Pulling Right Under Braking

[daveyboyblack 1]

I've gone and booked a trackday for next week , so would normally sit down and research all the likely causes... however i'm totally short on time so any help is appreciated!

 

Problem is under medium braking, the car is pulling fairly heavily to the right, but doesn't seem to actually "pull" on the steering wheel too much. It doesn't seem to do it under engine braking, nor seemingly under hard braking.

 

Just need to compile a list of things to check/do to hopefully get it sorted asap

 

Can anyone add any other suggestions to this list:

 

- Brakes: Check for binding, and possibly bleed the fronts again

- Tyre Pressures

- Tracking (generally feels ok under normal driving, so is this actually worth checking?)

- Front suspension joints - is there anything I can do apart from a visual inspection and giving them a damn good prod?

 

Alternatively is there anyone local(ish) to Reading/Berkshire that anyone can recommend if I don't find anything obvious?

 

Any suggestions small or large would be much appreciated!

Cheers

Dave

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Check out the rear brakes, if it is the fronts normally they will "tug" the wheel a bit.

[paul205mi16 4]

Ovaled hub hole where lower wishbone balljoint goes through, sounds like the same symptoms.

[MerlinGTI 3]

another vote for rear brakes, espicially if you have drums as the auto adjusters are plain silly.

 

Jack the car up at a rear wheel and spin (with the handbrake off obviously) They should be adjusted so theres a tiny tiny bit of resistance. If they (or just one) spins completely freely pop the wheel off, look through the wheel bolt holes for the toothed cog and turn it untill you have your resistance or brake contact scraping nose when turned by hand.

[AndyJ 1]

I'd be inclined to rule out tracking and tyre pressures, as you'd notice these when you were driving around normally anyway. Worn wishbone bushes on one side could cause it but you'd feel it pulling the other way under acceleration as well, so definately check out the brakes themselves.

[daveyboyblack 1]

Thanks guys. just about to head out and attack the car (not literally).

 

From the way it drives, i'm convinced it's one of the brakes not working 100% so will try this first and then work through the other suggestions.

 

Fingers crossed! Else it'll be a frantic call to somewhere localish and i'll just bite the bullet and get them to sort it (having a very busy week at the moment!)

 

 

Andy... just noticed you're local! Whereabout in Reading are you? Would be good to have a look over another mi16 at some point if there's any local meets going on.

Edited April 10, 2009 by daveyboyblack

[daveyboyblack 1]

Ok, appears to be the master cylinder as i've lost all power on the front left/rear right diagonal. Gonna try to bleed it but I suspect a new MC is needed.

 

Gives me a chance to upgrade to a 406 MC i guess!

 

How much should I reasonably be expecting to pay for someone to change this? (Just don't have the time this week, and car needs to be ready for Thursday!)

 

Cheers

Dave

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Couple of hours max, its not an especially difficult job, AS LONG as all the brake pipe fittings come undone, and all the bleed nipples on calipers come undone. if any of the above are seized or bust, then obviously this will add time to the job.

[daveyboyblack 1]

Thanks Tom.

[Guest jumpkin205]

could also be an engine mount, if your car pulls opposite under acceleration i.e accelerate - pulls left, brake - pulls right. Check it out if your brakes are ok.

[daveyboyblack 1]

This is getting a bit weird... I managed to bleed both the rear right and front left as normal, but still don't have any actual braking power in them (other half with foot stamped on pedal, I can still turn the wheel by hand!)

 

The fact that it's both of them means I can only presume that the MC is buggered so i'm gonna drop it into Jtech in Caversham tomorrow seeing as i'm now away until Thursday morning... and hoping to be hooning around Brands on Thursday afternoon!

 

Out of interest, does anyone know what part of the MC is likely to have failed with these symptoms?

[daveyboyblack 1]

Unless it's just coincidence and I have 2 seized calipers

[philfingers 5]

if it's the rear most section of the m/c which controls this circuit it's most likely a rust spot on the bore. Water in the brakes will sit at the low point in the m/c and this would be it. It will bleed ok but the fluid is pushing past the seal at the rust spot

Sounds likely culprit is it's the rear section (bulkhead side) that is in question,

 

Phil

[Henry 1.9GTi 36]

saw your car down at jtech dave, hope they get it sorted for you, jamie re-shelled his race car in a week so I'm sure they'll get it done on time!

 

good luck,

 

Henry.

[daveyboyblack 1]

Had a call from Jamie today and it looks like my brakelines are buggered.. so think i've gonna bite the bullet and get some new lines, a new MC and a bias valve. Henry i've pm'ed you as I think you had this done recently?

 

One quick question, which hasn't come out clearly in the search. I asked jamie to order in a 406 MC (23.8mm I think) but he mentioned he's ordered a 405 one instead and that it was the same? From what I can see, it's not quite the same plus I've seen one more comment on here about avoiding the 405 one due to a different pin depth?

 

Any thoughts? I'll prob just give him a bell tomorrow at 9 and get him to order the 406 one as it seems to be the one that everyone has had success with.

 

What do you reckon to these?