A few months ago, when I'd hit the brake, it would pull hard to the left ( new pads/rotors had only a few thousand on them, it that) So I took it into the tire/brake shop and they told me that my master cylinder was bad, and needed to be replaced. After they did that, they called and said that it didn't fix the problem, and now its the calipers that are causing the pull. So they replaced them, and all was fine for a while. Now it started doing it again, about 3 months after the new caliper / master cylinder. I took it back in and they said that it wasnt the caliper, because it is pushing out when they hit the pedal, so they decided it was the brake line. I went and bought a new brake line, and put it on. It still pulls hard to the left??? Is it like a clogged brake line somewhere else? Caliper?

 

It's the right caliper. I have no idea why they replaced the master cylinder. You test a master cylinder by stepping on the brake. If it holds pressure it's good, if not replace.

You got ripped off.

 

My bet is the problem is coming from the rear. The self adjusters on these trucks are notorious for not working right and if one side is braking harder than the other will feel exactly like a front end pull. Since you're pulling left I would suspect that the right rear brake needs to be adjusted.

 

Beat me to it. I was going to suggest a look at the rear as well.

 

While I agree the rears can play a part, they are "hooked togeather" hydrolically speaking. Yea, the side out of adjustment will drag first, but the complaint is "pulls hard left". IMHO rears out of adjustment only cause slight pulling.

Agree?

 

try holding the release for the parking brake up while you use the parking brake pedal to stop. try this in a vacant parking lot or somewhere you won't get hurt.

if it still pulls the problem is in the rear mechanisim. if not the trouble is in the hydralic rear or front.

i've heard if guys who isolate left to right problems (to detirmine left or right problems) by clamping a pair of vise grips on one of the front rubber lines to a caliper. then trying it in a vacant parking lot

i would not recomend that although it could in certain instances point you in the right direction.

good luck

 

I'll give the parking brake test a whirl tonight. They said the master cylinder needed to be replaced because it wasnt sending fluid to the right side... So to get the drums off the rear, does the whole jack it up in the back, and run it at idle speed, then hit the brakes work well? I need to look at the drums/shoes...

 

Just make sure you have lug nuts on or you'll be chasing the drums down the driveway. I always do drive 1st, then reverse. It works great.

DO NOT try this without BOTH side jacked up!

 

You definately have a good argument against them changing your master, here is why.

anybody who understands hydralics knows pascal's law.


Pascal's law [for Blaise Pascal], states that pressure applied to a confined fluid at any point is transmitted undiminished throughout the fluid in all directions and acts upon every part of the confining vessel at right angles to its interior surfaces and equally upon equal areas. Practical applications of the law are seen in hydraulic machines.

so, therfore if the left caliper is working properly, the problem can't be in the master because the two calipers are in the same circut.

print this out and demand your $ back. You don't diagnose problems by process of elimination at the owners expense!

 

Do you think they would refund my money? It was several months ago...

 

If they have any kind of guilt they should, especially if they care about there reputation!

 

If you don't mind me askin, what did one of those masters set you back?

Uncle Eddy

 

I would take them to small claims court and call the BB.

 

You have two issues with the brake system on these trucks.

The first is that the front calipers should always be replaced along with the pads if the brake fluid is more than a couple years old. The calipers are known for wearing the cylinder bores at an angle as soon as the fluid starts to load up with contamination, and this causes binding. That will result in diving to the good side as the bad side is in a bind and not fully braking.

The master cylinder can be ruined by running for some time with one or more bad adjusters in the rear. What happens is that when one of your rear adjusters is either frozen or the ratchet is jammed the master cylinder delivers its full load of fluid to the rear, and overextends the plunger as the rear wants even more fluid. After several braking cycles, the rear circuit plunger is damaged by scoring and quits delivering a full shot of fluid to the rear cylinders. This will show up in diagnostics when either the combination valve refuses to cycle properly or the rear antilock quits functioning (and may or may not issue a code).

I would follow Infidel's advice and go after the rear adjusters, but also figure you most likely had a bad master cylinder if you find one or more stuck adjusters.

 

My truck pulled to the left and it ended up being my RIGHT front hub was shot. reason it was pulling left was because the right hub and rotor would tweak when the brake was applied, so only the top part of the pads were being used. when you take your pads off did they have like one 1/3 of them ramped up? and the rest looked new? if so, replace your hub.