Corksil

hey my car has been sitting for long enough for rotors to rust, pads to start breaking down, and other sad things to happen to my baby's braking system

i want a way to test my brakes and make sure they are all working equally like they are supposed to.

for example, when i stomp the brakes, my car pulls to the right just a little. i suspect this is poor alignment contributing to it... but if anyone knows how to test brakes or adjustments to make them equal braking force (fronts left/right and rears left/right) i'd love to know.

i'm thinking something like: jack car up on one side, use 3/4" drive torque wrench/pipe on axle nut to find how much torque it takes to turn the wheel with the brake pedal depressed, then compare it with the other side. (because with fully locked up brakes you can still turn the wheel with enough leverage)

i'm afraid my brakes may be biased from left/right and this worries me.

or you could just post up anything i missed in the list below for a brake rebuild..

TO ELIMINATE ALL POINTS OF POTENTIAL FAILURE I SHOULD:
- replace all pads (ft/rr)
- turn all rotors or replace them all (ft/rr)
- swap in new stainless braided brake lines (ft/rr)
- test all calipers and make sure they all work 100% (ft/rr, check for sticking of piston/seals/etc)
- bleed new brakes with dyed dot3 so i know i have 100% new fluid in the lines
- ......?

Corksil

btw thanks and the main reason i want my brakes 100% is because it looks like i have to street tune my car (no dynos on island/can't afford to ship car) and i understand i may be driving faster than 100mph as part of tuning process

(i have a closed course with long straight road, no traffic, private property but i still want to make sure my brakes are good before i have to stop @ 100mph and realize the brakes aren't all there.)

Corksil

bumpweasel has occurred

Corksil

bump....

JasonGhostz

If your car pulls to the right under braking, you may want to check your Front Left Caliper to see if the Piston is frozen or Rear Left Drum for proper function.

For the front, brake dust often settles on the circular Piston surface and can also seep into your Caliper Bore over time, as the Piston moves in/out through the seals. This can cause rust to fuse the Piston to the Caliper Bore walls, and it may be the case that this has happened to your Front Left.

Drum brakes don't usually suffer from frozen hydraulics, but there are a lot of other mechanical things going on back there that can go wrong. You should be able to compare rear braking with a couple of clicks of your Parking Brake Lever and some spins of the rear Wheels. There are some springs that help keep the proper spacing and pressure when the brakes are idle/applied. A worn spring may also be a cause.

I'd take a LONG look at things before you go replacing anything. From personal experience, it can be a very expensive way to troubleshoot, and can also lead to other issues that complicate your original situation. Take a lot of pictures, and show them to mechanics you trust and/or post here. Start from the outside and work your way in, so that you are only dealing with components that directly relate to your issue.

GL and let us know! Have A Great Drive!
JasonGhostz

instructor74

you say that you have rear disc these cars are known for the slide pins binding up and causing drag. Check clean and relube all the slide pins with a good ceramic slide pin lube. Check all the pads for unever wear (more pad material on top). If you need to replace the rear pads the caliper piston needs to be turned as it is pushed in. Even with this it is common to have to replace the rear caliper due to a problem with the ebrake mech. Dont bother turning the rotors they are so cheep it is just better to replace them

Corksil

I have rear disc brakes. All of my brakes are working (jacked each wheel and tested them) and I suspect the old rust on the rotors and a mis-alignment are contributing to the pull to right.

I believe my parking brake cables are stretched unequally so that won't tell me too much about the rears, but thanks for the tips.

I'm going to get an alignment, check all bushings, replace the parking brake cables, and do a few hard hard braking stops to set the new pads etc.

then i;ll post back with results.

when i did a few hard stops last night I got home and my front brakes were smoking... literally little puffs of smoke and wicked burnt brake smell from all wheels :D

thanks dude I'm mainly interested in making sure everything is proportionally balanced left/right and the proper balance of front/rear (it's all oem braking system so the balance should be set already)

Corksil

bump for some more brake-testing tips

Corksil

bump for brake testing tips