Pulling To The Left When I Brake

-
D

DodgeDart1971

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Messages
54
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
So my brakes - both drum - are pretty much brand new, I think. After a recent alignment, the Dodge Dart's (1971) been pulling to the left when I brake. Is there a way I can, by myself, figure out what's wrong before I take it to a mechanic? Thanks!
 
Could be a leaky wheel cylinder or axle seal that will cause that wheel to grab. A collapsed brake hose can cause that wheel not to work. Brakes out of adjustment can cause it too.
 
X2^ id double check the adjustment first
Having a brake shoe setting gauge or tool makes that so much easier and takes the guess work out of adjusting them

Normally you adjust the adjusting star wheel with a tool from the backside until the drum or tire wont turn easily then back off until you can spin the drum or wheel with little to no effort, and do the same for both sides.

But the brake shoe adjusting tool makes life so much easier
 
If it was fine before alignment, and pulling after then yes the alighment is suspect. Possibly didn't understand the two adjuster cams, or adjusted toe from one side only.

You can do a crude check of toe-in with tape measure and chalk, or even better set up parallel string lines. Camber and caster really needs a bubble gage (or digital version like Smartcamber).

I find fewer and fewer people who know how to do alignment on these cars. Shop manual is very good on this.
An overview from 1960 - the new 'Valiant' suspension is basicaly the same as your car's. If you get the '71 factory manual, you'll see they measure height with a tape measure instead of a special tool, and the specs are little different.

In fact, with the tires today and non-crowned roads, there's no reason anymore to set the right and left sides differently. In fact, after reading your other posts, if you redo the alignment, set the ht at the lowest specified, the most negative camber spec'd and the most positive caster - keeping both sides the same.

Sorry to take this a bit off topic. The answer is yes it could be the alignment, but could be just happenstance and realy be in the brakes themselves.
 
If the car tracks down the road straight down the road without the brakes applied then your problem is in the brakes. All parts being good in both front drake setups, the problem is the left brake is applying sooner than the right. This can be cured with the brake adjustment. Start by adjusting the right side with lees play than the left. You may even need to loosen the left side adjuster. Being 60 years old, when I started turning wrenches, 4 wheel drum brakes were the norm. We were constantly fighting this problem.
 
Check the strut rod bushings and the lower control arm bushings. If they are worn, when the brakes are applied, the caster will go negative and cause a pull.
 
I know this will raise a few eye-brows,, but brake adjustment wont cause a pull...

WITH ONE CAVEAT... if you crank up the adjuster so much it causes a brake to drag, and overheat, thus losing efficiency thru heat build-up.. rendering that brake near useless, while the other 3 wheels brake normally., this will cause a pull..

Loose adjustment will cause low pedal, - no pull
Air will not cause a pull...

Having a contaminated shoe/pad, stuck/leaking w/cylinder/caliper on right side, will cause a pull to the left...

Loose suspension components can cause a pull under braking as RRR states..

hope it helps
 
since the front drum brakes on my 65 didn't have self adjusters on them..it was difficult for me to keep the brakes adjusted properly. Now it could of been a front end issue. But after putting disk brakes and rebuilding the front end...all is good. That's one of the best things I ever did for the 65.
 
inertia said:
I know this will raise a few eye-brows,, but brake adjustment wont cause a pull...

WITH ONE CAVEAT... if you crank up the adjuster so much it causes a brake to drag, and overheat, thus losing efficiency thru heat build-up.. rendering that brake near useless, while the other 3 wheels brake normally., this will cause a pull..

Loose adjustment will cause low pedal, - no pull
Air will not cause a pull...

Having a contaminated shoe/pad, stuck/leaking w/cylinder/caliper on right side, will cause a pull to the left...

Loose suspension components can cause a pull under braking as RRR states..

hope it helps
Click to expand...
I have lived it, done it, and fixed em. Believe what you want.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Check the strut rod bushings and the lower control arm bushings. If they are worn, when the brakes are applied, the caster will go negative and cause a pull.
Click to expand...

What he said^^^ Do you see a shiny area around the front of the K frame where the strut rod bushings are? You could possibly tighten the nut and take some of it out but the bushings may just be worn out or too soft.
 
You guys are all god sends! I'm having the alignment done as I type this - should be ready tomorrow afternoon. The lower control arm bushings were bad, apparently, so they're being replaced. Don't know if all that will tidy up the brakes but we'll see. And thanks Karl for your offers of help. Intend to look you up! And Mattax, I'm going to take pictures tomorrow of the universal joint etc. Your knowledgable advice has been very comforting.
 
I wouldn't put much faith in the alignment. The worn LCA bushings would make a clunking when going over railroad tracks and good to fix them since in theory the whole torsion bar could slide back if the rubber had totally degraded.

If the brake shoes have unequal length liners (common), insure that the longer liners are on the aft side and the shorter ones fwd. On my 64 Valiant, a gomer had installed new brake shoes with 2 shorts on one side and 2 longs on the other. That caused a pull.

Drum brakes are much touchier to changes in friction, due to their "self-amplifying" effect. That is why you don't need a booster in an A-body drum car. In the worst case, the shoes can even "self-excite" and lock up due to gunk without any pedal pressure. My 1982 S-10 pickup did that. One rear wheel started dragging after applying the brakes. I pulled it and found leaking brake fluid. The wheel cylinder was rusted internally. I bought it new 4 yrs before. I envisioned an open 50 gal drum of brake fluid at the Chevy plant that the workers poured old cokes in or they let rain water drip. Change your brake fluid every 4 yrs unless you use silicone like me. BTW, my first and last GM. Both mirrors fell off while driving, handles came off in your hand, ...
 
I meant *godsends. And also getting the strut rod bushings replaced. Bill, the fact that "self-exciting" drum brakes exist is exactly why I'm now an anxious driver. The brakes were taken apart and cleaned and then adjusted a couple of months ago (again *apparently* as mechanics did the work). Will check back in after I drive it today. Also my pulling brakes are an improvement upon what was happening earlier this year - when stopping they barked like puppies - ie screeched intermittently which was quite embarrassing. Always got worse the more I drove, so the warmer the brake became. They aren't as bad now though still seem at times to seize up = scary for passengers thrown forward without warning.
 
When ever you get a chance, bring it down and I can look at it for you...
 
When you had recent brake work done, did they turn your drums? If it was sloppy work and they did not get all the way to the inside of the drum, the resulting edge can grab the brake shoe on that side and cause the pull. To check, just pull the drum on the side to which it pulls and see if there is a lip just inside the face of the drum.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
If the car tracks down the road straight down the road without the brakes applied then your problem is in the brakes. All parts being good in both front drake setups, the problem is the left brake is applying sooner than the right. This can be cured with the brake adjustment. Start by adjusting the right side with lees play than the left. You may even need to loosen the left side adjuster. Being 60 years old, when I started turning wrenches, 4 wheel drum brakes were the norm. We were constantly fighting this problem.
Click to expand...

Yep
 
str12-340 said:
When you had recent brake work done, did they turn your drums? If it was sloppy work and they did not get all the way to the inside of the drum, the resulting edge can grab the brake shoe on that side and cause the pull. To check, just pull the drum on the side to which it pulls and see if there is a lip just inside the face of the drum.
Click to expand...


We found the problem. The backing plates were not greased (It's been a while since they were worked on) where the shoes contact and were very dry with some surface rust, and the wheel cylinders were bad. We replaced the wheel cylinders, cleaned and greased the backing plates and put it back together and it brakes fine now....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top