MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Brakes - Pulling to left

Evening,

Well after sorting out the 123 setting, the car is running like a dream. Unfortunately that means driving much faster now and that showed up a few issues today!

The brakes are relatively new (5000 miles) calipers, greenstuff pads, braided hoses, rotors (discs in the UK!).

When braking the car pulls to the left and the left wheel always locks up first.

Any suggestions as to what to check? A good bleed and fluid change is probably in order but I wanted to get some other opinions.

Also, the brakes squeal like mad when hot! I have used Mintex brake lube on the back of the pads, chamfered the corners and still when they get hot, dogs go mad when I brake!

Thanks

Chris
Chris

If the front brakes are new, I'd check the rear brakes to see if they need to be adjusted or rebuilt. If they are o.k., then double-check all hoses, lines and connections to be sure there are no kinks or leaks and carefully bleed the system again.

Regarding pad squeal, I've always found the solution to be pads that don't squeal. Currently I'm using the stock pads supplied by Moss US, and they are noiseless. -G.
Glenn G

Chris, this is probably teaching grandmothers to suck eggs, but cars pulling to the left when braking could also be the RHS brake not working correctly. Things like a sticky caliper for instance.

Tony
Tony Oliver

When you fitted the new calipers, did you make sure that the piston cutouts were correctly oriented? If one or more was off then that caliper could be biting before the other. I had this once and after I sorted it out found the squeal that I had come to live with was completely cured.
Miles Banister

TOny, I plan to remove both calipers and check they move freely, the calipers are not old and so I am hoping they are not sticking

Miles, what orientation should they be, I cant remember how they are at the moment and to be honest cant remember paying much attention to them at the time.

Thanks

Chris
Chris

Cut-out faces the hub.

Is this the same with progressive braking? Or only if applying them rapidly? Does the pulling diminish during continued braking? Might need to find somewhere to go pretty fast :o) Rear brakes shouldn't cause much pulling even if only one is working as they contribute relatively little, certainly not causing the fronts to lock under progressive braking.

You don't need to remove the calipers to check piston movement, just remove the pads.
Paul Hunt

It is much worse when I first jump on the brakes, it does seem to stop pulling under progressive braking, I wont get chance to do anything tonight but will check the cut out position tomorrow

Ta for the advice

Regards

Chris
CHris

If you have not changed your front brake lines you may discover one is softer than the other. New brake lines solved my pulling problem. When you are changing to new lines, get an upgade. Easy job.
Lee

Interesting - it does sound as though it could be the cutouts. They should be lined up as Paul described, otherwise the pads will come on unevenly. The first time I noticed it, I removed the pads and used a carefully padded pipewrench to turn the pistons into the proper alignment. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Miles Banister

I had the same problem on front RH.
MOT, I mean French "control technique" LH and RH had the same brake power but RH damper or shock absorber was much less efficient than LH
C Pierre

The lines are braided and only a year old but I do have another set, new in packet. It sounds silly, I never even thought to look at the cut out position and I have had these pads out 3 or 4 times in the past attempting to cure the squeal. Sometimes you just never think to look at basic things.

Chris

The plot thickens,

Its so nice here at the moment, I did a silly thing and drove the MG to work this morning - the brakes still stop the car in an almighty hurry if needed.

Anyway, a bit of investigation, acceleration and braking showed that actually if i come off the power in a hurry, the car actually lunges to the left, even without the brakes but after the initial lunge, it goes straight.

If I take my foot off and plant it again, the car moves left, then pulls back in a straight line.

If I get of the accelerator and let the car do its initial lunge and then settle out, then push the brakes, it pulls up in a striaght line.

I am now wondering if I have a bush in the suspension that has split.

Still squeal like mad when hot so I still need to check the location of the cut out in the calipers.

Regards

Chris
Chris

Chris,

That sounds like loose U-bolts on the rear axel.

Charley
C R Huff

Something C Pierre said reminded me of another non-braking fault that causes pulling to one side under braking, and that is if one of the front dampers isn't damping. Loose U-bolts usually only causes power-on power-off changes of direction, I think, not braking.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 28/06/2009 and 02/07/2009

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGB Technical BBS now