what causes the car to pull to one side under braking... say.. to the left? the left wheel also have more brake dust... they are discs...

I've got that same problem, only I've got drums all around. And depending on what "mood" the car is in, it'll sometimes pull to the left then the right and back left again tongue.gif
I know it has to do with air in the lines, and not being "balanced." I used to bleed my brakes like crazy, I finally got tired of it and left them the way they are tongue.gif
It'll still pull once in a while, then it'll go away. Oh well??? :confused: :D

Some detailed answers: http://www.chevelles.com/forum/ultimatebb.php/topic/7/8580.html

That link will probably help you a lot.

Since you've got more dust on the left and it's pulling to the left, it's pretty safe to say that your brakes are applying more pressure on the left than the right.

You'll have to go through some troubleshooting to figure out what the specifics are.

Could be a stuck caliper. Try to pry the pads back as far as they'll go, brake to push them back and pry them out again. Repeat a couple of times and take it out on the road for a test. It's not really a permanent fix, but it will help you to determine if there's something wrong with the caliper.

Originally posted by Olle:
Could be a stuck caliper. thats what came to mind when i heard it

checked it out today

i think you guys are right! it is probably the caliper...

the front left one seems to be applying itself unless i force it back... really hard...

otherwise, its like applying itself softly... the wheel doesnt really spin freely either!

yup. either a stuck caliper piston or slides. Keep in mind that the other side may not be working at all. And that you are seeing the side that works because of all of the dust.

Make sure to check both fronts. Pry in the piston and then check the slides to see if they are working. You dont even have to remove the calipers to do it.

Chris.

Broken belt in tire or aligment also could cause it. Swap tires around. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by slpin:
checked it out today

i think you guys are right! it is probably the caliper...

the front left one seems to be applying itself unless i force it back... really hard...

otherwise, its like applying itself softly... the wheel doesnt really spin freely either! I'm almost positive that the piston is stuck in the bore, has happened to me several times on old cars. It could also be stuck on the bolts, but that's usually easy to pry loose.

The piston is supposed to move back a bit when there's no pressure on it, but if it's corroded or severely gunked up it won't, and that will make the brakes drag. You can usually free it up temporarily by moving the piston back and forth a couple of times like I mentioned in my first post, but you will most likely have to rebuild or replace the caliper pretty soon.

I just had that same problem. I heard it could be dirty or leaky lines. Mine turned out to be a bad allignment job, the shims came out and the upper control arm came lose, if you havent checked that... I would.

Originally posted by Olle:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by slpin:
checked it out today

i think you guys are right! it is probably the caliper...

the front left one seems to be applying itself unless i force it back... really hard...

otherwise, its like applying itself softly... the wheel doesnt really spin freely either! I'm almost positive that the piston is stuck in the bore, has happened to me several times on old cars. It could also be stuck on the bolts, but that's usually easy to pry loose.

The piston is supposed to move back a bit when there's no pressure on it, but if it's corroded or severely gunked up it won't, and that will make the brakes drag. You can usually free it up temporarily by moving the piston back and forth a couple of times like I mentioned in my first post, but you will most likely have to rebuild or replace the caliper pretty soon. </font>[/QUOTE]Thanks alot! I guess its time to replace both front calipers! and brakepads too... i didnt remove the other side, but i would guess this side is worn out more because its dragging!

If you feel like you're up to it, they're fairly easy to rebuild, and a repair kit (pistons, seals, boots, pin bushings and bleeders) doesn't cost very much. Haven't done it in a while, but I think I paid about $15 for the parts last time. You can usually get the pistons out easily by using compressed air, just wrap the caliper real good in several layers of rags so you don't blow brake fluid and gunk all over you when it pops out. The rest is pretty straightforward, "assembly is the reversal of removal" smile.gif