75 124 pulls to drivers side, alignment checks out

[Roxyred]

Usually on the X side of things, today I have a Spider question:

Spider specs for reference:
Suspension is standard to a 75, no mods or fancy springs, still running 13's
Recently replaced drivers front caliper due to sever braking pull to right, that's fixed
Now pulls steady to drivers side at all speeds
Tires are due to be replaced
Check ball joints and tie rod ends, all *seem* in good shape and springy using big channel locks
Alignment shop checked and adjusted, everything looks in spec and they said they didn't see anything suspicious

I talked with a non-fiat friend, and he said if the shocks were the issue I'd have tire feathering which I do not. Shocks feel good but are older.
He suggested I rotate the tires front to back, as a bad tire or ingrained wear since they are old could be the culprit. Going to try that tomorrow.

Are there other things I can check for that could be causing this? I trust my Alignment shop, they do all my things and the other 3 cars are aligned perfectly, need help deducing what to zero in on, I hate just replacing arts without having an actual reason why.

Thanks in advance for the assist!

 

[JimD]

Sounds like it is set up for a NASCAR race.

My 124 Special pulled left when braking. It rolled straight while driving. A quick innerwebs search turned up lots of stuff on things you already checked and this thread that had some additional thoughts.

 

[Steve Thomas]

Guessing - park brake cable binding and not fully releasing drivers side rear brake and or caliper in poor condition and not fully releasing. Other possible, rear drivers side flexible brake line degraded and internally full of crud = not fully releasing.

 

[fiatfactory]

It's always "best practice" to do any brake repairs to both sides of the car, ask any seasoned mechanic and that's what they will tell you, not to try and upsell you, it's simply how it works best.

You've replaced the drivers / left side front caliper, so we will assume that side is working correctly, it now pulls to the left / drivers side... if there is an imbalance in braking force at the front, it will pull towards the side that works (best) ... so the fix / first place to look would be to ensure the right caliper / brake is functioning correctly ... so that's the caliper/ hose / disc and pads on that side are as they should be.

Forces that apply to suspension and brake components are far more that you can apply by hand with large pliers, the force required would be more akin to using a long pry bar, like something 4 or 5 feet log, to apply force to various bushings. LHS lower control arm bushes tend to fail earlier than RHS due to the LH side of the engine being the "oily" side with the breather / dipstick on that side... any wear in the lower bushes will make the car pull left

SteveC

 

[Steve Thomas]

Now pulls steady to drivers side at all speeds

without using the brakes?

Steve C is absolutly correct tho and I would go further and say that if any part of a system has failed, then all other parts are suspect. If you had trouble with a caliper then all calipers need rebuild/replacement and probably the master and all flex lines and pads and maybe discs.

 

[carl]

Not only can the calipers go bad, but the rubber brake hoses can swell internally and close up solid. They act like one way valves and let you apply the brakes but won't release the pressure when you let off the brakes. You can't tell by looking out the outside of the hoses. If you don't know when they were last replaced, then you should replace all of them.

An IR thermometer aimed at each caliper after a drive will let you know if one of them is way hotter than the others and thus would need attention.

 

[Roxyred]

without using the brakes?

Steve C is absolutly correct tho and I would go further and say that if any part of a system has failed, then all other parts are suspect. If you had trouble with a caliper then all calipers need rebuild/replacement and probably the master and all flex lines and pads and maybe discs.

Correct, brakes evenly, pulls steady at all speeds, obviously feels like a bit more at higher speeds but that's hard to measure

 

[Roxyred]

Also, did new hoses on BOTH sides though caliper only on drivers. As I mentioned, it pulled to the passenger side before during braking, now is nice and straight during braking. So I really think it's suspension related.

The master was also replaced at this time and new discs and pads. Plus a full flush of the system front and back, though the back is in fine shape.

 

[BEEK]

There are only a few things that can make a car pull alignment wise. If there is a castor difference it will pull to the side with the most negative castor. Toe can make car car pull. But it would need to be out a bit. Tires can make a car pull. Thrust angle can make a car pull. The pull could be caused in the rear and not in the front.

I would check those things.

 

[fiatrn]

Can you post the readout from your 4 wheel alignment? Maybe that would give a clue.

Also, do you have another set of tires? We could temporarily swap my Spider's wheels/tires onto yours and see if it solves the problem (after this friday's snowstorm!).

Can you easily put the car in the air and see if all four wheels turn easily and smoothly?