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Weird handling while braking

Dan Hunter

Truck Terrorist
Messages
441
Reaction score
5
Location
Enid, OK
Recently my truck has developed strange handling while braking. It'll turn left slightly like the brake end is coming around when on ice. Then the wheel turns left and the truck track to the right. The steering box is at the end of adjustment. New tie rods/drag links haven't helped. I'm thinking it's in the front end because if I use the parking brake to stop the vehicle it does fine. All the brakes feel warm after driving.

Any ideas?
 
How much steering wheel play is there when sitting still with engine off?

Sent from my SCH-I535
 
I started having issues with my brakes. I unplugged my abs and all problems went away. Just a cheap idea.
 
I wonder if you drive on a dirt road with loose rock will it show more info like a wheel is pulling while braking? Maybe jack up the front end and check ball joints, torsion bars, and A arm bushings maybe something is shifting a bit when braking and causing temporary alignment changes ????
 
Interesting. Do I just pull the top "brake" fuse for my 94? Otherwise, where is the connection I separate?

I unplugged mine at the abs box mounted on the brake master cylinder. I got no light or anything else. I did get better behaved brakes.

Mine is a 1993 5 speed, it really has no computer that I have found yet besides the one for the speedometer(vssb box).
 
First checks I'd make would be to look at your calipers and make sure one isn't binding and then look to see whether your shoes or pads are soaked with oil or fluid. They'll grab like crazy if soaked, like from a blown wheel cylinder or bad axle gasket.
 
You might not have anything wrong with your brakes at all.

Check steering box, pitman arm, idler arm, tie rod ends, upper and lower ball joints, bushings. Either multiple things are worn out, or something is in horrible shape and about to leave you broke down.
 
You might not have anything wrong with your brakes at all.

Check steering box, pitman arm, idler arm, tie rod ends, upper and lower ball joints, bushings. Either multiple things are worn out, or something is in horrible shape and about to leave you broke down.

Idler, tie rod ends are new. I'll lift it up this morning and wiggle stuff but the ball joints aren't clunking. I know I'm out of adjustment in the steering box and I will replace it ASAP.
 
I think the test with the engine off is a bit subjective. I can "flex" my steering wheel quite a bit side to side with the engine off but have pretty tight steering with engine running.
 
I find your box being out of adjustment hard to believe. At 300k miles on a farm truck I still have adjustment.

I'd check pitman flex, ball joints, and the rag joint first.

Then brakes and hubs

source unknown
 
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