I have a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 4 X4 extended cab pickup, with a brake problem.
The right front brake applies first causing a pull to the right. Every thing
has been changed. rotors,pads, calipers. brake lines, proporitinn valve.
even tires & wheels. this has been done on the rear also. In fact this has
been done 2 times , nothing changed. The right front brake feels free to
turn when the wheel is jacked up off the ground. However black dust gets on
the right front and not the left [From wear]. Even the metal brake lines
have been changed. Something strange is going on here.
I am posting this for Don Reed, his computer is out of service. Boris
Belchoff
Any Help will be greatly appreciated.
Don Reed
donreed at ij.net
Or reply to this message Thank you
813- 754-2322
> the right front and not the left [From wear]. Even the metal brake lines
> have been changed. Something strange is going on here.
Okay - if you've gone after all the 'typical' stuff, it's time to get a
little creative. First, I'd see about getting a couple of pressure gauges ,
and hook them up. You can either get a gauge and adapter that will replace
the bleeder screw, or a set of pads that replace the brake pads and get
squeezed by the caliper. The ones that screw into the bleeder are better,
IMO. Check for equal brake pressure when the brakes are applied - both with
the engine off and with the engine running. Also check to make sure both
gauges drop back to zero when the brakes are released. If they don't check
out, you've obviously got problems upstream - possibly the master cylinder.
If the pressures are equal, then you've got some kind of mechanical binding
happening, either on the left side during apply, or on the right side during
the return. I'm assuming you've already checked/greased the caliper slide
bolts, but I'd check again. Maybe remove the brake pads, re-install the
caliper, and make sure you can manually slide it back and forth without
anything hanging up. Again, check both sides.
KG - 09 Jun 2005 03:27 GMT
I had a 98 2500HD 4X4 Xcab that pulled to the left. Shims were added to the
right side to balance the pull. Or it was vice versa. The truck was several
weeks if that old. The dealer performed this under warranty.
Kevin
>> the right front and not the left [From wear]. Even the metal brake lines
>> have been changed. Something strange is going on here.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> re-install the caliper, and make sure you can manually slide it back and
> forth without anything hanging up. Again, check both sides.
Tom Lawrence - 09 Jun 2005 05:36 GMT
>I had a 98 2500HD 4X4 Xcab that pulled to the left. Shims were added to the
>right side to balance the pull. Or it was vice versa. The truck was several
>weeks if that old. The dealer performed this under warranty.
Yeah, but that's a very slight pull that's more steering/suspension related.
The fact that he sees a big discrepency in the amount of brake dust left vs.
right indicates a more serious problem.
And yes - my '99 2500 also had the 1/8" spacer ring on the right side. I
don't believe this applied to the 1/2-ton trucks.
Nosey - 09 Jun 2005 07:06 GMT
> And yes - my '99 2500 also had the 1/8" spacer ring on the right
> side. I don't believe this applied to the 1/2-ton trucks.
My '99 2500 has that spacer ring on the right side too. What's the purpose
of that?
Tom Lawrence - 09 Jun 2005 07:17 GMT
> My '99 2500 has that spacer ring on the right side too. What's the purpose
> of that?
To move the wheel out a bit, and to counteract a tendency to pull while
braking. I ran my 2500 both with and without that spacer, and I wasn't able
to feel any significant difference either way.
Nosey - 09 Jun 2005 07:26 GMT
>> My '99 2500 has that spacer ring on the right side too. What's the
>> purpose of that?
>
> To move the wheel out a bit, and to counteract a tendency to pull
> while braking. I ran my 2500 both with and without that spacer, and
> I wasn't able to feel any significant difference either way.
Thanks. I always wondered what it was there for.