Brake job resulting in alignment issue?

Question

Quick question-My wife's got a '97 OBW, that would track nice and true on straight road,steering wheel level etc.  I took it in to my dealer, to change the brakepads, as they were worn out.  Now when driving, the car pulls pretty hard tothe right, and to get it to track true, I have to hold the wheel about 10degrees off true.  He said its not his fault, but I've got receipts from thelast time I had tires put on the car, alignment was in spec both before andafter they changed tires, and has always tracked true whenever I drove it.Is there anything that the dealer could have screwed up to make the carsuddenly start to pull to the right??TIA,Greg

mulder · Accepted Answer

If this happened right after the brake work was done, it's possible that one of the calipers is seized or dragging. After driving for a while at normal speed, feel the amount of heat coming off each wheel. If the brake on one wheel is dragging there will be noticeably more heat from that one. You can also jack the car up and check each wheel to see if they spin freely (aside from normal driveline resistance).It most probably has to do with something the dealer did at this service, too much of a coincidence to be unrelated.Also just for the heck of it, check your tire pressures. If a tire on the right side was low on air the car would pull to that side. Maybe the tire ran over something in the shop and now has a slow leak. Just a thought.Greg Ouzounian wrote:

Ed P · Answer

To expand on the above, when new pads, which are thicker than the worn pads, are installed, the piston in the caliper has to be pushed back into the caliper and the caliper has to be able to slide freely on its mounts to accommodate the new, thicker pad. If the mechanic fails to clean and lubricate the calipers such that they move freely, then the car can exhibit the problem discussed above.

Also, the last few inches of the brake lines to the front calipers is a flexible hose. Hoses can collapse or pinch either from old age or improper handling of the caliper during brake work such that the flow of brake fluid is restricted. I had a case once where a bad hose caused the brakes on one wheel release slowly after brake application, causing brake drag on that wheel.

Ed P

Todd H. · Answer

A dragging brake on the right side of the car would do it in a hurry. Best Regards, --Todd H. 2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4Chicago, Illinois USA

Brake job resulting in alignment issue?

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