car pulling badly!

[mightywolf]

Ok, yesterday I fit new springs all round, did both droplinks, and the passenger side wishbone and cv joint.

Now she pulls to the left pretty badly, but when I brake the steering wheel straightens up???

I've taken it to be tracked and it was out but it hasn't made any difference to the pulling.

I know its not the wishbone on the drivers side cos I replaced that a couple of weeks ago. All the shocks are Bilsteins and less than 6 months old. I can't find ANY movement in anything anywhere and am now getting stumped.

The only other thing is the calipers. But the fact that it brakes straight makes me think not.

On the plus side it doesn't half feel nice now with new shocks and springs :)

Any ideas anyone?

Cheers,
Mark.

[t5 stealth]

try measuring the gap in front and behind the front wheels on both sides to see if one wheel is further back or forward than the other,
sounds like it may be the lower arm is either wrong or badly made,
if the car was ok before the work done then id re check what youve done as something may be wrong or diffrent from the original parts you replaced....
and re check that all the bolts are done up tight,inner bush bolts etc.
if you changed the springs im assuming all the top mount bearings moved ,if they are siezed or very tight then the spring cant turn with the steering,that may make the car pull

[mightywolf]

I'll re-check it tmoz if the weather is ok.
I replaced all the strut mounts, seats etc when i changed the struts and checked them yesterday when i did the springs.

The only other thing I've noticed tonight when i've just got back in is that the right hand brake disc/caliper seems to be much much hotter than the left side.
Which again doesn't make sense if its pulling to the right? Surely it would pull right if the right hand caliper was sticking?

[PHIL V70R]

Ok, yesterday I fit new springs all round, did both droplinks, and the passenger side wishbone and cv joint.

Now she pulls to the left pretty badly, but when I brake the steering wheel straightens up???

I've taken it to be tracked and it was out but it hasn't made any difference to the pulling.

I know its not the wishbone on the drivers side cos I replaced that a couple of weeks ago. All the shocks are Bilsteins and less than 6 months old. I can't find ANY movement in anything anywhere and am now getting stumped.

The only other thing is the calipers. But the fact that it brakes straight makes me think not.

On the plus side it doesn't half feel nice now with new shocks and springs :)

Any ideas anyone?

Cheers,
Mark.

my moneys on a cailiper mate had one on the R not so long ago...:ukliam2:

[AndysR]

What he said ^^^ sounds very much like a caliper...

[t5 stealth]

possible caliper or sliders on caliper,or pads siezed in caliper,
makes the brake bind or when you apply brakes the siezed caliper doesnt do much but the otherside is doing all the work so it will pull to the left (if right caliper siezed) or vice verca depending which side is siezed....

[mightywolf]

Right then, guess I'd better check the calipers!! :) I'll give it a look over today, re-check everything and hope I find it!

[t5 stealth]

,.,if this problem has occured since doing the other work then check you havnt got a brake hose twisted or folded a bit tight so fluid is restricted....
just a thought

[mightywolf]

right I've checked everything. all bolts are tight nothing loose. can't find anything wrong. checked the calipers and they seem fine although the left hand one seems a little slower to push out than the right.
But i've been driving it today and it seems worse if anything. still pulls left but now pulls right when braking and the steering seems to go loose???
i'm gonna get new calipers on friday when i get paid and hope that might solve it, but i can't find anything obvious.
i did think steering rack but its not leaking and i'm not loosing ay fluid.

[t5 stealth]

right I've checked everything. all bolts are tight nothing loose. can't find anything wrong. checked the calipers and they seem fine although the left hand one seems a little slower to push out than the right.
But i've been driving it today and it seems worse if anything. still pulls left but now pulls right when braking and the steering seems to go loose???
i'm gonna get new calipers on friday when i get paid and hope that might solve it, but i can't find anything obvious.
i did think steering rack but its not leaking and i'm not loosing ay fluid.

i would make sure its callipers 1st mate as it could cost a bit for callipers and the prob might still be there,
did you say that 1 wheel is hotter than the other ,cant remember lol,
have you checked the usual suspects,swivels,track rod ends,wheel bearings,
is the gaps between front and rear of tyre the same both sides,
seems strange its since you changed the lower arm,
i know cheap option lower arms can be badly made,seen it many times,
causes all sorts of probs with steering.

[mightywolf]

yeah but i took it for a spirited drive today with some harsh braking and they both seemed the same!
I can't find any movement anywhere in anything. never checked the rear calipers though.
Its just feels like a braking issue. Can't understand the light steering though.
The wishbone is from a local spares place i always use. all oem or oes spec parts and i've never had a problem with anything before.

[t5 stealth]

yeah but i took it for a spirited drive today with some harsh braking and they both seemed the same!
I can't find any movement anywhere in anything. never checked the rear calipers though.
Its just feels like a braking issue. Can't understand the light steering though.
The wishbone is from a local spares place i always use. all oem or oes spec parts and i've never had a problem with anything before.

if its pulling then rear brakes wont affect it,so prob is definatly from front id say.
with the steering straight and standing in front of car,do both wheels sit the same,ie does one appear to have more camber or sit noticably further out than the other,
i know one wheel sticks out slightly more on volvos,but is it slight or realy noticable....looking down the side of the car from the front ? each side.

[mightywolf]

well a new wishbone has totally cured the pulling under braking issue! I didn't think it would have done that with the slight amount of play the wishbone had.
Just gotta get some new discs for the front now cos they are pretty shot and i can get her up for sale this week!
Just glad it wasn't the calipers.