When I brake pulls right

Hello ,

This could be a problem with your vehicle's Vehicle Stability Control Unit (VSA). It control not only the brake system but the steering system as well. I have included an exploded diagram of the VSA system and a description of it's operation in the diagrams down below. Please go through the information and get back to us with what you are able to find out.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

Brakes are mushy when brake pedal is applied. Going to bleed brake system this weekend to see if that helps. Also noticed that with the car off the ground in jack stands I can fairly easy move my wheels left and right with the car turned off. How do I fix the issue I am having ?

Hello again,

I have included the information that you required in the diagrams down below. It requires the use of a 40mm and 42mm lock nut wrench though. I have also included a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that may be of use to you. I'm not sure if your vehicle is included and the time has run out by a couple of months but if your vehicle is an affected one, you might be able to have the service manager repair it for you under customer loyalty so you wouldn't have to pay for it. A phone call can't hurt, all they can do is say no. Anyway get back to us with how things turn out.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

Try bleeding the brakes. It's likely that air got into the system when the brakes were done. If that's the case it seems that the right front caliper is applying but the left one is not (or at least not enough). This will cause a pull to the right when the brakes are applied.
** You must bleed all four brakes; even-though you only changed the front brakes because each piston in the master cylinder controls one front and one rear brake. The master cylinder has 2 pistons.
** Brake bleeding begins with the rear passenger side wheel, followed by the rear wheel on the driver's side. Then, the front passenger side wheel and lastly the drivers side wheel.
** You may need to repeat the process if it's not satisfactory at first.

One question: When you say that the steering wheel goes left (when you hit the brakes), do you mean that the steering wheel is turning clockwise or counter-clockwise?

Was a loose bolt.

Nice work, we are here to help, please use 2CarPros anytime. Can we ask which bolt was loose?

Tires can cause a pull but so can a misalignment problem. Caster is not adjustable on your car and changing it won't cause or correct a pull.

The first question is did this just start suddenly or has the pull been there for a while? The only way to know if the alignment is off is to have it checked. The mechanic is going to inspect the steering and suspension system components first. Worn struts and lower control arm bushings will cause a pull too due to changed alignment. He will also "read" the tire wear patterns for clues to the cause of a problem.

Thanks for the response.

I took the car to a specialist in alignment on the weekend.

He did adjust it - very accurately - but even he accepted that there was some bias to the right hand side. He checked the bushes and the suspension and the rack.

He noticed there is a little play in the rack, suggested that this could be the issue?

The main issue is the steering effort - it is biased to the right! only slightly, but I can feel it all the time.

These things have EPS - could the torque sensor or rack ecu have any input in this? - I am stumped - so are all the mechanics I've tried :-(

One thing to try is to disconnect everything electronic associated with the steering. It doesn't matter which circuit or system it is, adding a computer to it greatly increases the cost, diagnostic time, unreliability, and frustration, but the engineers have somehow determined that's what we want. With the electronic portion disabled, treat the steering just like on any other car. It would be helpful if you would post the readings for "caster" and "camber" for both front wheels. Normally caster is not adjustable on front-wheel-drive cars because it has such little affect on pulling compared to on rear-wheel-drive cars, but still, as it increases, steering effort gets harder. That is what provides the road feel and stability too.

Unequal caster, which causes a pull on rear-wheel-drive cars, can be offset by a similar offset of camber. While the car will go straight on level roads, the two tires will be pulling equally in opposite directions to offset each other, but for different reasons. (Think of putting a ten-pound weight on your right shoe, and a ten-pound weight in your left hand. You'll be in balance as long as you're standing still with your hands to your side). Your steering will be in balance as long as you're on a level road with no bumps. No roads are level. Most slant down to the side you're driving on so rain will run off.

Since caster is non-adjustable on your car, if it is not equal on both sides, the mechanic may need to adjust in a little difference in camber to offset it. While that can make the car go straight most of the time, you'll still have a higher steering effort in one direction. (In this case, think of a 50-pound child at the end of a teeter totter, and a 100-pound person halfway out on the other side. That will also be in balance, but to move either one of them individually, it would take more effort to move the 100-pound person up and less effort to pull him down).

I'm not sure what you mean by "bias". If you're experiencing a difference in steering effort from one way to the other, observe how the steering wheel returns too. When caster is unequal, you will typically find, (for example), the steering wheel turns easier from centered to the right than from centered to the left, but you would also find it RETURNS from left to centered easier than from right to centered. If you find it turns harder from centered to the right AND from left to centered, that points to a problem in the rack and pinion assembly.

Other things to consider are a tight ball joint and binding upper strut mounts. Most of the time those just cause harder-than-normal steering at all times, but that can be aggravated by having more weight on one side of the car.

Hi there

I think the details on the car are reasonably correct - its my girlfriends car and she's pissed!. It's a Honda Civic Sport 1.6.

The issue is it's pulling to the left. Its been in twice to solve the problem (wheel alignment), and the Honda dealers keep saying its fine, but you have to keep a firm hold on the wheel to keep it in a straight line.

What should I ask to be done to properly correct the problem so they can't just fob her off again.

first you should be checking the wheel bearings and make sure they are still good, also make sure the brakes are not dragging.

the steering linkage may have to be adjusted if those arnt the culprits.

[quote:f1b84b9703="blackop555"]first you should be checking the wheel bearings and make sure they are still good, also make sure the brakes are not dragging.

the steering linkage may have to be adjusted if those arnt the culprits.[/quote:f1b84b9703]

Thanks for the reply mate, appreciate that

I thought it was the alignment because the car pulls to the right, but I got that done plus new tires and the car still pulls to the right...Please Help! Don't know what else it could be. Thanks

Hi autotech81,

The term alignment is vastly misunderstood.

Wheel alignment consists of 3 sections
1. Sideslips = toe-in and toe-out
2. Castor
3. Camber.

Usually the sideslips is checked and alignment is deemed to be correct.

When vehicle pulls to one side, sideslips adjustment might not solve the problem and that is when you need to check the castor and camber.

Most cars nowadays are non adjustable for the above so when they go out of specs, it it telling us something is wrong with the arms, it bushes etc.

Check the arm bushes, steering linkages, tire pressure and wear.

Steering problem
2001 Honda Civic 83000 miles

I had a flat tire the other day and had to drive on it to get to a safe place to change it. Had to buy a new tire, which my local gas station provided-said they balanced it first. Now my car pulls slightly to the right. It has not done this before. Can you tell me what this might be due to?

Check to make sure the tire inflation is correct. If so, it may be because you now have two different tires on the front wheels.

If thats not the case, you need an alignment.

I just replaced the tires and had the car aligned, it is still pulling to the right and it is shaking at 70 rpms, got it aligned a 2nd time in a week to make sure it was properly done and it is still shaking and pulling to the right, it looks like the ball joints are good also.. What else could it be.

Post up your numbers. Make sure to include SIA spec. Most alignment shops don't even check secondary alignment angles, so you may just need a good alignment tech.

Hello,
I went to a local car repair shop to have my front struts replaced on my 2002 Civic. They completed the strut replacement and did an alignment. When I drove off in my car, I immediatley noticed a rubber rubbing sound when I turned to either side. I also noticed a kind of popping sound and that the car pulled hard to the left. I turned right around and took it back to the shop. They test drove the car and told me that the rubbing and popping sounds were due to the new struts and that this should subside as the struts "seat" themselves. They re-checked the alignment and I was advised that the car pulling to the left was "radial pull". I drive on the highway daily and I am concerned about my safety. I am not sure if I should go back to the same shop and tell them to re-check the alignment for a third time, or if they could have messed something else up. I spent a lot of money to get this work done, and I want to make sure it's right!

Thanks

Hi mandaloisann,

If you are not satisfied with the results of the repairs, you ought to get back to them and insist that they get the problem resolved.

Get a second opinion if necessary.

Are you still getting the rubber rubbing noise? There should not be any such noises unless something is not installed correctly.

If the steering is due to radial pull, swapping the front tires should reverse the drirection of pull.

Get the lower ball joints checked.

I just had the work done on Wed of last week and have had some snow, so I haven't driven it much, but yes, I am still experiencing the rubbing noise. I will take it back and insist they re-check it again! I paid over $700 and I am not happy!

Thanks for your suggestions!

Hi;
thank you for this service you provide, my question is.... when i accelerate my car pulls to the right and i have to adjust by steering to the left and when i let go of the pedal i have to move my wheel to the right. what can cause this? I changed my tie rods thinking that was the problem but i still have that problem. anothe rproblem when my car pulls is that i have to steer left since it pulls right but if i hit a bump or uneven road my car jerks violently to the left. Any suggestions for repair would be great. Thank you very much!

Car pulls right or left:

This is a condition where the vehicle continually pulls or drifts to one side while traveling straight. The driver typically has to maintain steady pressure on the steering wheel to keep the vehicle on the road. Possible causes include:

Uneven camber side-to-side. Too much cross-camber can make a vehicle pull or lead towards the side that has the most (positive) camber or away from the side that has the least (negative) camber. The underlying cause may be a bent strut or mislocated strut tower, a bent spindle, collapsed control arm bushing, weak or broken spring, or a shifted crossmember or engine cradle. Check SAI and the included angle to see if these are in or out of specs to diagnose the problem. Also check ride height. Correct by replacing worn or damaged parts, correcting location of strut tower, repositioning engine cradle, and/or reducing cross-camber to half a degree or less by readjusting camber to specifications.

Uneven caster side-to-side. Too much cross-caster can make a vehicle pull or lead towards the side that has the least (negative) caster. The underlying cause may be a bent strut, spindle or mislocated strut tower. Correct by replacing damaged part, correcting location of strut tower, and/or reducing cross-caster to half a degree or less by resetting caster to specifications.

Rear axle steer. The front wheels are with alignment specifications but the vehicle pulls to one side. The underlying cause may be rear toe out of specifications, a bent rear axle, chassis misalignment or a stackup of assembly tolerances in the chassis causing rear axle misalignment. Measure and compare the wheelbase on both sides, check for the presence of a thrust angle, and/or measure individual rear toe. Correct by realigning the rear axle or rear toe, or by performing a thrust angle alignment.

Brake drag. The pull is constant to one side and may get worse with the application of the brakes. Raise the vehicle and spin each wheel by hand to check for excessive drag. Possible causes include caliper sticking, frozen or sticking piston in caliper, overfilled fluid reservoir in master cylinder (does not allow caliper pistons to retract when brakes are released), weak drum brake return springs, misadjusted drum brakes, misadjusted parking brake, misadjusted parking brake pedal switch (creates residual pressure in the master cylinder to cause drag). Readjust or repair brakes as required.

NOTE: If the pull only occurs when the brakes are applied, the problem may be unequal braking not a dragging caliper or misalignment. The vehicle will pull towards the side with the stronger front brake and away from the side with the weaker or inoperative front brake. Uneven braking can be caused by a sticking floating caliper, a frozen caliper piston, the use of different grades or brands of brake linings side-to-side, fluid leaks, or contaminated linings on one side (by brake fluid or grease). Correct by repairing brakes as required. Other causes may include worn or loose control arm bushings or strut rod bushings that allow alignment changes when braking, so be sure to inspect these components before blaming the brakes.

Low tire pressure. The vehicle will lead towards the side with low pressure in the front tire. Correct by inflating tires to recommended pressure.

Mismatched tires side-to-side. The vehicle will pull or lead towards the side that offers the greatest rolling resistance. Compare tire sizes, tread wear, tread styles and patterns, also brands.

Uneven tire wear. If one side of the tread is worn more than the other, the tire develops conicity. The effect is much the same as camber, causing the tire to roll towards the side which is worn most. The uneven wear may be the result of incorrect camber, toe and/or failure to rotate the tires periodically to even out wear. If rotating the tires side-to-side reverses the direction of the pull, the tires need to be replaced.

i have been have the same problem but i know my solution already just need time to fix it.... u need to check the bolts that screw in over where you lca in front is at the h brace (aftermarket) would bolt into this as well the nut it screws into is welded inside of the frame check to see if the nut is broken off the frame if it is or if its loose it will cause it to do that... to replace it u would have to cut small hole in frame to get the nut out then pretty much jb industro weld it back into place.. it solved mine i just never welded it back in i just did it with thread lock i need to weld it in

[quote:57e2185f7b="aznmc23"]i have been have the same problem but i know my solution already just need time to fix it.... u need to check the bolts that screw in over where you lca in front is at the h brace (aftermarket) would bolt into this as well the nut it screws into is welded inside of the frame check to see if the nut is broken off the frame if it is or if its loose it will cause it to do that... to replace it u would have to cut small hole in frame to get the nut out then pretty much jb industro weld it back into place.. it solved mine i just never welded it back in i just did it with thread lock i need to weld it in[/quote:57e2185f7b]

Thank you for your answer, im just a little confused what do you mean by "check the bolts that screw in over by where you lca" thank you again hope i can resolve this problem

The car veered to the left once the brakes are hit very hard. I mean when the tires start to scream,it happens. I dont feel or notice anything unusual during light and moderate braking. Steering seems to be fine, no vibrations even at high speeds, except there is a very little veering to the left. Its not noticable when im holding the wheel.Just had the pads checked last week, all ok.All tires are still thick.Where do I begin searching?

Caliper piston could be sticking orthe brake hose is collasped internally-also check wheel bearing/wheel alignment

Tnx.Ill start with the caliper.The rest seems fine.