Brake job resulting in alignment issue?

[Greg Ouzounian]

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 brake
pads, as they were worn out. Now when driving, the car pulls pretty hard to
the right, and to get it to track true, I have to hold the wheel about 10
degrees off true. He said its not his fault, but I've got receipts from the
last time I had tires put on the car, alignment was in spec both before and
after 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 car
suddenly start to pull to the right??

TIA,
Greg

 

[mulder]

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.

 

[Ed P]

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.

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.]

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 brake
pads, as they were worn out. Now when driving, the car pulls pretty hard to
the right, and to get it to track true, I have to hold the wheel about 10
degrees off true. He said its not his fault, but I've got receipts from the
last time I had tires put on the car, alignment was in spec both before and
after 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 car
suddenly start to pull to the right??

A dragging brake on the right side of the car would do it in a hurry.

Best Regards,