hard time - it was enough to remind me that I need to get it fixed.

FYI, I have a 109 front axel with dual wheel cylinders.

If I'm pulling to the left, does that mean I need to loosen things on the left, or tighten them on the right? Any thoughts about how to diagnose? All 4 wheels spin freely when jacked up and all four are solidly locked when the brake is depressed.

[bt1211]

When a car pulls to one side when you brake, it means the other side rubber hose is bad (ie if your car pulls to the right that means your left side rubber hose is not working correctly).

The rubber hose can look fine on the outside but inside the hose has deteriorated.Over time, hoses pull water from the brake fluid, this makes them swell on the inside, closing the passage way. The one side is ok but the other side requires more force to push fluid thru the brake hose. Thats why it pulls to one side.

When you step on the brake you can force fluid thru it but the caliper/cylinder does not have enough to force it back as quickly as the other side. This causes your brakes to drag(if they are)for the same reason.

Just have the rubber lines replaced(BOTH SIDES)and the one over the rearend.

Bryan

[ignotus]

Nick,
There can be any number of reasons why a brake pulls to one side.

Uneven wear on brake shoes or drums(or both) could cause the brake shoes to not contact with even pressure left to right.
Corrosion buildup inside the brake cyl at the wheel might not let the piston travel out far enough.
Leaking brake cyl or hub getting oil/fluid on the pad/drum causing it to slide not brake.
Leaking cyl not letting enough pressure to fully acuate the brake.

It could be at the rear wheel and not the front.

If your fluid is older than 2 years there could be air or water in it, this is usually a spongy pedal. Land Rover recommends replacement every 2 years.
If your hoses are ancient they may be swollen or having a flap inside causing poor braking performance.

Where to start? Check for leaks.
Pulling left, check left front brake by dismanteling. They are fairly simple and usually you can see problems. Look for thin material on pads, does the rubber on the cyls look funky? got lots of corrosion going on?. Put a clamp on the hose and take off the cyl. remove the rubbers, corrosion? does the piston move freely?
Everything OK? put it back together and don't forget to bleed. Move along to left rear, same thing.....right rear, same thing.....right front, same thing. yer done.

You probably want a couple of rebuild kits on hand before starting.

Hope this help,
gene

[gudjeon]

Oil contamination on drum(s)?

[SafeAirOne]

Surprised nobody mentioned the obvious, usual cause--improperly adjusted brake shoes.

Adjust all 4 sets of brakes in accordance with the book BEFORE you start overhauling the system or breaking out the wallet!

[gudjeon]

We are used to going for the expensive stuff first, eh?:thumb-up:

[NickDawson]

Surprised nobody mentioned the obvious, usual cause--improperly adjusted brake shoes.

Adjust all 4 sets of brakes in accordance with the book BEFORE you start overhauling the system or breaking out the wallet!

That was my first inclination and glad to hear someone else echo it as a reasonable starting point. Since my truck is a bit of a frankenrover (80's 2.5L engine, 109 front end, 88 rear end, converted to dual MC) I'll have to piece together the specs :D (actually everything I need should been in the green bible, right?).



When a car pulls to one side when you brake, it means the other side rubber hose is bad (ie if your car pulls to the right that means your left side rubber hose is not working correctly).
Just have the rubber lines replaced(BOTH SIDES)and the one over the rearend.
Bryan

Sounds like a reasonable thing to do regardless of anything else. I don't know how old the existing ones are.

Thanks all!

[KingSlug]

I find the clamping the front cylinders all the way down then bleeding them out, usually cures the issue. But since you have to remove the drums, shoes and stuff you have a chance to check for leaks/seep and wear, then adjust the shoes as you put everything back together.

http://vivalaant.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/stop-nellie/

Jared

[Tim Smith]

I've learned something from this thread already which is, don't let the advice of a forum put you or your family in jeopardy. Not to say folks are off, but everyone seems to have a particular point to check which could be the problem or not.

I say do it all just to be sure. It's free to check and near dirt cheap to fix yourself.

If I were you though, I'd do a driveway check.


Think about the brake pull. Is it immediate? I expect it is which has you so concerned. Most folks fail to notice rear brake failures. Any way, if it is then you are to think about the front brakes not the rears.
Lets say it's the front. I presume the brakes are adjusted correctly. If not then jack up the front and get them within spec.
If in spec, then on the weak wheel, look for fluid coming from the drum and back plate. Depending on the fluid then you'll know if it's a bad cylinder or a seal.
On the good wheel, check to make sure it's not over tight.
If no fluid and one of the wheels is not over tight, then check the rubber lines. As has been said, a failing flex line can cause brake locking on one side or brake failing on the other.
Replace parts as needed.

My advice is, get all the parts you could possibly need. If you are going to do the brakes and it's a nearly full service run with the brakes, then just go ahead and get new shoes, slaves, flex lines and fluid. If you did see oil at any of the drum/back plate joints then you will need a seal too. I expect this is your likely problem any way.

In the end, doing your brakes is childes play and should be well within the grasp of a series driver.

[NickDawson]

In the end, doing your brakes is childes play and should be well within the grasp of a series driver.

Thanks for the great troubleshooting advice!

This won't be the first time I've been down this road. I did replace the front lines and wheel cylinders about a year ago. It went straight to a shop after that for some professional TLC which is actually when the pulling started. needless to say I won't be using that shop again.

[Tim Smith]

Thanks for the great troubleshooting advice!

This won't be the first time I've been down this road. I did replace the front lines and wheel cylinders about a year ago. It went straight to a shop after that for some professional TLC which is actually when the pulling started. needless to say I won't be using that shop again.
Maybe the shop just didn't know how to adjust manually adjusted brakes. If thats the case, then you should be able to fix this with a standard brake service which includes (among other things) turning the adjuster bolt on the back plates to their rightly needed number of turns. In effect, it sounds like the side that is too tight just needs to be backed off a bit. Try that and see if it works.

[NickDawson]

Maybe the shop just didn't know how to adjust manually adjusted brakes. If thats the case, then you should be able to fix this with a standard brake service which includes (among other things) turning the adjuster bolt on the back plates to their rightly needed number of turns. In effect, it sounds like the side that is too tight just needs to be backed off a bit. Try that and see if it works.

Tried that today - I'm not sure, but think I may have made it worse...it is certainly not better.

One of the adjusters on the right front is rusted in place and the bolt is rounded off...I've soaked it in PB blaster and have a broken nut attachment for my drill- I'll give it a try once the PB has had a chance to sink in.

I tried a few things:
1) I clamped off the rubber hose to the front left. The truck had a harder time stopping and I had a firmer pedal and strayed straight.
2) clamped the right side - no difference

It feels like it wants to fish out from the back - those adjusters move freely and are in spec (along with the adjusters on the front left).

I'm going to replace the rubber hoses as they probably need it anyway...

could a non-leaking, faulty wheel cylinder cause pulling in some way? I don't have reason to suspect a wheel cylinder, just curious.

[Jim-ME]

Nick,
You are going to need a new adjuster.
Jim

[Tim Smith]

Nick,
You are going to need a new adjuster.
Jim
2x

If your adjusters are not working, you'll never be able to balance the brakes. Sounds like you are on the right track though. It's cheaper to buy a whole new brake system and do it yourself than to have a shop do it. That and you get to learn the system too. :thumb-up:

[Jim-ME]

Nick,
I have a full set of adjusters and will gladly send you one of them. PM me your address and it will be in the mail. The hardest part is removing the old one.
Jim

[NickDawson]

Nick,
I have a full set of adjusters and will gladly send you one of them. PM me your address and it will be in the mail. The hardest part is removing the old one.
Jim

Thanks for the offer Jim - I'll gladly take you up on that offer and expect to pay you for the parts and shipping, etc. I'll PM with details.

You pre-empted my next question which is about removing and refitting them. The GB doesn't seem to cover that :D

On my front left wheel (109 front end remember) both adjusters only turn about 4 turns in either direction. The wheel spins freely in the middle of the range and locks up when either adjuster is turned fully in either directions - does that sound correct?

[Jim-ME]

I don't know anything about 109 brakes. Will you need one adjuster or two?
Jim