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Author
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Topic: Brakes pull
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-04-2000 02:36 PM
   
Well, I am stumped. For the last week or so my brakes have been pulling to the left. They do so fairly consistently yet at times, after driving the car awhile, they seem not to pull?I have checked the adjustment on the both the fronts then the rears with no positive effect. They are, I believe, adjusted correctly, just lightly brushing when the drum is spun. I replaced my front brake shoes, wheel cylinders, and drums about 6 months ago. The wear is even and appropriate for the short time they have been on the car. The rear brakes were done about 5 years ago and they have approximately 70% pad left. Again, even wear. The drums look and feel fine, no ridges, smooth. I am losing no brake fluid and all the wheel cylinders are dry. So why is this thing pulling to the left? Any ideas folks? ------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 14060
From: Saco, Maine MCA # 47773
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-04-2000 02:41 PM
Have you taken the drums off to look for broken hardware, or leaking axle seals?------------------
SteveLaRiviere/Webmaster -- MCA # 47773
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-04-2000 02:43 PM
Yep, just finished doing so. It all looks good, appropriately dry and everything looks as I believe it should. I cannot find anything amiss.------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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Dave Gibson
Moderator Posts: 3453
From: Pensacola, Florida, USA
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-04-2000 02:47 PM
Jerry,
Try bleeding Your brakes. Start at the far right rear and work Your way up to the front left. See what happens. You may have some air in the lines or a loose line allowing air to get in!! Just a thought.Dave & Terri
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66 Bench Coupe (Anna Belle)
65 "A" Code w/4 Speed (Poni)
66 "C" Code Coupe (Sally)
MCA#47921
M&M #166
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 14060
From: Saco, Maine MCA # 47773
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-04-2000 02:50 PM
One thing I've found on old cars is that the shoes wear grooves in the backing plates, sometimes enough to cause the shoes to hang. The cure is just a few seconds with a flat file. Just throwing out possibilities. ------------------
SteveLaRiviere/Webmaster -- MCA # 47773 [This message has been edited by SteveLaRiviere (edited 11-04-2000).]
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-04-2000 02:54 PM
Appreciate the suggestions guys, keep 'em coming  . I shall do the bleed and look closer at the drums/backing plate.------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 14060
From: Saco, Maine MCA # 47773
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-04-2000 03:00 PM
Have you tried adjusting the brakes using the self-adjust feature. They usually don't work unless the brakes are as new as yours are. Find an empty parking lot and back the car up 10-15 mph and brake the car hard, almost to the point of lock-up, but not quite. Do that 4-5 times, and see if it changes the pulling sensation.
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SteveLaRiviere/Webmaster -- MCA # 47773
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Rustang1
Journeyman Posts: 50
From:
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-04-2000 06:39 PM
One thing to take a look at is your brake hoses. As they get older they'll swell shut and act like an orifice. Then the brake application becomes pretty unpredictable. My 1967 had very wicked brakes above 60mph, and you never knew for sure which way she was going to pull! I chased that problem for months before I discovered hardly any fluid would go thru my brake hoses.
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-04-2000 07:17 PM
Well, I bled the system, all was fine. Tried the backup-adjust approach, no help there. Rustang, thanks for the input and welcome to M&M ! I'll attack it again tomorrow. Any other ideas out there? Thanks all.
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Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-05-2000 03:38 AM
Would appreciate any and all other options for me to check out tomorrow a.m. What else might be causing this pull? Thanks all. ------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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mustangs68
Moderator Posts: 10785
From: Buckroe Beach,Virginia,USA 1968 Fastback & 1995 Vert MCA#39406 M&M #12
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-05-2000 09:44 AM
Jerry while under the car give the Emergency Brake adj. a look also.
sam
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Moneymaker
Administrator Posts: 8393
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-05-2000 12:36 PM
If the brake hoses are the originals I suspect they are the culprits. I would do a test though first. I would back off the adjustments to where the drums spin freely. Then spin them by hand one at a time while someone applys the pedal and see if one hangs up more than the other. Alex------------------
Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator
Fleet of FoMoCo's too long to list!
http://superstockers.homestead.com/week.html
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RonnieT
Gearhead Posts: 239
From: Port Allen, La. 70767
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 11-05-2000 09:22 PM
Only ment to say that once 
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Ronnie
69 mach1 351W-4V
70 Torino GT 351C-4v with a "shaker"
Mustangs and More Member #23[This message has been edited by RonnieT (edited 11-05-2000).]
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-05-2000 09:44 PM
Frustrations continue here... I replaced 2 of the 3 rubber brake lines, NAPA did not have the rear line. Was a fairly quick straight forward job without incident. We bled the front brakes and ended up with the same pull to the left. We then backed off all the adjusters as Alex suggested and each of the wheels stopped with no discernable differences. The emergency brake looks good and works as it seems it should.Ronnie, I appreciate the lead to look at the strut rob bushings. The front end was completely done approx 6 years ago... another direction to look. Thanks. Was thinking that the rear brake hose shouldn't be the culprit since its a line that feeds both rear lines through a junction, hence equal pressure? I shall look around for the hose tomorrow and get that done (what the heck, might as well get all the hoses to same condition eh?). Beyond that if the issue continues I shall give and take it in. Hate to do that but I've run outa options in my limited arena. Thanks for the ideas all... ------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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RonnieT
Gearhead Posts: 239
From: Port Allen, La. 70767
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 11-05-2000 10:44 PM
Strange things happening here 
I had a double post above and edited the one taht is showing, I looked back later and the other post is gone  The original post I mentioned to check the strutrod bushings, which apparently Jerry read, since he talked about it in his reply. Hope you find your problem Jerry, pulling brakes can cause trouble. ------------------
Ronnie
69 mach1 351W-4V
70 Torino GT 351C-4v with a "shaker"
Mustangs and More Member #23
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Moneymaker
Administrator Posts: 8393
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-06-2000 03:06 PM
Maybe it's not a brake pull after all???? How is it during "panic" stops Jerry? Alex------------------
Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator
Fleet of FoMoCo's too long to list!
http://superstockers.homestead.com/week.html
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-06-2000 08:49 PM
Alex, during panic stops it initially pulls to the left then follows that line (make sense?)until she comes to a stop.------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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DaveK
Gearhead Posts: 116
From: Sterling, VA
Registered: Dec 99
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posted 11-07-2000 07:09 AM
Are the shoes on correctly? Sometimes the front shoe gets put on where the rear shoe goes. Just another idea...
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jkilroy
Gearhead Posts: 1036
From: Austin, TX
Registered: Dec 99
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posted 11-11-2000 11:37 PM
Is it just under hard stops that it pulls or all the time? If so, check your tire ware patterns and tink about an alignment, might just be bump steer.------------------
Jay Kilroy
68' Fastback GT 390
"No such thing as a cam thats too big"
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Moneymaker
Administrator Posts: 8393
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-11-2000 11:55 PM
One last suggestion. Try swapping the front brake drums left to right. Bearings and all. Alex------------------
Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator
Fleet of FoMoCo's too long to list!
http://superstockers.homestead.com/week.html
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-12-2000 05:34 PM
Well, I think it's fixed, for now This morning I decided to dive in and go through the entire system on both sides and also check out the front suspension for any obvious issues. I found that there was an enourmous amount of play in the steering but only on the passenger side. I traced down the play to two bolts that worked loose on the 'anchor' point where the passenger side of the steering rack is attached to the frame. Scary how loose they were! I tightened them up and took it out for a drive. Far less wander and rut running! and the diving to the left was reduced somewhat. (Makes sense to me to take it in and have the alignment checked since I am sure this has changed since it was so loose). I then followed Alex's suggestion and swapped the front drums and bearings. There is now zero pull, she stops straight under all conditions.  Question is, why would swapping out the drums result in no more pull? I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth but am curious as to why this worked. I want to be sure that the issue does not re-occur a few miles down the road. Would it make any sense to have the drums ground one more time as a precaution? In any case Thanks for the help all! I greatly appreciate it! ------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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Moneymaker
Administrator Posts: 8393
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-12-2000 07:33 PM
Jerry, experiance is always the BEST teacher.  Everyone here sees me harping about it all of the time. Swapping the drums is an old mechanics trick that I learned oddly enough......... from, an old mechanic. It has to do with the NEW brake shoes taking a seat into the drums on initial wear in. That set or grove will cause the shoes to follow or draw into a grove in the drums every time. By swapping them side to side, you are forcing them to creat a new seat or path. 9 times out of ten this will correct a pulling problem if everything else is in order. I generally only use it as a last resort, because 9 times out of ten, there is something else wrong with the car. Alex------------------
Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator
Fleet of FoMoCo's too long to list!
http://superstockers.homestead.com/week.html
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67 Fastback
Gearhead Posts: 527
From: Beaverton, Oregon
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 11-12-2000 07:39 PM
Alex, you 'old' mechanic you.... Thanks alot! I greatly appreciate your experience ------------------
Jerry
www.inetarena.com/~sobeit/mustang.html
"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
G.B. Shaw
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 14060
From: Saco, Maine MCA # 47773
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-13-2000 03:55 PM
I gotta remember that one, Alex! ------------------
SteveLaRiviere/Webmaster -- MCA # 47773 Have rice for dinner, not transportation!
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jkilroy
Gearhead Posts: 1036
From: Austin, TX
Registered: Dec 99
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posted 11-15-2000 07:51 PM
Thats a killer trick! Does the same hold true for disc brakes? I hope to never own a car with front drums again!------------------
Jay Kilroy
68' Fastback GT 390
"No such thing as a cam thats too big"
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mellowyellow
Gearhead Posts: 1358
From: So. Fl.
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 11-15-2000 11:11 PM
Experience DOES make a difference!
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Moneymaker
Administrator Posts: 8393
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-16-2000 10:45 PM
It will work on disc brake rotors as well. Alex------------------
Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator
Fleet of FoMoCo's too long to list!
http://superstockers.homestead.com/week.html
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