My Car Pulls When Braking!

[BigCarrot]

I was jamming on the brakes Saturday after a short run to 140mph or so, and the car pulled really hard to the right. I was on a three lane road, and I literally held the steering wheel still and went across two lanes. What the hell happened (besides me ******* my pants)??? I changed my wheels this weekend, and went to a 19" wheel/tire up front, so no the front and rear tires are almost the same height. I know they are staggered from the factory, and I read somewhere that changing that ratio could affect the ABS. Has anyone had that happen? Anyone heard of it happening?

 

[Skip White]

Big Carrot, had the car been sitting around, maybe a little rust on the rotors, have you recently put pads on the car, did you turn the rotors, was the road heavilly crowned in the area you did your braking, and last but not least, have you had the calipers off the car,(air posssibly in the non pulling side.

The abs calibration should not have had anything to do with a pull to one side, and you changed the rim size, but you didn't change the rolling diameter up front much at all I assume.

I think you should re do the alignment on your car. I just don't think the oem specs are best, not to mention they are usually off.

Skip White

 

[BigCarrot]

I did have the calipers off the car recently, but I have done soem ahrd braking since then with no problems. It hasn't been sitting or any of that stuff, and I didn't change anything other than the wheels. The alignment seems fine when I'm driving. Air in the line sounds right, but why would it magically appear? Wouldn't I notice during regular braking?

 

[knuk]

Possibly it was just the ruts in the road that pulled you? Seems to happen a lot in the SRT.

 

[BigCarrot]

No ruts at all. It was a concrete road. I actually did it again yesterday, and it did the same thing. As soon as I took my foot off the brakes it stopped pulling.

 

[Skip White]

There is one more thing, and brother let me tell you it will cause a pull like nothing else, tire pressure imbalance, but it would have to be about 10lbs difference.

Air does not into a caliper usually, unless you have went to low on brake fluid.

I think the road could have had a heavy crown or serious rut.

Brake fade, on one side over the other can occur, if the car was doing some heavy braking prior to this on a turn.

Collapsed brake line is unlikely, but possible???
Skip White

 

[AviP]

Take the pads out and have a look at the business side. There might be something stuck on the pads. Check the rotors for any circular scrape marks. Bleed lines again. And of course all of what Skip says especially tire pressure.

 

[BigCarrot]

I didn't think about tire pressure. The tireswere just mounted, so you'd think the pressure would be right. I put Stop Tech rotors on it, but they've been ok so far. They whistle pretty loudly when they get hot, but they have never pulled before. I had the calipers power coated by Venomblue also.

 

[Doc.]

Carrot,

I had the same thing happen to me on my GTS. Normal driving was fine but if you were ******* the brakes at the end of a long straight it nearly pulled the wheel out of your hand.. We put on new tires, brakes and an alignment but the problem was still there. Bobby Archer drove the car for a few hundred yards and said "the right front brake is locking up, change the brake lines."

Problem fixed. It seemed that the rubber line was broken on the inside but looked fine on the outside. You could see no external damage, but the line was "ballooning" under hard braking. Not sure if you have the same problem but it is something to think about.

Doc.

 

[BigCarrot]

I just did new braided lines! I guess I need to check it out.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Push more on the left side of the pedal.











kidding.

 

[BigCarrot]

 

[Skip White]

Collapsed brake line, used to be a problem on cars, very real danger when this is happening.

Skip White

 

[BigCarrot]

If it IS collapsed, Stop Tech has got some splainin to do!

 

[vipersrt10]

I was jamming on the brakes Saturday after a short run to 140mph or so, and the car pulled really hard to the right. I was on a three lane road, and I literally held the steering wheel still and went across two lanes. What the hell happened (besides me ******* my pants)??? I changed my wheels this weekend, and went to a 19" wheel/tire up front, so no the front and rear tires are almost the same height. I know they are staggered from the factory, and I read somewhere that changing that ratio could affect the ABS. Has anyone had that happen? Anyone heard of it happening?

ametuer driving

 

[FLOORIN04]

the previous owner had wrecked the car and the frame is bent the paint does not match from facia to hood you should sell quickly lol







sorry but remembered you purchase of srt

 

[Joseph Dell]

Could this be an alignment issue? I recall this being a problem for me when i've moved to larger tires in the past... and knowing how carrot drives, car could be out of alignment...

JD

 

[BigCarrot]

the previous owner had wrecked the car and the frame is bent the paint does not match from facia to hood you should sell quickly lol







sorry but remembered you purchase of srt

HAHAHA!!! I think I'll keep it!

 

[Anthony - 98 GTS]

Might want to drop the fat chick in the passenger seat off before braking hard....

 

[BigCarrot]

Might want to drop the fat chick in the passenger seat off before braking hard....

So your girlfriend told you about us, huh?

 

[GTS Dean]

I didn't think about tire pressure. The tireswere just mounted, so you'd think the pressure would be right.

Frankly, that's a sure tip that the pressures are probably NOT right. NEVER trust the tire shop.

I put Stop Tech rotors on it, but they've been ok so far.

If you weren't anal about how you handled the brake lines, especially after the calipers were attached, you could have twisted or kinked one of them.