New rotor, brakes, now pulls to right

Hi,

I put a new brake rotor in the front left because the old one had warped and the car was shaking on braking.

All went normally, I think. I repacked the old wheel bearings on the left wheel and snugged the nut down, then backed off until I hit the first open hole, inserted cotter pin. I also put new pads on, both front and left. But I left the original rotor on the front right, and left the bearings alone on the front right.

Now the car pulls top the right *sometimes*. It will pull while braking, or while coasting on a flat road. Sometimes.

After driving for a while, the front left wheel gets hotter than the front right, but neither one is too hot to touch. They just get warm, actually, not hot. Both wheels spin normally when they're off the ground.

I get the usual small amount of play and the usual clunk sound when I grab the wheels and try to move them, but the left wheel seems to be a little looser than the right. But the cotter pin is in the right place, so I can't tighten it up any more.


What's going on ?

Thanks,

Rage

Hi,

I put a new brake rotor in the front left because the old one had warped and the car was shaking on braking.

All went normally, I think. I repacked the old wheel bearings on the left wheel and snugged the nut down, then backed off until I hit the first open hole, inserted cotter pin. I also put new pads on, both front and left. But I left the original rotor on the front right, and left the bearings alone on the front right.

Now the car pulls top the right *sometimes*. It will pull while braking, or while coasting on a flat road. Sometimes.

After driving for a while, the front left wheel gets hotter than the front right, but neither one is too hot to touch. They just get warm, actually, not hot. Both wheels spin normally when they're off the ground.

I get the usual small amount of play and the usual clunk sound when I grab the wheels and try to move them, but the left wheel seems to be a little looser than the right. But the cotter pin is in the right place, so I can't tighten it up any more.


What's going on ?

Thanks,

Rage

You used an OLD bearing with a NEW rotor? Shame, shame, shame .. :)

The new rotor comes with new bearing races, so it's always paramount to install new bearings whenever installing a new rotor. There's a chance the bearing races on the rotor do not have the same angle as the bearings themselves - this would account for any play (which you should not be able to feel by hand). As for the pull, the general rule of thumb is to replace both rotors if one needs replaced, due to the fact that you're dealing with different thicknesses now. When you installed the new pads, did you at least break the glaze on the old rotor with some sandpaper or emery cloth? If not, this could cause the pull to the right.

You used an OLD bearing with a NEW rotor? Shame, shame, shame .. :)

The new rotor comes with new bearing races, so it's always paramount to install new bearings whenever installing a new rotor. There's a chance the bearing races on the rotor do not have the same angle as the bearings themselves - this would account for any play (which you should not be able to feel by hand). As for the pull, the general rule of thumb is to replace both rotors if one needs replaced, due to the fact that you're dealing with different thicknesses now. When you installed the new pads, did you at least break the glaze on the old rotor with some sandpaper or emery cloth? If not, this could cause the pull to the right.

Thanks for the reply. Hmmmm. The Chilton's manual just said to inspect the bearings for unusual wear, replace if necessary, otherwise just repack the bearings.

No, I didn't sand the new rotor. I didn't read anything saying to sand the new rotor. Won't the pads eventually wear off any glaze?

Rage

Thanks for the reply. Hmmmm. The Chilton's manual just said to inspect the bearings for unusual wear, replace if necessary, otherwise just repack the bearings.

No, I didn't sand the new rotor. I didn't read anything saying to sand the new rotor. Won't the pads eventually wear off any glaze?

Rage

Not sand the new rotor - the OLD rotor you reused. There's a glaze on it from being used - that glaze has to come off or the pads won't properly wear in and might burn up. The new rotor has no glaze and therefore needs not be sanded or "scuffed".

Sounds like the caliper piston is sticking slightly, or the pins and bushings for the self adjusters are not moving freely; a pesky problem with single piston calipers. Were the pads worn more on the left than the right before you changed them? If so, its more than likely what the problem is. This problem can warp your rotor(s). I haven't changed any of the calipers on my 91 Chev yet, but if they're the same cost as any of my other rear wheel drive GM's, rebuid's arfe pretty cheap.

Don't worry about the bearings, the only time they need to be replaced is if they (or the race) are damaged or scored. If you repack them regularly (I do mine once a year), there isn't any reason they won't last the life of the vehicle. Just make sure you don't over tighten the nut. I adjust mine with the wheel on. You can be a little loose, but tapered roller bearings don't last if they're too tight.