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need caliper help

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  #1  
Old 10-14-2010 | 05:51 AM
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Default need caliper help

Ok, so sometimes when I hit the brakes my steering wheel will turn to the right. How do I know if it is my right side caliper pulling too much or my left not pulling enough?
 
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Old 10-14-2010 | 01:21 PM
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Your left one is either sticking on all the time or not working at all. Raise the front end and spin the left wheel. If it does not feel like its dragging then have a buddy apply the brake while you try to spin it. Chances are its the piston hanging up.
 
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Old 10-14-2010 | 01:32 PM
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or one of your rubber brake hoses is old and has lost it's strength,so when you apply the brakes it swells like a ballon instead of applying the pressure in the line to the caliper. if the left brake line is old and doing what i just described, the left caliper will have less clamping force than the right and the truck will pull right.
 
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Old 10-14-2010 | 01:35 PM
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are your rotors warped or uneven on any side?
 
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Old 10-14-2010 | 02:20 PM
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Just had to replace my left rear caliper the other day when i did my rotor swap cause the piston wouldnt go back in the caliper even with the bleeder out.
 
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Old 10-14-2010 | 03:25 PM
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I'd say your left caliper is not clamping hard enough. Take a look at the wear on your pads and see what's going on.

This is why I stress the importance of brake fluid flushes and nobody seems to listen. brake fluid is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture like a sponge. ver notice when you get brake fluid on your hands, they feel very dry...The fluid has sucked the moisture right out of your skin. Moisture is bad for a few reasons.
1.) moisture makes brake fluid a very corrosive and will rust your pistons in your calipers
2.) lowers the boiling point dramatically(vapor lock can cause lots of issue's such as a sticking caliper)
3.) becomes very spongy and inturn response time lags
4.) moisture alters the viscosity

Periodically flushing your brake fluid keeps your system in check and in proper operating order. Easiest method is a one man bleeder. Continue bleeding until fresh fluid comes out of each caliper. Just make sure not to touch the pedal to the floor as that may score the seal inside brake booster from contacting rust. Why rust? Because your brake pedal never goes down more than 1/2way...ever. Pumping as far as 70% is max. Stick a board under the pedal if you have no control or depth perception.
 
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Old 10-14-2010 | 06:11 PM
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Another thing that might be the problem is the caliper slide pins. Have you lubricated them lately and cleaned them out? Having those pins seize up and get stuck would easily cause this.
 
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Old 10-14-2010 | 08:09 PM
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^^^ very true. Didn't even cross my mind because I thought he changed his brakes within the last year or so...or so i thought???
 
  #9  
Old 10-14-2010 | 10:07 PM
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hmm that might be my problem...I tried pulling mine last night and it was frozen
 
  #10  
Old 10-14-2010 | 10:29 PM
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it wouldN'T have a problem such as a brake caliper piston pushing TOO MUCH.
but you could have a problem with a caliper NOT pushing enough.
i would take your left side caliper off and try and push your piston back in then you will find out if its siezed or the piston boot is swelling.
usually what happens is the piston seal/boot starts to seep fluid out when its siezed for a period of time and starts little cracks in the boot.
if your piston slides in easy and pushes out hard you might have a problem in a pinched brake line. as in it restricts the flow one way.
if its easy all around, as in slides both in and out easy it might be a slide thats siezed up
 


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