Brakes pulling

[rampside]

I have a '63 corvair rampside and the front end pulls hard to left when braking, sometimes causing the wheels to turn and lock up. i ahve installed new shoes, and cylinders on all wheels as well as checking brakefluid. what could be causing this??? adn how can i fix it??

[rhandwor]

I think one of the hoses to the front wheel cylinders is going bad. When you bleed the front wheel cylinders did you get fluid coming with the same force.
Make sure the shoes are mounted correctly and not reversed. Make sure all springs are installed correctly. I turn the adjusters until the shoes just start rubbing when turning the wheel by hand. Adjust both sides the same.
Be aware brake fluid or excessive wheel bearing grease getting on the shoes will cause these types of problems. If this is the case clean the shoes with brake clean and sand.
With this age of car you have probably done this many times so check the first item listed first.
Some times I've had to file the corners of the shoes so they don't catch.

[denisond3]

I even start replacing brake hoses when my cars are 15-20 years old. And with a car as old as yours. a 'brake job' shoulld be really really comprehensive. Like dismantling and checking everything.
P.S. Last fall I replaced the brake lines on my 92 Ford Escort - due to rust. They broke in pieces when I was removing them!
I always liked Corvairs, though never owned one of my own. The first time I was ever on a skateboard was while being pulled around an empty shopping center parking lot with a water ski rope - behind a new 59 Corvair.

[rhandwor]

What did you find wrong on your car?

[big dwag]

If its pulling to the left, then change out the right brake caliper, the piston on the right hand side isn't pushing out on the pad. causing it to pull left.

[austinnative]

I have a 65 corvair that has been sitting for about a year. I just got it running again and notice it pulls to the right. There wasn't any fluid under the wheels and I haven't worked on the brakes. I've never had this problem before. Can the brake parts go bad just by the car sitting there? Recommendations? Thanks.

[rhandwor]

I would pull the drums and check for corrosion and clean parts. This should fix the problem.

[denisond3]

Pulling is pretty common on older cars, and more of a problem on collectible cars that sit around. The little pistons inside the wheel cylinders can stick. And they can stick in the 'rest' position, or in the 'applied' position. If you opened up the wheel cylinders the much you would find inside would probably surprise you. If the pistons refuse to move when you apply the brakes - it would be as if that side wasnt braking at all. So a stuck wheel cylinder on the drivers side would cause it to pull to the right - when you applied the brakes. If the pistons stuck in the 'applied' position, it would cause the opposite effect. A wheel cylinder on the drivers side that was stuck 'on', would cause the car to pull to the left a little bit - all the time. At least until the brake linings were burned away.
I think a brake job on a car over 10 or 15 years old should involve totally dismantling all of the parts, cleaning or rebuilding or replacing the wheel cylinders (and master cylinder too). And you should check the brake hoses for split rubber outsides, and the brake lines for corrosion. If you feel pits in the surface rust of a brake line - its time to replace them. Its not complex to do this, but it sure uses up time. If the car has disc brakes in front all this still applies, just in terms of caliper pistons instead of wheel cylinder pistons.
Good Luck with your Corvair....one of the better ideas Chevy ever had.