Re: [DML] Front End Alignment & Brakes

["Walter" <Whalt@xxxx>]

Doug,

>#1 - My front end pulls hard to Right. Tire people
>(with big machines) say the toe and camber are fine,
>wheels are well balanced, but the casters are out.
>One tire is in front of the other. Techie did not see
>how to adjust this. How do you.

Does your car pull hard to the right all the time or only while you are
braking?

>From your symptoms, it sounds like you could have several separate problems:

Problem 1: Put the front of your car on jacks and see if you can giggle
your tires forward and backwards. There should be no play this direction.
If the connection is solid, then you might only have a bent front lower
control arm (also called a 'lower link' part # 105177 in the parts manual).
This would explain your caster problem, but I don't think it is the reason
why your car is pulling hard to the right (when braking).

Problem 2: If you get fore & aft movement in either tire, then your front
lower control arm is loose. Then your car could be pulling to the right
(even while not braking) because your toe-in alignment is continually
changing. There are a few things that can cause this. It could be the
pivot bushing at the frame (part # 100154) or the anti-roll bar bushing
(part # 108912). Also, there was a recall concerning the nuts that hold the
anti-roll bar to the front lower control arm. Perhaps the recall wasn't
performed on your car and this part has loosened up. The threads on the
ends of the anti-roll bar are supposed to be double nutted and painted blue
(to more easily identify the recall). If your car is missing this, then
also suspect that the front crumple tube recall wasn't done either. If this
part comes loose while driving, then it would be very dangerous.

Problem 3: Your car pulling hard to the right (only while braking) sounds
like a brake caliper on the left side is not working. Maybe it is leaking,
seized up, has air in the line, bad fluid, etc. Maybe a brake caliper on
the right side is dragging to the point of overheating the rotor.

Problem 4: As for your brake pulsing, new pads aren't the cure. It sounds
like you have a warped brake rotor. The way to fix it is to have a brake
shop machine away the unevenness. But this makes it thinner and more prone
to warping a second time. If you feel the pulse more in the steering wheel,
then it is in the front brakes. If you feel it more in the body, then it is
the rear brakes.

Well, that used up my 1 hour for the day playing on the internet. Until
tomorrow...

Walt Tampa, FL