sound like your brakepads have worn unevenly

 

Assuming the pads and discs are all OK I would guess that one of your offside brake calipers is seized, or the pads are seized in the carriers.

You will need to strip then down, give them a good clean and some coppercrest in the contact points where the pads meet the carriers.

If it is the rears, you may nead to buy a new caliper s they sometimes are beyond repair.

If you can get yourself down to a quickfit they usually do a free brake test, and it will show you which wheel is the problem.

 

Tyre pressure.

My F did this for ages, I could practically steer the car down the road without using the steering wheel! Accelerate to go right, break to go left! I found out it was leaking valve in the front passanger side tyre. Only about 5 PSI out but it was enough 2 unsettle the car. I think it was the flex in the tyre wall causing this effect. Putting a few more PSI in that recommended in all the tires totally cured it. Did long trip to Wales recently so but exactly what the handbook recommended back into the tires & did notice a bit of pulling as the breaks were applied.

 

Aye, I would check tyre pressures too. My left front has a slow leak, when it goes more than a couple of PSI down it pulls left under braking. Its usually the tyre to rim seal that goes with corrosion, a tyre shop will sort it for a few quid in 10 mins.
After that strip your brakes down on both sides as CJJ says and clean and grease the pad to caliper surfaces.

 

.....I would check tyre pressures too. My left front has a slow leak, when it goes more than a couple of PSI down it pulls left under braking..........

This is one issue I too have suffered from in the past, you soon get to know when your pressures are not right. Its the first thing to check really as its, easy & the cheapest

 

Sound very much like your brake caliper is seized. Mine was just like that and just a bit of tinkering got it sorted.

 

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I have played around with tyre pressures with ranging between 26 and 32 psi. It does change behaviour, but still not right. I'm wondering if due to the rears not being matched tyres, the tyre walls are different strength when the pressures are the same. It does almost feel like the car's twisting from the rear instead of normal turn from the front if you get what I mean.

I might try altering pressures on the rears so one's more than the other.

Or just wait till pay day and buy some new GSD2s

 

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I have played around with tyre pressures with ranging between 26 and 32 psi. It does change behaviour, but still not right. I'm wondering if due to the rears not being matched tyres, the tyre walls are different strength when the pressures are the same. It does almost feel like the car's twisting from the rear instead of normal turn from the front if you get what I mean.

I might try altering pressures on the rears so one's more than the other.

Or just wait till pay day and buy some new GSD2s

Having non matched tyres on the same axle of an F/TF is asking for trouble. Having different tyre pressures on the same axle with mixed tyres is like giving the finger to the grim reaper. I certainly wouldn't do it.

 

I had the same problem (not on my MG) and it was a caliper problem. A good clean to get rid of all the crud and new pads - sorted.

 

Mine also did the twisting from the rear thing when I got it.
I had matched tyres and everything then, I think it was a partly siezed rear caliper that was the issue, the wheel angle can change slightly under braking by flexing the bushes (pull your handbrake on and rock the car, see the rear wheels toe in and out) if one caliper is working better than the other you get more flex on one side and it steers.

 

brake imbalance causes it to pull, piston in caliper siezed or one of the sliders.

 

Thanks guys! Bit scared to play with brakes, but might give it a go Will save a fair bit of money if I can take them apart myself I guess in the long run. Where do you get the copper grease from? Halfords?

 

Here's everything I could think of:

1 bushes etc, tie arm the bush in the sub frame ends a good bet
2 tyre pressure's / tyres
3 brake balance (although you said the garage have tested this)
4 knackered pads/disc's
5 wheel bearing on its way out
6 four wheel alignment
7 hydragas down on one side or a knackered unit
8 suppose the abs unit could be duff (dont really but thought I better add it)

 

1 bushes etc - OK - just replaced
2 tyre pressure's - OK - just checked
3 brake balance (although you said the garage have tested this) - OK supposedly
4 knackered pads/disc's - look OK, rears recently replaced
5 wheel bearing on its way out - unknown
6 four wheel alignment - OK - jsut done
7 hydragas down on one side - OK - just done
8 suppose the abs unit could be duff (dont really but thought I better add it) - No ABS


So wheel bearing's a possibility....

 

1 bushes etc - OK - just replaced
2 tyre pressure's - OK - just checked
3 brake balance (although you said the garage have tested this) - OK supposedly
4 knackered pads/disc's - look OK, rears recently replaced
5 wheel bearing on its way out - unknown
6 four wheel alignment - OK - jsut done
7 hydragas down on one side - OK - just done
8 suppose the abs unit could be duff (dont really but thought I better add it) - No ABS


So wheel bearing's a possibility....

I edited a few more options in the other post, but if you brake really heavy at speed down to a stop, do you hear any noises?? that could be early stages of wheel bearing going

Even if you've had the hydragas pumped up to the right level, it could still be a rear unit knackered although your more likely to notice this on high speed corners when it turns in to a shopping trolley, pumping up the units can hide a unit thats lost its gas section from the top, the only real way to test this is take the unit out and drain the fluid, then see if its still firm to push the piston in by hand, its should be quite firm an springy

 

Not noticed any noises at all. I'll keep fingers crossed it's not the hydragas at the moment