ok, so i was experiencing some scary braking so i tore into the front end and found that the pistons on the right front caliper were frozen in and causing my brakes to drag. So, i replace the right caliper, right rotor and the pads on both sides. After i was all done, i bled the front brakes on both sides, then buttoned it all up. The braking was great, and still is, but when i brake it pulls left REALLY HARD. ------>Any ideas?

-Thanks, Andrew

 

First off, the textbook answer is that what you do to one side, nneds to be done to the other. One bad caliper? Replace both of them. Same with rotors.

That being said, it sounds like there is something wrong with the right side. Take another look at it and make sure things are as they should be.

 

the right is definitely good: strong braking, properly assembled (4x4 works).
do you think the left rotor and caliper need to be replaced too?

could this be an issue with any joints?

 

You said that the truck pulls left really hard while braking. That usually means that the left side is stopping better than the right. That is why I said that there might be a problem with the right side.

I would personally have replaced both calipers and both rotors to begin with, but I understand that times are tight. It is just really hard to expect balanced braking from an axle with new components on one side and old crap on the other side.

Best case scenario is that the new right side rotor needs a little time to get broken in with the new pads. It is not uncommon for new pads / new rotors to brake a little less efficiently than they do when completely seated.

I can't think of any joints that would have an effect on this, unless we are talking about the one you smoked while assembling the brakes

 

ya i get that

that might be true.....no no, that came afterward

 

Gotcha!

Try driving it around (if it still feels safe to do so). Do some hard stops to try to seat those new pads with the new rotor. If it gets better, you know it was a wear-in issue. If not, you're gonna need to investigate further.

 

Bump!!!


so the truck is still "controllable", but it's really weird to have to turn right when i stop, and i feel like i'm going to get pulled over on suspision of a DUI...anyone else have input???

thanks zlathim!

 

You should really do both sides at once so they match.

 

You replaced one side, but now that side since its new has more braking power. You always replace calipers like shocks, in pairs.

 

Except he replaced the right side stuff and it is pulling left. That means the left side is doing more braking than the right.

As I said, balance is hard to achieve when you don't replace both sides in kind.

 

......right, it just doesn't make sense, i guess i need to pull it all apart and redo it???

it may be a different case if i say that it pulled to the left while braking before any of this work was done, just not as hard.

 

So are you saying it pulled to the left before you worked on it? Just not as bad?

 

that's right. it's just bad enough that it needs to be taken care of now.

 

if the right side was seized, maybe one piston on the left is stuck, dumping all the pressure into the other piston (dual piston calipers, no?) thus more pressure on the pads and rotor?

 

ya i was thinking that but the pads and rotor on that side were wearing fine......