Braking turns my wheel to the right

What might it be if it happens intermittently more and more, but not every brake stop? Calipers acting up? I think I have at least one more year on a brake job. Wheel turns to the right when breaking to a stop. Not every time tho. More and more tho.

 

Could be a good amount of things.. caliper piston getting stuck, air in the brake system, slides not properly greased, unevenly worn pads, a clog in one of the lines etc. Your gonna have to pull a tire and take a peek, I'd start with the side it's being pulled towards.

 

It could very easily be the grade of the road.

Does the wheel pull to the right so hard it pulls out of your hands ??

This is on severe brake applications or slow soft brake applications ?

Left side caliper is hanging up the right is doing the only braking pulling to the right.

 

How's your camber and toe in front?

 

Check the bushing in your steering rack and your lower control arm bushings.. with intermittent failure like that my money is on steering rack bushings

 

Hold on! Lol! Can a good brake shop determine what causes that?

 

Yes they could if you specifically asked them to inspect that.

You can also inspect it yourself fairly easy if you have a second person.. one of you in the truck turning the wheel left to right and the other looking under the truck at the steering rack. If there is ANY play in the rack when the wheel is being turned, you'll need new bushings

With the LCA bushings, just take a prybar between the arm and where the arm attaches to the frame. If you see the arm shift more than 1mm, you'll need new bushings

 

There is ALWAYS play in the rack/bushing interaction. That's the point of a bushing- to soak up that difference.

I am not saying that excessive play isn't possible, but if you're expecting brand new bushings to hold the rack in an absolute position, then you're incorrect. It would be hard to put a measurement on what is acceptable or not. But to say that "ANY" play is out of spec is a far cry from reality.

 

Fair enough, that's a valid point.


@Caslon if you're able to get noticeable movements in your steering wheel before the wheels actually start to turn, the the bushings are bad.

 

1/2” at the most. Even then, there’s firm tension. How about a slowly wearing out caliper? Being that it’s fairly intermittent is a bit puzzling. Can a garage test for a partially failing caliper?

 

I am dealing with the same problem and I know it is because the front LCA bushing is worn.
I can move it with a pry bar- I know the braking force will move that wheel out of alignment, pulling truck to right.

 

i dealt with this for years... braking would turn steering wheel and was most noticeable with ruts in pavement. After a suspension upgrade got a new alignment and the problem disappeared.

 

If it's a caliper remember it's the one opposite of the pull. Mine was doing the same thing intermittently then shortly thereafter the left caliper seized.