Blazer Pulls to the Right.

[Times Welding]

My 1987 K5 pulls to the right during braking. I have replaced the calipers, pads, front brake hardware and rubber hoses. All 4 tires (and wheels) are new and tire pressure is proper at all 4 corners. I've also checked the torque on the front u-bolts. They are all at 120#ft plus. The steering is nice and tight, so I don't think that suspension component wear is an issue. I have a front end alignment scheduled for this Thursday, but I'm not confident that it will fix the problem. I know a lot of you guys have LOTS more experience with these vehicles than I do. Any ideas?

 

[rebelgregory]

Could be a lot of things. Little air on the left caliper or wheel cylinder, misaligned axle, worn spring perch and/or center pin, brake hose (even though new), loose hub bearings on the left (cants rotor causing pad spacing).

Does it always do it? Only when the road crowns to the right? Does the steering wheel jerk to the right or does the truck just go right? More details may help.

With all that new brake hardware, you may want to try bleeding again. I like to tap the calipers with a hammer while bleeding. You'd be surprised how many air bubbles are in there clinging to the casting. The hammer knocks them loose and they float to the bleeder screw.

 

[Times Welding]

The steering wheel does not jerk to the right, but I find myself countersteering to the left just to stay in my lane. It doesn't do it at higher speeds while braking, usually only under 30 or so mph, and it's not a terribly drastic pull, but it's definitely there. I can bleed the brakes again tomorrow night before the alignment. That should eliminate air as a possibility.

 

[Fordum]

Several little things you can try after the alignment. First, make sure the bleeder screws are at the top of the calipers.
There are certain situations where they will be below the hose. You will never get the air out of those.

If the alignment does not show anything, try swapping the tires left and right. Internal problems with the tire can cause that.

While you are there, examine the rotors and brake pads very carefully. A roughness on the rotor, or some oil on the pads will cause that.

Plus you can try swapping the pads left and right also. You might have gotten pads from two different batches and the friction co-efficient might be different.

If anything you do causes the problem to move to the left side, you have found the culprit.

 

[Times Welding]

Several little things you can try after the alignment. First, make sure the bleeder screws are at the top of the calipers.
There are certain situations where they will be below the hose. You will never get the air out of those.

If the alignment does not show anything, try swapping the tires left and right. Internal problems with the tire can cause that.

While you are there, examine the rotors and brake pads very carefully. A roughness on the rotor, or some oil on the pads will cause that.

Plus you can try swapping the pads left and right also. You might have gotten pads from two different batches and the friction co-efficient might be different.

If anything you do causes the problem to move to the left side, you have found the culprit.

All good ideas to try. Thanks. I'll check in after the alignment.

 

[diesel4me]

I found after many frustrating part replacements on my 79 C-10 that had the same problem (pulling to the gutter side when braking,you had to counter-steer to compensate),that somewhere along its lifetime ,its calipers had been replaced--and one had a slightly larger piston than the other!--evidently GM had 3 different piston sizes on 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks,and they all bolt on the same...guess someone put a salvage yard one on it,or got a mis-matched pair of rebuilts or something...

I thought sure it was going to be one of the original rubber front brake hoses failing,or a crimped metal line or something...I wasted about 100 bucks on pads,turning the rotors,new hoses,etc too....

Sometimes a tire with a shifted blet only shows up during braking--two different sized tires up front will cause a pull too--if they are marked the same size,but are not the same brand,the size can vary quite a bit...