ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

Firstly, this problem has been going on for a few years, it's just gotten really bad with a recent pad change.

Symptoms:
With the wheels off the ground, the front left wheel spins about 1/4 turn and you can hear the brakes dragging. The front right does not have this problem. Under light braking, the car brakes in a straight line. Anything more than light and it pulls to the left. The harder the brake pedal pressure, the more pronounced the pull. Once the brakes heat up, the left front will squeak upon light to moderate pedal pressure. There is no squeak with heavy pressure.

Attempted Fix:
New rotors at the same time as pads. Packed the bearings correctly. Applied wheel nut to the procedure described in the shop manual. New left front caliper. Brakes bled. No change.

Consulting the manual's symptom chart tells me to check:
Brake Assembly Attachments-Missing or Loose = All there
Insufficient Brake Shoe Guide Lubricant = Plenty
Weak or Incorrect Brake Shoe Retention Springs = I'm using what came with the pads.
Sticking Wheel Caliper Pistons = New caliper so unlikely.
Restricted Brake Fluid Pressure = I haven't checked yet, but since the left drags, I assume the right is fine.
Faulty Automatic Adjusters = What are these? I found no other mention in the manual.

Can anyone tell me what the Automatic Adjusters are? Any other ideas?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

There are no automatic adjusters or shoe retention springs in disc brakes.

Sounds to me like your left rubber hose is bad. They fail by rusting up inside the fitting, which blocks the already teeny-tiny hole where the rubber part goes onto it.

Replace them all. They've all been subject to the EXACT SAME moisture in the fluid for the EXACT SAME length of time. Any other one could develop the same problem at any time, and probably will.

ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

Aha! I thought it was weird how the old bleeder screw was rusty on the inside... Thanks.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Yeah it's a kinda strange seeming problem, until you realize that (a) with the teeny-tiny hole getting plugged up from the inside with rust, the fluid takes EXTRA long to build up pressure to start working the caliper, during which time the car pulls like a beeotch to the other side; and (b) once the fluid gets in there, it can't get back out, meaning, the caliper just stays halfway applied permanently; and (c) after you've been working on old cars for a few decades, you realize you see it over and over again, in all brands, models, types, countries of origin, etc. of car & truck brake systems, to the point even that some of us even consider changing those out sight-unseen as just a standard part of the "deferred maintenance" we have to do when buying a used car, like new shocks and changing the rear end fluid.

And there you have it... the simplest explanation that fits all the facts.

See my signature.

ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

I only need to replace the flexible rubber hoses that move with the suspension, right? Not ALL of the brake lines since they are aluminum. Are there any other brake components that may have gotten rusty?

1988CamaroSC

iTrader: (2)

Replace both front rubber brake hoses and then take it from there. Thats all my car needed last year. Dont do just one side because then it will pull the other way
Took me an hour or so to do each side. Would have been faster with a lift. Good idea to replace the rear rubber line as well.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Right; just the rubber ones. The steel lines (not aluminum) are big enough that even though they rust and fail, they don't fail that particular way. When those rust and fail, they fail by leaking. SEVERELY.

Really, anything that's in contact with brake fluid and is iron, is rusty internally. Wheel cylinders, calipers, steel lines, and so on. You've already replaced some of that, but others may be affected as well. Externally, the caliper guide pins and all that, and the adjuster mechanism on drums, are the most prone to rust problems.

Brake fluid is POWERFULLY hygroscopic... it EXTRACTS moisture from the air, because it likes it so much. Kinda like old batteries useta be, that you've heard about, if you set em on concrete; the battery acid would literally leach the lime out of the concrete, through the battery case, into the battery, and would turn the acid into concrete, actually fairly quickly. Matter of a few days. Brake fluid is the same way about water. A molecule here, a molecule there, never a whole lot at once since the seals are pretty effective for the most part; but it's EXCLUSIVELY A ONE-WAY TRIP... INTO the fluid. Never out. Over time, an astounding amount of water gets forced around all the seals. "They" saybrake fluid should be changed every coupla years because of that. Nobody ever does that of course; and ESPECIALLY not previous owners.

ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

No luck. I replaced both hoses and the problem persists. I am going to take it to the shop.

paulo57509

Another thing that's neglected with single piston disc brake calipers are the caliper mounting pins, the bushings and the little o-rings that fit into the mounting ear holes in the calipers.

The mounting pins and bushings have to be in good, un-corroded and clean condition and lubricated with a bit of silicone grease so that that calipers can slide.

The tell-tale sign that your calipers aren't sliding is uneven pad wear. The piston side will wear faster than the outboard pad.

Ron U.S.M.C.

While your in there....
Link = https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/brak...brake-job.html